On Wednesday, news emerged from London, Ontario, that Gateway Casinos & Entertainment is ready to ditch its new Wonderland Road casino project and invest the money into Gateway Casinos London. However, Walt Spivak, owner of the leased by the gaming company land, said that he was not briefed by the corporation about a such change of heart of abandoning the new project.
Gateway Casinos & Entertainment announced its CA$75 million casino project for Wonderland Road, London, back in 2018. This was due to the fact that it was not able to get a license to expand its Gateway Casinos London in Western Fair District. However, due to the unprecedented situation, construction of the new property was obstructed for quite a while.
News to Him Too
On Wednesday, Mr. Spivak that the news about Gateway Casinos & Entertainment abandoning the Wonderland Road casino project on his land is also news for him. He said that he read it in a local paper and also came as a surprise to him. The land owner clarified that he was not contacted by the gaming conglomerate about not using his site.
Director of Communications for the gaming leader, Rob Mitchell, has neither confirmed nor dismissed the news about channelling the money into the Western Fair District property. However, Mr. Mitchell said that the company’s focus at its Gateway Casinos London and all other of its property remains to deliver the best possible gaming experience to its many patrons.
As mentioned, the construction of the company’s new casino property was obstructed by the 2020 health and safety restrictions. But Mr. Spivak said that he worked with the company on accommodating the new conditions and gave them a reprieve, as it was expected that when casinos reopen, the company would renew the construction of the project.
He commented that the Ellis-Don trailers are still on the site and that there were also some materials at the site such as still. However, there has been a halt in the construction. Now, it remains to be seen whether the company would confirm the news of channelling the money into its existing property. Western Fair District has also refused to comment on the matter.
Update on More Canadian Properties
Currently, Gateway Casinos & Entertainment operates over 26 casino properties across Canada. The company is also working on launching a brand-new establishment in Wasaga Beach, Ontario. The amenity should be ready for launch soon, as in July the company organized a job fair to fill over 140 positions as the new property should launch by the end of the year.
In addition to that, the gaming conglomerate is also launching a brand-new casino property in BC. At the end of August, the company said that Cascades Casino Delta is close to making its debut as it should make its grand opening by the end of September. The company also invited local business leaders and the press to a tour of the new 165,000-square-foot gaming hotspot.
Source: “Casino change of plans is news to land owner” CTV News London, August 31, 2022
