THUNDER BAY — Before Gateway Casinos moves to reopen its Thunder Bay casino, it must decide whether it makes financial sense to operate with only 50 customers at a time.

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That's the maximum the Ontario government will allow gaming establishments to admit to their premises under the province's Stage 3 reopening plan.

The proposed new entertainment and casino complex in North Bay is the latest announcement by Gateway following the news this month of the completion of an $18 million renovation and rebranding of. A spokesman for Gateway Casinos says the company does not intend to abandon its $31m Cascades project on Pinewood Park Drive in North Bay. The casinos have been officially closed since March 16 due.

In a statement to Tbnewswatch, a Gateway spokesperson said the company is currently evaluating 'how the capacity restrictions will impact potential re-openings and our ability to bring people back to work.'

Gateway operates gaming facilities across Ontario.

The spokesperson said Wednesday 'Right now we have no set timeline for re-opening any Gateway locations. We will not be opening Thunder Bay this Friday.'

Friday, July 17 is the date that Stage 3 takes effect.

In preparation for the anticipated clearance to reopen, the casino industry had already submitted a plan to the province that includes enhanced hygienic measures and physical distancing.

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It's been reported that the industry proposed a maximum occupancy of 50 per cent, and the elimination of many playing spots to ensure distancing.

Besides imposing a cap of 50 customers, the government will require all casino customers to wear face-coverings.

The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation says the start dates for gaming sites will vary, 'depending on a site's readiness and commercial viability to operate under the mandatory restrictions.'

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The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, which regulates casinos, must review operators' safety plans before they can reopen.

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An AGCO spokesperson told Tbnewswatch Wednesday that casinos will then have 'the flexibility to reopen based on what's right for their business but may choose to remain closed for other reasons.'

Before it closed down in mid-March, Gateway's Thunder Bay casino employed more than 140 workers.

There was news circling that a new Gateway Casino premises will make its way to North Bay. It is not news anymore or rumors, it is official. There is a brand new casino development by Gateway Casino that is coming to North Bay. According to the Mayor of North Bay, Al McDonald, the region is ready to welcome the new development. It is going to ensure a continuous and a steady stream of income for the North Bay residents. The development by Gateway casino means that North Nay is finally going to get its first casino and you can feel the excitements in the air.

The Challenges that faced the new Gateway Casino in North Bay

The journey that led to the new casino in North Bay has not been without quite a share of challenges. The proposed site of this new development is going to be on Pinewood Park Drive on the southeast direction, in the vicinity of Nipissing Junction. For those who have been following the news will remember that not so long ago, there were news and reports that the area is home to an endangered species. The endangered species is the Blanding’s Turtles.

The company behind the new casino, Gateway Casinos, and Entertainment has recently announced that it is not planning to bulldoze anyone into the Yes-Nod. The operator also added that instead, it would like to enter into negotiations with the Natural Resources and Forestry ministry. These talks aim to discuss and determine the impact scope of the development on the turtle life that lives in that region. After hours and days of discussions and negotiations, the decision is through, and that decision approves of the constructions. The constructions may begin without any delays, and it is going to occur on the 7.3-acre land that is near Highway 11. The decision also highlighted the fact that the constructions are not going to have any significant repercussions for the resident turtle community with its endangered species in the region.

Considering the Big Picture

The community of the regions is going to benefit significantly from this new development. The reason behind that is the fact that this development is a part of a big scale modernization process of gaming venues that the provinces are currently implementing. These provinces include British Columbia and Ontario. The new construction is going to create plenty of temp jobs, but that is not all. As the entertainment casino venues are going to hire a perm staff to manage and run its operations. That is not all, as aside from the many job opportunities, casinos also have to allocate a portion of the profits towards local communities. Therefore, it is clear that the local community is going to benefit from the new development in many different ways. The construction is expected to begin in 2020 and will last for about 12 months. Therefore the casino is going to open its doors by the end of next year.

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Bonnie Trelane is a professional author with a background in igaming and modeling. Bonnie plays Blackjack at many of the prominent casinos in the U.S. and has a fondness for Caesars owned casinos.