Cascades Casino Chatham-Kent, the CAD 36 million (USD 27.5 M) Richmond Street casino owned by Gateway Casinos and Entertainment Ltd. that aims to provide entertainment for the whole family, will have a soft open on July 16 before a grand opening ceremony on August 8. The 930-person capacity casino is split into two halves, with the 24-hour adult gaming floor on the left and two restaurants for all ages on the right.
Cascades Casino Chatham-Kent is the first entirely new build its parent company has finished in Ontario since the Point Edward and Hanover sites were renovations of existing structures, said Rob Mitchell, Gateway’s Communications and Public Affairs Director, as reported by Chatham Daily News.
“This was the first build on what was essentially a green field,” he said. “I’m very excited. I think it looks terrific and I think the people of Chatham-Kent are really going to enjoy it.”
The casino will have enough tables for around 50 people to play at one time and more than 300 slot machines. Machines coming from the old Dresden site will be moved over on the weekend and will soon be joined by brand new “state-of-the-art” machines. Mitchell said the entire municipality, including Mayor Darrin Canniff, CAO Don Shropshire and former mayor Randy Hope, helped make the building process easy.
A sneak peek inside #CKont's newest attraction Cascades Casino. Open to the public July 16 at 5pm. What a beautiful job on the gaming tables, slots and Match Buffet area. #VisitCK #CKAwesome #Entertainment @GatewayCasinos @DarrinCanniff @MunicCK @LivingCK pic.twitter.com/NQwf0zaCVA
— Chatham-Kent Tourism (@VisitCK) 9 de julio de 2019
Cascades hosted the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario on Wednesday for a mock casino to show it can follow gaming guidelines and function as a practising casino.
Mitchell said the casino offers “multiple dining options at one site and the ability to access them at all ages.” The restaurants, Match Eatery and Public House and the Buffet, are currently creating and testing menu items. The Buffet will have breakfast, an ice cream machine, regular buffet options and themed days highlighting cuisine from a specific part of the world.
Match has large folding windows that completely open up the front side of the building to the patio. That patio can hold about 100 people and has outdoor TVs, heaters for cold days and mist machines for hot days. The menu at Match will be updated every six months and will always have at least one local beer on tap.
Match will host sport viewing events and have a bar atmosphere on weekends, said Brent Dallimore, Gateway’s eastern Canada food and beverage director. Dallimore said he hopes the casino will attract people who would’ve normally travelled to Caesars in Windsor. “We are as much an entertainment company as we are a casino company,” he said. “It’s like bringing Vegas to Chatham.”