Red Deer Resort and Casino holds grand opening
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A new casino has opened its doors in the City of Red Deer.
Red Deer Resort and Casino hosted its grand opening ceremony on Friday evening.
“It feels so surreal because we’ve been at this for so long. It’s been quite the journey, but to be here now is a huge relief,” said Adrian Strawberry, hotel operations manager.
“We’re super excited we’re finally at this stage.”
The casino, which is owned by the O’Chiese Business and Investment Center, offers a variety of gaming options, including slot machines, table games and a poker room, as well as dining rooms and a bar.
The completion of the casino is a “major milestone” for the city, O’Chiese Business and Investment Center CEO George Yammine said in a media release this week.
“The casino will be a key driver of tourism and economic growth in the region, becoming a hub for entertainment for the region and beyond,” Yammine said.
The casino’s design looks to respect the cultural heritage of the O’Chiese First Nation. The sunrises over the Alberta prairies and the sunsets over the Rocky Mountains inspired the design for the casino space. An integrated waterfall symbolizes shared values of a deep connection to nature, ancestral lands and the spiritual importance of water.
The expansion of the casino and upgrades to the hotel expect to increase employment by up to 20 per cent with an increased need for dealers, servers and housekeeping professionals.
There is still some development work being done at Red Deer Resort and Casino. A new event centre is currently being constructed – Strawberry estimates this building will be ready by November.
“We’re moving extremely fast on that. We’re super excited about that and of course we have a lot of interested people who want to use the new facility,” Strawberry said, adding the building could be used for concerts in the future.
That building will be located at the former site of the Longriders Saloon and Bellinis Sonic Lounge nightclubs.
The resort features 241 guest rooms, 15 modern meeting rooms, a sprawling conference centre that covers 53,000 square feet, and now a casino.
