In Canada, casino operator Gateway Casinos and Entertainment Limited has signed a letter of intent with a local developer that could see it spend upwards of $45 million in order to construct a new casino and entertainments facility for the northern city of Sudbury.

December saw Vancouver-based Gateway Casinos and Entertainment Limited ink a 20-year deal with the state-run Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation in order to open new casinos in the Ontario cities of North Bay and Kenora while taking over control of existing gambling venues in Thunder Bay, Sault Ste Marie and Sudbury.

Gateway Casinos and Entertainment Limited revealing that this latest announcement is the first in “a multi-step process” and means that the existing Sudbury Downs casino could be replaced with a new venue from as early as the spring of 2020 as it expects to begin construction “once all necessary approvals are complete including municipal consent”.

The letter of intent with developer Dario Zulich, who additionally owns the local Sudbury Wolves OHL franchise, would see a Gateway Casinos and Entertainment Limited bring its new casino and entertainments facility to the planned True North Strong development, which is being designed to replace the existing Sudbury Arena.

“Gateway Casinos and Entertainment Limited is very excited to take this important step forward in bringing a major investment and up to 250 new jobs to greater Sudbury,” read a statement from Keith Andrews, Senior Vice-President and Ontario Managing Director for Gateway Casinos and Entertainment Limited. “The True North Strong proposal envisions creating a vibrant regional entertainment district. A Gateway Casinos and Entertainment Limited property in the district is a perfect complement to this dynamic development.”

The casino operator moreover declared that the new casino and entertainments development for Sudbury would increase its area workforce to over 400 employees and result in “approximately 700 person-years of construction employment.” It explained that it intends to “continue to work with the track owner at Sudbury Downs” as it moves forward with its plan for True North Strong.

“Gateway Casinos and Entertainment Limited is the leading gaming and entertainment operator in Canada,” read a statement from Zulich. “We believe that when combined with a new events center and hotel-convention space, this new full-service upscale casino will be a valuable and exciting addition that will complete a multi-faceted regional entertainments district.”