The Canadian gambling operator Gateway Casinos & Entertainment celebrated the grand opening of the Starlight Casino Edmonton. Situated in West Edmonton Mall, the latest development of the company includes a space of 120,000 square feet for gaming and entertainment and comes as part of Gateway’s efforts to further expand and consolidate its presence in Canada.
The grand opening of the place came after a mind-blowing CA$57-million renovation and rebranding of the former Palace Casino to Starlight Casino Edmonton.
“Today marks the start of the next chapter at the iconic West Edmonton Mall” – Tony Santo, CEO of Gateway Casinos
The official opening ceremony was attended by more than 500 community leaders and project partners, as well as by official representatives of Gateway Casinos, His Honorable Mayor Don Iveson, Minister Deron Bilous, etc. According to Mr. Santo, the opening of the newest gaming and entertainment destination in Edmonton comes as the perfect compliment to the landmark which West Edmonton Mall has always been.
Grand opening this afternoon for what is now the largest casino in #yeg. Starlight Casino at West Edmonton Mall is a 120,000 sq/ft entertainment complex after $57 million dollars in renovations to a preexisting casino and the hiring of 300 new employees. @ctvedmonton pic.twitter.com/jERN7K6495
— Sean Amato (@JSJamato) September 26, 2018
The Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation has been selected as the charity partner of Gateway for the grand opening. Donations of the sites’ food and beverage sales are set to be donated to The Stollery in the period from September 26th to October 31st to support the work of the Children’s Hospital.
Gateway Casinos Remains Focused on Portfolio Expansion
The celebrations of the grand opening continued in the evening, with various entertainments available. The festivities are also expected to continue throughout the weekend as well, with live entertainment, giveaways, special surprises and other events to be held.
The Mayor of Edmonton, Don Iveson, commented on the opening of the Starlight Casino, saying that it will not only open hundreds of new jobs in the city but will also allow local residents and visitors to enjoy an excellent option for gaming and entertainment. The Minister of Economic Development and Trade, Deron Bilous, shared that the CA$57-million investment, along with the 300+ new jobs created thanks to the project came as a sign of investor confidence in the growing economy of the place.
The newly-opened Starlight Casino Edmonton has now joined Grand Villa Edmonton as another one of the premier entertainment destinations not only in the city but in the province as well. The owner of the two places – Gateway Casinos – has made investments totaling almost CA$90 million in the economy of the city. It also created more than 550 new jobs in Edmonton’s job market.
The opening of the new gaming and entertainment hub has also expanded the casino and hospitality properties’ portfolio of Gateway Casinos. Currently, the company operates 25 functioning facilities in British Columbia, Ontario and Edmonton. Only three years ago, in 2015, the operator had only 12 properties. At present times, it continues to work on some of its newest projects, such as the planned CA$70-million development in Delta, as well as more gambling properties renovations in Chanses Courtenay, Kelowna and Chances Campbell River.
