The construction of Cascades Casino Chatham-Kent was officially given a start with a formal ground-breaking ceremony on July 5th. The construction of the CA$36-million casino venue owned by Gateway Casinos is expected to see its completion in mid-2019.
As previously revealed by Tony Santo, the Chief Executive Officer of Gateway Casinos and Entertainment, the new casino is to become home to over 300 slot machines and 12 table games. In addition, the venue, set to be situated in Chatham, is to feature the Gatewayās iconic restaurant brands MATCH Eatery & Public House and The Buffet.
At the time when the ground-breaking ceremony was held, Mr. Santo called the venue āa great state of art entertainment attractionā for the local community, as well as a major contributor to the regionās economy. The new casino is expected to create 200 new jobs, and also millions of dollars in economic spin-offs through the construction process.
The casino will be the first new facility of Gateway Casinos in Ontario. Currently, the brand owns a number of gambling properties situated in Kamloops, Langley, and Penticton.
The mayor of Chatham-Kent Randy Hope shared his belief that local people would be very pleased with the new gambling, entertainment, and dining facility.
Gateway Casinosā CEO Addresses Concerns over Possible Gambling-Related Harm
The new gambling and entertainment venue of Gateway Casinos is to be hosted at 615 Richmond Street in Chatham, which has previously housed the Wheels Inn. As mentioned above, the casino is expected to start a new chapter for the local community, as it is seen not only as a mere gambling facility but also as a significant future contributor to the local economy.
Gateway Casinos has already revealed that up to 200 new jobs will be created, with the 100 employees from the Dresden Casino to be transferred to the new Chatham location as soon as the new facility is completed. The projectās cost has been estimated to about CA$36 million, and the casino is set to resemble other properties of the brand which are currently situated in Penticton and Kamloops.
The opening of the new facility has provoked a wave of concern related to possible gambling-related harm and increased problem gambling rates in the region. Mr. Santo addressed these concerns yesterday at the official ground-breaking ceremony, saying that the venue is set to be a family-friendly one as there will be separate entrances for the dining areas and the casino. In addition, there will be special security to stop minors from entering the casino floor.
The casino floor would be situated on space of more than 45,200 square feet, with the facility expected to provide larger revenue for the municipality in comparison to the one generated by the Dresden one. According to the Gateway Casinos CEO, the yet-to-be-constructed venue would emerge as a worthy competitor of Caesars Windsor, which is considered more of a ādestination casinoā.
