MGM eyes mega-resort in Toronto
April 17th, 2012 at 5:02:32 AM
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The top location the government has been talking about is the site of Ontario Place, an amusement park on the waterfront that closed its doors recently.
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Would anyone make the trip past Niagara to get to the Toronto resort? Or is it just going to entertain the locals?
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Would anyone make the trip past Niagara to get to the Toronto resort? Or is it just going to entertain the locals?
Wisdom is the quality that keeps you out of situations where you would otherwise need it
April 17th, 2012 at 6:12:25 AM
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Toronto is a great city. It will never be a major gambling destination. But I would venture if only ONE casino is approved without teal cprtiyion it would be a huge success. There is a dismal casino (casinorama) north of the city, and the two Canadian and one American casinos in Niagara Falls. That is a far enough drive to consider them almost separate markets.
April 17th, 2012 at 6:15:25 AM
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Well, there are almost 9 million Toronto area locals. So it's not like it'd be terrible to "just" entertain the locals.
I think I actually have the opposite situation that you describe. I'd fly into YYZ and stay in town, rather than driving back down to Brantford or Niagara, to gamble when I'm in the area.
I think I actually have the opposite situation that you describe. I'd fly into YYZ and stay in town, rather than driving back down to Brantford or Niagara, to gamble when I'm in the area.
"So as the clock ticked and the day passed, opportunity met preparation, and luck happened." - Maurice Clarett
April 17th, 2012 at 6:26:57 AM
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Ontario Place was pretty cool, but it was losing alot of money and was run by the government. The government shut it down. You can't really zone the area for residential as it's pretty much just off the landing / takeoff path for Toronto City Center Airport. So, it's the perfect site for a resort.
Anyway, the closest casinos to Toronto are Rama to the north (about 1 hour drive), Great Blue Heron to the east (about 1 hour drive for east Toronto Residents), and Fallsview / Niagara (about 1:15 from the west side of the city). Alternatively, you could do Brantford as well (about 1 hour from the west side).
Toronto already has a slots-only facility at Woodbine to the north west, which is completely packed on weekend nights. The appetite for gambling is huge.
If Toronto built a mega-resort at Ontario Place, it would create a huge pile of new gamblers (those who don't have transportation, those who are too lazy to drive an hour), create a huge amount of revenue for the city, relieve the pressure at Woodbine, and would substantially reduce traffic at Rama (they're owned by the Rama nation) and reduce traffic somewhat at Niagara / Fallsview. The province would benefit greatly from new gambling revenue at the expense of the gamblers itself. Given Toronto's huge multicultural population, the casino would be an instant hit.
I say somewhat because alot of gamblers at Niagara / Fallsview are locals or tourists -- I rarely see anyone there who claims they are from Toronto. Rama seems to collect alot of Torontonians and few tourists.
Anyway, the closest casinos to Toronto are Rama to the north (about 1 hour drive), Great Blue Heron to the east (about 1 hour drive for east Toronto Residents), and Fallsview / Niagara (about 1:15 from the west side of the city). Alternatively, you could do Brantford as well (about 1 hour from the west side).
Toronto already has a slots-only facility at Woodbine to the north west, which is completely packed on weekend nights. The appetite for gambling is huge.
If Toronto built a mega-resort at Ontario Place, it would create a huge pile of new gamblers (those who don't have transportation, those who are too lazy to drive an hour), create a huge amount of revenue for the city, relieve the pressure at Woodbine, and would substantially reduce traffic at Rama (they're owned by the Rama nation) and reduce traffic somewhat at Niagara / Fallsview. The province would benefit greatly from new gambling revenue at the expense of the gamblers itself. Given Toronto's huge multicultural population, the casino would be an instant hit.
I say somewhat because alot of gamblers at Niagara / Fallsview are locals or tourists -- I rarely see anyone there who claims they are from Toronto. Rama seems to collect alot of Torontonians and few tourists.
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April 17th, 2012 at 7:27:56 AM
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Sign me up! I love Toronto.
Someday, joor goin' to see the name of Googie Gomez in lights and joor goin' to say to joorself, "Was that her?" and then joor goin' to answer to joorself, "That was her!" But you know somethin' mister? I was always her yuss nobody knows it! - Googie Gomez
April 17th, 2012 at 9:27:16 AM
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No way! Ontario Place closed? I used to love that place. I went when I was 10 years old, and I remember it like it was Disney World. (I'm sure it wasn't that great). I remember I first tried out the Nintendo Game Boy(tm) there. Tetris was never so exciting.
Would be a good place for a casino, now. Toronto was just about the coolest city in the world when the SkyDome opened and the Blue Jays were winning championships. It's not as hip these days.
Map of Ontario Place:
Would be a good place for a casino, now. Toronto was just about the coolest city in the world when the SkyDome opened and the Blue Jays were winning championships. It's not as hip these days.
Map of Ontario Place:
"Dice, verily, are armed with goads and driving-hooks, deceiving and tormenting, causing grievous woe." -Rig Veda 10.34.4
