The wait is finally over, as this week, Gateway Casinos & Entertainment’s new casino property in Wasaga Beach is set to make its grand opening. On Wednesday, November 23, 2022, Playtime Casino Wasaga Beach will open its doors to the public. Over the last few days, the company was adding finishing touches while employees were making final preparations before the launch.
Gateway Casinos & Entertainment is one of the largest casino entertainment companies in Canada and it operates over 20 gaming facilities across British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario. Its newest one in Wasaga Beach costs over CA$34.4 million, and it will come with the corporation’s trademark gambling, entertainment, and dining amenities.
Opening This Wednesday
The gaming company informed that after years of construction the Wasaga Beach casino will officially kick off operations on Wednesday, November 23, 2022, at 1:00 p.m. The 25,000-square foot gaming establishment offers over 250 slot machines, live table games, a restaurant and a bar. On Monday, the casino welcomed media teams who were able to take a first loot it.
Grant Darling, the Senior Vice President of Operations for Gateway Casinos Ontario state that the company’s newest property represents a major investment in the future of Wasaga Beach. According to him, the new location has secured over 140 new jobs and has created a year-round entertainment attraction for both tourists and residents of the local community.
In order to prepare for the opening of the casino, back in July, the company hosted its first job fair for the property. Some of the available included cooks, bartenders, servers, dishwashers, hosts, cage and coin attendants, slot technicians, security and maintenance. The event took place at Wasaga Beach RecPlex at 1724 Mosley St. and it is safe to say that the company found an exciting team to work with.
Carl Styan, who is one of the hires from the event, and has been appointed as slot technician also shared his excitement about the opening. He said that he was driving past the project for several years, watching it develop, and thought that it could be a great working opportunity for him and get himself a technical job.
Kris Couture who retired last year from customer service also returned to work when saw the opportunity. The local admits that she decided to apply for the job as a guest service representative to be part of the team. Along with the rest of the staff, she is also now looking forward to the casino’s launch and welcoming their first guests at the establishment.
Committing to Western Fair District
Meanwhile, in November, Gateway Casinos & Entertainment announced that it has reached an agreement with the Western Fair District in Ontario to remain at its current Gateway Casinos London location. A while back the company wanted to relocate and build a casino at 3334 Wonderland Road South, however, it seems that it plans have been scrapped.
Source: Krause, Kraig “Wasaga Beach casino prepares to open” CTV News, November 23, 2022
