Las Vegas has established itself as the world capital of gambling, gaming and all things cards, dice and a weekend of top-notch entertainment. But surely elsewhere in the 57,308,738 square miles of planet Earth, there might be a contender for the crown of the best city to escape and gamble. Say, in the land north of Las Vegas. But could a Canadian city land Las Vegas the world’s number one place for gambling?
Ottawa, Ontario: Casino du Lac-Leamy & Rideau Carleton Casino
The capital of Canada may be the most obvious choice for a candidate for the crown of Vegas. Along with its travel and tourism possibilities, the city has three large casinos and various other bars and gambling places that allow visitors to indulge in gambling. But, in addition to the increase in tourism for casinos, as shown Jackpot City Review, Canada also has a thriving online casino industry, with games ranging from online slots and blackjack to video slots and variations of poker. The online casino is not just something to be played at home given the rise of eSports and gaming bars – of which Ottawa has several. Ottawa is proving to be an interesting travel destination.
Toronto, Ontario: Woodbine Casino
Just 120 km southeast of Toronto is Niagara Falls, a popular destination on the Canada-US border for weddings, weddings and special events. The wedding industry in Niagara Falls and more widely surrounding Toronto is booming. By turning Toronto into a gaming capital, the whole wedding could take place in the region. The stag and hen parties could take place in Toronto gambling halls, while the wedding itself could take place in Niagara Falls. Toronto already boasts intense tourism for Canada and is a popular destination for city weekends – which could be augmented by the Vegas-inspired experience.
Vancouver, British Columbia: River Rock Casino Resort & Grand Villa Casino Hotel
Vancouver – with its array of beaches and picturesque scenery is already a city packed with entertainment, so it might be perfect to fight Las Vegas for its gambling crown. With Stanley Park Seawall and English Bay Beach, place a sprawling entertainment complex might attract not only those who are keen to float, but those less likely to embark on a full gaming extravaganza who also want to have the beach nearby. . By setting up a rival from Vegas to Vancouver, those who are more skeptical would be more likely to try it out, as they would experience Vancouver while they are there, making the trip less risky.
Quebec: Quebec Casino Society
Created in 1992, the Société des casinos du Québec owns and manages casinos located in Quebec: the casinos of Montreal, Charlevoix, Lac-Leamy and Mont-Tremblant.
Quebec casinos have experienced tremendous development; they now receive nearly 10 million visitors a year.
In December 1992, the Council of Ministers approved the principle of setting up two state casinos and authorized their establishment in Quebec: one on Île Notre-Dame, in Montreal, and the other in Pointe-au -Pic, in the Charlevoix region.
The creation and management of state casinos were entrusted to Loto-Québec, which then created three subsidiaries: the Société des casinos du Québec, responsible for the establishment and operation of casinos; Resto-Casino, whose mandate is to operate the restaurants and bars of the casinos; and Casiloc, responsible for the acquisition, construction and management of equipment.
In June 2008, the Company decided to integrate the management of Resto-Casino into that of the casinos. This consolidation facilitates the alignment of the objectives and strategies of the establishments’ business plans. It will also increase synergy and complementarity between the casino, restaurant and hotel sectors.
While Las Vegas may still reign supreme when it comes to immersive casino cities, there could be fierce competition from Canada, especially cities that already have a thriving entertainment industry. However, to be a truly Vegas-inspired casino city would be to find a place that doesn’t pretend anything else and turn it into a gambling mecca, like Vegas has done all these years. Instead of an oasis of play in the desert, there could be an oasis of play in the scenic countryside of Canada.