Hiawatha Horse Park celebrated a special day this week, as it welcomes back Gateway Casinos Sarnia and gambling on its premises. Gateway Casinos Sarnia launched operation with a special ribbon-cutting ceremony making the entire experience this more special for locals and gaming enthusiasts. Gateway Casinos & Entertainment and Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation representatives were also present.
January 30 was a special date for Sarnia locals, as slot gaming was set to return to the area and make it an even more popular destination for individuals in the region. Hiawatha Horse Park is the location welcoming the slots venue, having it come back to life after eight years of no gaming in the area. This return called for a special ceremony with local officials and casino representatives.
Gaming Returns to Hiawatha Horse Park
The new gaming venue is overseen by one of Canada’s leading casino operators in collaboration with the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation. Gateway Casino Sarnia is projected to make the horse racetrack even more popular than it currently is, while also supporting it with regular allocations. The ribbon-cutting ceremony took place as expected on January 30, as the venue was completely redesigned for a fresh new look.
Sarnia-Lambton MPP Bob Bailey was present at the special ceremony and he also had some things to share in relation to it. He pointed out that the new gaming venue is going to fuel the local employment market by attracting locals to alternative job positions. This has not been the case since 2012 when slot machines were last working on the premises of Hiawatha Horse Park.
In addition to that, the venue is expected to trigger more development. Local businesses in its vicinity are projected to see more individuals making their way there, as well as new ones discovering everything Sarnia has up for grabs. When all is said and done, Mr. Bailey predicts this new operation could have a positive impact on the community and the city coffers.
Slot Gaming Brings Back Memories
Local projects and infrastructural work would also be positively influenced by regular gaming revenue allocations. Gaming operation is subjected to the Municipality Contribution Agreement with the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation. This is one of the main selling points of a new casino elevating the mutual benefits factor.
According to it, the City of Sarnia is about to bag 5.25 percent of the first CA$65 million generated by the new gaming venue. Jim Henderson, the owner of the venue, had previously stated that local businesses were interested in renting and leasing in the area of Gateway Casinos Sarnia.
The gaming floor itself amounts to some 22,000 square feet and there are 150 slot machines sprinkled across it. Locals were eager to take a look at the refreshed gaming venue and get a taste of the family-friendly offerings Gateway Casinos Sarnia has in store.
