Huron Expositor, 2016-12-21, Page 2626 Huron Expositor • Wednesday, December 21, 2016
Gateway Casinos and Entertainment Limited to operate Clinton slots and five others
Debora Van Brenk, Tyler Kula
QMIAgency
New management of the slot -
machine operation at Western Fair
could lead to an expansion,
renewal and "another renaissance"
for the gaming centre, the head of
Western Fair District says.
Gateway Casinos & Entertain-
ment Ltd. — a privately owned
company with a large presence in
Western Canada — has been
awarded a 20 -year contract to
operate six gaming centres in the
region.
Hugh Mitchell, CEO at Western
Fair District, said Gateway has a
culture of paying close attention to
customer service and of comple-
menting gaming facilities with
music and food attractions.
"In time, I think there's going to
be a significant expansion ... and
some significant renovations" to
the London site, Mitchell said. "It
will be another renaissance of this
area."
Ontario Lottery and Gaming
Corp. (OLG) has been working to
modernize its operations and
announced a year ago it was seek-
ing bidders to lease facilities in
London and at raceways in Clinton,
Dresden, Hanover and Woodstock.
The owners of those properties will
continue ownership.
Gateway will buy the Point
Edward casino from OLG, OLG
spokesperson Tony Bitonti said.
OLG will continue to administer
and oversee gaming in the prov-
ince and at these facilities, as man-
dated by law, Bitonti said. "We still
have an over -arching view of gam-
ing. We're not going away."
The transfer of operations, along
with all the machines and furni-
ture, will occur in the spring. After
that, Gateway has to put forward a
business plan as to how it will oper-
ate and whether it plans to expand
or relocate within the host
municipality.
Part of the deal is that all employ-
ees must be allowed to continue
with the new company in their cur-
rent locations for at least a year.
In London, OLG has 400 employ-
ees working at the Western Fair
slots, Mitchell said.
Western Fair District has been
the landlord to the OLG Slots oper-
ation since opening in London in
1999.
The last sizeable changes took
place there about 15 years ago,
when the number of machines
doubled, to 700 slots machines. It's
in need of a makeover, Mitchell
said.
"In the gaming world, there's a
lot of refreshing and renovations
every seven to 10 years," he said.
Gateway has been awarded both
the Southwestern Ontario "bun-
dle" of six facilities and a Northern
Ontario bundle of three properties
(with plans to add two new ones, in
North Bay and Kenora).
Mitchell put in an early pitch for
BABIES OF
2016
Are you a proud parent(s) or grandparent(s)?
Would you like to show off the newest
member of your family?
"BABIES ON PARADE"
a photo display of babies born in 2016
Published Wed. Jan. 18, 2017
DEADLINE HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO:
JANUARY 4, NOON
Mail, email or bring in a picture of your little one born in 2016, including full name,
birthdate and parents' names, to be featured in the Huron Expositor's
"Babies on Parade" on January 18, 2017 for only $18.00 (HST included). Please send
picture (with name on back) to the Huron Expositor, P.O. Box 69, Seaforth, ON,
NOK 1WO or Ndegans@postmedia.com by 12 noon, Wed. Jan 4.
Photos may be picked up after January 14. This feature must be PRE -PAID.
PLEASE COMPLETE
Baby's Full Name
Birth Date
Parents' Names
$18.00 PRE -PAID
8
1'1iiron Expositor
Seaforth
Main St.,
527-0240
seaforthhuronexpositor.com
ea oil uronex s ositor.co
London to become the administra-
tive head of the Southwestern
Ontario cluster of facilities. "To me,
it makes sense to centralize and
consolidate management of this
bundle at one site:'
Gateway spokesperson Carrie
Kormos said the company focuses
on developing "the complete
entertainment experience:'
Its properties range in size from
huge resorts with hotels to stand-
alone bingo halls.
"We have experience in operat-
ing across the size and scale and
spectrum," Kormos said.
None of the principals would
disclose financial terms of the deal:
OLG will get a guaranteed annual
payment and the host site and the
host municipality will continue to
get a share of the revenue.
Gateway began in British Colum-
bia in 1992 and owns 18 properties
in B.C. and Alberta.
She wouldn't discuss any
detailed plans for any of the prop-
erties and wouldn't confirm OLG's
statement that Gateway had
bought Casino Point Edward.
But if that's a secret, it's not a
well -kept one:
"I think this will bring a little bit
of relief to everybody who's been
asking 'What's going on?' and
'Where do we go from here?"' said
Point Edward chief administrative
officer Jim Burns. "We are excited
to move forward and meet the new
operators and work with them to
develop the property — and see
where they might like to go with it,
and share our ideas for the prop-
erty with them," he said.
Point Edward Casino employs
about 325 people. A continuing
revenue-sharing agreement with
the casino, built in 2000, brings
about $2.25 million per year to
the village, Burns said. "If we
didn't have the casino, obviously
the tax rate would need to be a lot
higher."
The village shares some of the
revenue with charitable and com-
munity organizations, he said.
Hopes are to further develop the
casino property, Burns said.
"There's always been a lot of talk
that it would be nice to have some
sort of entertainment facility down
there; maybe do small concerts
and that type of thing.
"Hopefully the new operators
agree with that idea."
Chatham -Kent sees $800,000 to
$900,000 per year from the Slots at
Dresden Raceway, where 100 peo-
ple are employed.
Chatham -Kent Mayor Randy
Hope said Tuesday expanding
operations would be a good thing
for the municipality, "I'm looking
forward to that discussion."
Municipalities also have to
approve building or zoning
permits.
Maximums for expanding the
number of slot machines and
tables have also been set, and OLG
is continuing to conduct and man-
age gaming.
Lucille Laprise, president of the
Dresden Agricultural Society that
runs the Dresden Raceway, said
the site has worked well in the past
and she sees no reason Gateway
would want to relocate.
"I can't foresee any problem with
them wanting to pick up stakes and
move," she said. "We're just hoping
they stay where they are
Keep your
funny -bone
in shape!
Laughing has proven stress -release and
PART/C/PaCT/Ofl ®
Sharing a
Healthier
eT�tr,
health benefits. Funny how that works, eh? Future
• ■
1
■
•
■
• •
Brodhagen & District
Chamber of Commerce
Men's Euchre
Tues. January 3, 2017
- last Tuesday in March
8:00 p.m. at Brodhagen Community Centre
Admission $10.00 each
Lunch provided
www.brodhagencommunitycentre.com
■
■
1
■ •
PLEAS ECYCLE
41414 elF. CA .06 JO lib
)4). h'a'lt I '� ' F:r , .r
Bake ¥our Holli
IJtrr, G'J7 4rsJrU FruitWIpr
(Caw drdrl)
8$ know sk,. CICE O -I 514.14
AW439553
1