Officials with the Edmonton Arena District announced plans Monday for a new casino slated for the district.
The EAD Joint Venture announced Gateway Casinos and Entertainment Limited will be a major entertainment tenant in the new district.
The new $32 million Gateway casino is will be located in the 125,000 square foot building adjacent to Rogers Place, on the northwest corner of 104 Avenue and 102 Street.
“Our goal is to be the nicest casino in Edmonton, that’s why we’re calling it the Grand Villa,” Gateway CEO Tony Santo said.
The facility will feature live entertainment, upscale dining, and a gaming floor – twice the size of the one in the Baccarat Casino.
“It’s much more of an entertaining space, this isn’t just a casino like you’d see at the Baccarat today with one single snack bar,” Santo said. “This is a place where people can go, have a good time, and if you want to gamble you can do that too.”
Officials said the building will share a covered corridor with Rogers Place – connecting the arena to the MacEwan LRT station, and the Winter Garden.
The same building will also be home to the Oilers Entertainment Group, and the Katz Group.
The mayor said such announcements are contributing to Edmonton’s economic momentum.
“People are trying to say that Alberta is grinding to a halt, I can’t speak for the rest of the province but we’re still seeing strong job growth, despite all this doom and gloom around us,” Mayor Don Iveson said.
The casino is expected to open in the summer of 2016 – the Baccarat Casino will close once the new one opens. Employees of the Baccarat Casino will be moved to the new casino, as they’re both owned by the same company.
With files from Brenna Rose
