Gateway Casinos noted that the new Ontario regulations limiting the number of patrons would not significantly impact their operations.
In a recent interview, the director of communications at Gateway Casinos & Entertainment, Rob Mitchell, stated that the company is not too concerned about the latest health and safety restrictions implemented in Ontario that limit the number of patrons.
Last week, the provincial government of Ontario decreed the latest health and safety protocols to counter the rising number of COVID-19 infections. Now, there is a 50 per cent limit on the province’s indoor entertainment venues with a capacity of over a thousand. Businesses that must now work at half capacity include casinos, sports facilities, and entertainments centres.
Work Goes On
Mitchell added that the company’s casinos in Ontario, Cascades Casino Chatham, Starlight Casino Point Edward, and Gateway Casinos – Sarnia, will not be impacted by the new provincial restrictions.
Mitchell explained that currently, the Point Edward venue usually hosts about 1,000 visitors at any given time out of its total capacity of 2,000. He added that the Sarnia casino has full occupancy of approximately 600 patrons, and the Chatham has a maximum volume of around a thousand patrons at a time.
Mitchell revealed that the company noticed a slight drop in visitors following the introduction of vaccine passports. He said that initially, there was some confusion on how the whole system operated, although the patrons have now become accustomed to it. Mitchell also noted that the company is guardedly optimistic about its next moves while believing that the customers feel safe at its facilities.
After Ontario announced its new capacity protocols, premier Doug Ford raised concerns that locals do not wear masks as much as various facilities implore them to do. However, Mitchell assured that this had not been the case at the Gateway Casinos & Entertainment’s properties, noting that there were very few incidents of patrons refusing to wear masks.
Opening Date Coming Soon
Gateway Casinos & Entertainment recently issued an update on its Cascades Casino North Bay project. The company informed that the work on the site is going according to plan, with finishing touches being done. The company is also hosting an online job fair to hire 200 employees for the casino, which is scheduled to host its grand opening in early 2022.
