Ottawa’s City Council has put a unanimous seal on plans by the state to allow casinos to be built. CBC reports that councilors voted 19-5 to permit a new casino in the city and it comes despite calls to investigate the impact a casino could have. The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation will now put it out to tender and it’s thought that as many as five groups are bidding with their identities, and that of the location, yet to be revealed by the OLG. It follows neighbours Toronto in expressing their interest in a new casino.
Penn National Gaming has unveiled its plans for an $870million casino in Massachusetts. The project has been submitted to Springfield’s council and the lavish 13.4-acre site will be branded Hollywood Casino Springfield. Crunching the numbers you find that 80-100 live tables games, 3,000-3,500 slot machines and a 20-30 table poker room will provide the venue’s gaming facilities. It will also have a 300-500-room hotel as well as a number of bars and a whole host of dining facilities. Peter Carlino, chairman and CEO of Penn National Gaming, commented: “Our proposed $807 million destination casino resort will be the centerpiece of a revitalization of the city and bring thousands of new permanent jobs, significant union construction jobs and millions of tax dollars to the region.”
Money taken by Presque Isle Downs & Casino could be used to fund upgrades to a nursing home in Erie. GoErie.com is reporting that some $2.5million in gambling money is being sought by the Pleasant Ridge Manor home in order to fund improvements. It will pay for sprinklers to be installed at the Pleasant Ridge Manor-West facility and help to close the PRM-East venue and merge it with the one in the West of the city.
