When it opened in 2002, some hailed Seneca Niagara Casino as the catalyst Niagara Falls needed to drive the growth of new hotels, attractions and other businesses in the downtown area.

At the time, others weren’t quite as convinced of the casino’s potential impact, suggesting instead that would be more of a “piece of the puzzle” in re-establishing downtown as a viable and attractive place for tourists and locals alike.

Then there were the critics, those who feared bringing casino-style gambling to struggling cities like Niagara Falls would create more problems than it solved.

[Saturday marked] 20 years of business for Seneca Niagara Casino, which opened to the public for the first time on Dec. 31, 2002.