On Monday, Canada’s largest casino and entertainment company, Gateway Casinos & Entertainment Ltd, held a public information meeting in order to provide more detailed information regarding its casino draft proposal at the Delta Town and Country Inn site in Ladner. City councilors suggested that the casino proposal should gather feedback from the public before any further actions are taken. British Columbia Lottery Corp. (BCLC) asserted that the Tsawwassen First Nation is another potential location for the multi-million full-fledged entertainment complex, supposing that the City of Delta shoots down Gateway’s casino project.
The company behind the proposal for a new casino and entertainment center in Delta conducted two public consultation sessions this Monday. City councilors were given the opportunity to file their questions and voice their concerns regarding Gateway’s casino project. Among all other things, city officials explained that the locals agreed on a slot-only gambling venue, but Gateway’s proposed casino project is of much larger magnitude and people should have the right to express their personal stance on the matter.
According to the local news outlet Delta Optimist, Gateway’s proposal is to bring a big change in the city and hence, it should go to referendum. John Hutton from Delta Optimist, who is also a resident of the city for long years, explained that the community should have the right to consider the question carefully in order to decide if the benefits from hosting a casino outweigh the corruption risks.
Tsawwassen First Nation – the Second Preferred Casino Site after Delta
Representatives from BCLC also attended the meeting on Monday. BCLC’s Manager of Stakeholder Engagement, Chris Fairclough, told the reporters from Delta Optimist that if Delta rejects Gateway’s casino project, the lottery corporation is to eye other opportunities for a casino expansion. Mr. Fairclough added that BCLC is to closely examine Gateway’s applications supposing that it hits the rail. He pointed out that the lottery corporation took the same steps when Surrey council scrapped a proposal to relocate Gateway’s temporary gambling license at Newton Bingo Country.
As it can be recalled, Surrey, the Tsawwassen First Nation (TFN) and the City of Delta submitted expressions of interest for a new gambling venue. As aforementioned, Surrey scrapped the casino proposal and Delta was selected as the preferred location for a casino expansion. Supposing that the government rejects Gateway’s casino project, the casino operator will, most probably, try to win the city officials’ hearts one more time. However, Mr. Fairclough stressed on the fact that the company may also redirect its attention to other areas, including First Nations communities, to host Gateway’s proposed casino.
