Niagara casinos will have new look, more gaming space when they reopen
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For staff at Niagara Falls’ two casinos, it’s going to feel like the grand opening all over again.
When Fallsview Casino and Casino Niagara open their doors again next week, it will have been 16 months since people filled the gaming floors. Even as casinos in the U.S. reopened to booming business in recent months, Niagara’s casinos remained closed.
In 2003, Casino Niagara was shut down for six days to conserve energy during a massive blackout. It felt unprecedented at the time.
Turns out, ‘unprecedented’ took on a whole new meaning during the pandemic.
“Who would have thought we’d ever see something like this during our careers?” said Niagara Casinos president Richard Taylor.
“Us being in the entertainment business, the hospitality business, we’ve been hit particularly hard. From the casino side of things, I can’t think of another industry that’s been shuttered anywhere in the world the way we have here in Ontario.”
The 16-month shutdown was actually the first time Fallsview Casino has closed since its grand opening in 2004. And that feeling will be in the air again when it reopens, says Taylor.
The casino used its time off to add 20,000-square-feet of new gaming space, redesigning some areas. About 600 new slots have been installed and a new private gaming area has been added to the 30th floor at Fallsview, while the front area in the Galleria has removed the statues which have been a mainstay since the opening.
“The entrance to the floor will actually be pushed more towards the fountain, so we’ve reclaimed some space there,” said Taylor. “We’ve also reclaimed some space from some of our retailers. Where the old Sirens used to be is now all gaming. Where the 365 (bar) used to be has been completely opened up.”
Casino Niagara — which turns 25 this year — will also have a new front entrance.
“It looks awesome. Our customers are going to love it.”
VIP players will get a sneak peak during two invite-only nights prior to the July 23 reopening. Taylor said this will also give staff a chance to get back in the groove after the long layoff.
Taylor said about 1,000 of the two casinos’ combined 4,000 full-time and part-time employees will be called back for the initial phase of the reopening. More staff will be added “within provincial restrictions and sustainable business levels.”
Fallsview will be open 24 hours per day upon the reopening, while Casino Niagara will initially be open from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Limited table games resume at Fallsview July 30. A date hasn’t been set for Casino Niagara’s table games yet.
Once inside, patrons and staff must wear face masks. Slots have also been co-ordinated to allow a two-metre distance between all players.
While Taylor is thrilled the casino doors can finally open again, there is still uncertainty about when U.S. gamers can visit or when Fallsview’s two concert halls, including the brand new, 5,000-seat Entertainment Centre can host concerts.
“We simply just don’t know,” he says. “We have the border issue as well, so a lot of the entertainers just can’t even come into the country without quarantining.
“There’s a lot of things beyond our control … but what I can tell you is, it’s an important part to our business, it’s an important part to this community. We’re going to get that operational as quickly as we can, given the unknowns we’re currently trying to manage.”
