Another suitor has thrown their hat into the ring to build Toronto’s casino business with Gerry Schwartz making sure his group has a say. The Globe and Mail report the owner of Las Vegas’ Tropicana Hotel and Casino is “enthusiastic” that his Toronto-based buyout firm Onex Corp. can be involved in the process. The firm already owns Casino ABS, a company that operates four Alberta casinos with Schwartz drawing on this when he stated: “We know how to operate a casino. We know the customer-service aspect.”
Caesars and MGM have both expressed an interest and the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp is preparing to issue a request for information in the next few weeks in order to assess the sites that are available. OLG Chairman Paul Godfrey and Finance Minister Dwight Duncan are behind an “integrated” resort on the shores of Lake Ontario and are believed to be looking at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore for inspiration.
Ohio’s first casino opens later today and the state has already starting closing off traffic lanes in anticipation of the unprecedented demand. Horseshoe Casino Cleveland opens at 9:30 p.m. local time and as a result Public Square in downtown Cleveland won’t reopen to traffic until Tuesday. An estimated 5 million visitors will enjoy the some 2,100 slot machines, 63 table games and much more at the venue that is managed by Caesars.
An Indian casino will find out its fate later this week as a judge decides whether construction of the Broken Arrow in Oklahoma can go on. Wednesday’s hearing, chaired by chief district judge Gregory Frizzell, will see the state attempting to stop the construction of the venue on the grounds that the Kialegee Tribal Town has no jurisdiction over the property. If the judge rules in favor of the state they’ll be in violation of the tribal-state gaming compact and be forced to cease construction. The tribe will argue that no federal violations have been committed as no activities are yet taking place there.
