The last thing Ontario casinos needed after two years of pandemic restrictions and shutdowns was an intense winter snowstorm that negatively impacted operations during one of their busiest weeks.
But that’s what happened this past Christmas week, as a powerful storm gripped most of the province.
“It was a challenging holiday weekend, but we made the best of it,” said Niagara Casinos President Richard Taylor. “While our operations did see a reduction in services and hours, it is the safety of our staff and guests that really matters most. We look forward to seeing our valued guests this week as we head into our New Year’s celebrations.”
Business at Fallsview Casino & Resort was impacted during the height of the storm. Some of the resort’s restaurants and many of the Galleria shops had to adjust hours of operation while a select few signature restaurants were forced to close.
Sportsbook services had to be adjusted due to reduced staffing levels. However, the sports betting kiosks at both Niagara Casinos’ properties (Fallsview Casino & Resort and Casino Niagara), as well as the gaming floors, remained open throughout the weekend with regular hours.
New Year’s festivities at Niagara Casinos include DJs, food and beverage specials, and giveaways like double Momentum dollars for customers playing slots or tables, all geared toward pushing traffic into the casinos for the holiday weekend.
At Great Canadian Entertainment, it was much the same. Great Canadian operates 25 gaming, entertainment, and hospitality destinations in Ontario, British Columbia, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia.
“Despite the severe impact of the recent storms in communities in both Ontario and B.C,. only two of our 22 properties in those provinces had their operational hours abbreviated (Elements Casino Victoria, and Shorelines Casino Thousand Islands),” said Chuck Keeling, executive vice president at Great Canadian. “Some of our food and beverage operations were also impacted, in the form of reduced hours. Most importantly, our operational teams were able to maintain services while also accommodating reductions in our work force, due to many of our team members not physically able to make it to their respective sites, or in the case where one of our properties includes a hotel, providing team members hotel rooms until it was safe for them to travel.”
The company is about to fully launch Pickering Casino Resort (the gaming floor is currently open, but the 275-room hotel, 2,500-person entertainment venue, and additional food and beverage amenities will be opening soon). An expanded Casino Woodbine will also open in 2023 (a new gaming floor, 400-room hotel, and 5,000-person entertainment venue).
Once complete, Great Canadian and their partners will have invested close to $2 billion in capital in the province. Other projects and initiatives are coming down the line soon as well.
“The last two weeks of December are historically busy for us, but it can vary by region,” Keeling added. “And of course, nothing has been ‘normal’ for two years, so we have to account for that factor as well this season.”
Their properties have theaters featuring live entertainment this weekend, while many of their other properties are throwing conventional dinner celebrations, all in a push to get casino life back to normal again after the past three years.
