During one of their regular council meetings on Thursday last week, Wasaga Beach Council held a discussion about Gateway Casinos & Entertainment. The meeting attracted a larger crowd than expected as more people are in protest of the exact location of the future casino venue.  They argued that the proposed location could end being more beneficial to the neighboring communities than Wasaga Beach.

Wasaga Beach is expected to be a hub of gaming operations in the near future, which means that this is going to be a hot topic of discussion in the region.  Many people are concerned about the exact location that the casino operator will be interested in as it can potentially break or make the town’s gaming field.

In the meantime, Gateway Casino has not selected a particular site for the construction. However, the community is already making predictions about the possible impacts of any choice.

Waterworld Property as the Casino’s New Location

The small group of protestors that made its way to the City Council on Thursday claims that if the new casino will be located at the Highway 26, it will positively impact the neighbouring communities, the liked of Stayner, Clearview and Collingwood as it will be closely located to these towns. Collingwood, for instance, is just 21.3 km from the Wasaga Beach and is a preferred destination.

Stayner and Clearview are located even closer, making it easy to access Wasaga Beach. Wasaga Beach Association’s Patrice McCammon commented that the selected location could negatively impact the region in the long run as it would potentially mean an increase in tax. In an attempt to prevent this from occurring, a group matched in protest in front of the City Chambers building.

The group argued that the most ideal location for the casino venue in the region is at the former Waterworld Property.  This part of the town is well developed and adding a casino venue would make it even more attractive considering that Waterworld is no longer operational. The Nancy Island is also in this area and attracts both locals and tourists in addition to the various hotels and restaurants in the area.

OLG Corporation Supports Regular Money Allocations   

The meeting led to Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation representatives making a presentation on how a casino venue is likely to impact the region with its operations. They will boost charitable organizations across town and provide steady allocations to the community as reimbursement for the gambling operation.

Tony Bitonti, OLG spokesperson stated that the corporation would provide the portions of gaming revenue regularly once the casino starts to operate.

Gateway Casino also made it clear that the gaming facility will blend well with the existing locations run by the Canadian casino operator. This new project is designed to incorporate large windows and natural light. The location will also include the signature dining option offering Match Eatery & Public House and The Buffet providing a family-friendly past time activity for those not interested in gambling.

Rob Mitchell from Gateway Casinos commented on the issue and stated that the company is not old school, or slots in the box neither are they the cinder block closed in with no natural light. Mitchel said that people can expect windows, numerous restaurants suitable for the entire family.

While the council seemed happy about the turn of events in the meeting, the question about the exact location of the casino still remains unanswered. By the end of April, the casino operator is expected to have made a decision and made it publicly known. As of now, they are going through the list of the five proposed locations weighing out the pros and cons of each location.