Canada’s newest casino, The Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto, will officially open its doors to patrons for the first time tomorrow, June 20th.
While the casino is still under construction, select tables and slots areas will be available for gamblers starting at 5 p.m. tomorrow evening.
The $1 billion casino is located near Woodbine racetrack in Etobicoke and will feature more than 4,800 slot machines, 145 gaming tables, and over 328,00 square feet of space. This means that it will officially be the largest Casino in Canada, and the seventh largest in North America.
In addition to the Casino, there will be an accompanying resort that will include a 400 room hotel, live entertainment spaces, and multiple restaurants.
“With meticulous attention to detail, state of the art amenities, and a commitment to exceptional guest experiences, our landmark entertainment resort is a game-changer in Toronto,” Matthew Anfinson, CEO of Great Canadian Entertain, said in a statement last week.
The company claims that Great Canadian Toronto is one of the largest private sector projects currently in Ontario and it will generate over $500 million in economic impact.
The existing casino in the area, Woodbine Casino, is the landlord to the space and became partners with Great Canadian Entertainment in 2017.
“Expanding the casino at Woodbine is part of our larger vision to support and sustain the Ontario Horse Racing industry,” Jamie Dykstra, director of communications for Woodbine Casino, told Humber News.
In the past year, Ontario has shown its affinity for gambling with the launch of legal online gambling in 2022. Since this launch, the province has become the fourth largest gambling market in North America, according to iGaming Ontario.
Toronto gamblers will soon be able to place their bets at Canada's largest casino.
However this growth is not something that everyone feels is positive. On May 15, Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) made a recommendation to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission that there should be a ban on all gambling advertisements.
“We appreciate the AGCO acknowledging the emerging risk of promoting gambling to underage and vulnerable people,” said Camille Quenneville, CEO of CMHA. “Gambling related harms such as financial loss, mental health issues, substance use, and suicide ideation, can have devastating and long-lasting impact on the individual and their family.”
According to Statistics Canada, nearly two-thirds of Canadians over the age of 15, 18.9 million, reported they had gambled in 2022 and almost 305,000 of those gamblers were at moderate-to-severe risk of problems related to gambling.
In response to these worries, Great Canadian Entertainment said that it remains committed to responsible gaming and promoting safe play.
The new casino will feature a PlaySmart Centre on the gaming floor, which will host interactive tools and responsible gambling resources, available for all players.