Woodbine Casino Expansion Project
- Woodbine Casino Expansion Project Michigan
- Woodbine Casino Expansion Project Status
- Woodbine Casino Expansion Project 2020
- Woodbine Casino Expansion Project Proposal
Toronto is getting a new casino. Earlier today, city council approved the much debated expansion of the Woodbine Racetrack in Etobicoke into a gambling wonderland with five new facilities featuring restaurants, bars, retail, a performance venue and office space.
The casino marks just one of two ambitious projects planned for the Toronto area. A sprawling new casino, hotel and waterpark is also expected to be built in nearby Pickering.
This rendering shows the scope of the new casino in Etobicoke. Image courtesy Woodbine Entertainment Group.
Ontario Gaming GTA LP is developing the Woodbine Casino Expansion Project, a multi-phase, mixed-use development project located in Ward 2 Etobicoke North in Toronto. The project is part of the major overall expansion of the existing Woodbine Racetrack, which will remain open for the duration of the project. The land that surrounds Woodbine will continue to transform as part of a master plan to create an exhilarating place to live, work, and play in addition to the ultimate destination for horse racing and gaming.
Gaming at Woodbine Racetrack currently brings in about $16 million in annual revenues for the city. It's predicted that once the casino is in operation, the amount could rise to between $26 million and $31 million per year.
And the major Woodbine casino item as amended is APPROVED by Toronto City Council, 26-15. Expanded gambling coming to North Etobicoke. pic.twitter.com/CtDZStSaiG
— Matt Elliott (@GraphicMatt) April 26, 2018Not everyone is on board with the plans. Councillor Joe Cressy tried to put forward a motion to limit the Woodbine casino's operating hours to no more than 18 hours per day. It failed.
In 2018, in Toronto, City Council is about to approve the expansion of gambling and casino facilities in Etobicoke in order to spur economic development. This is the absolute wrong way to build a healthy and economically strong City.
— Joe Cressy (@joe_cressy) April 26, 2018Another motion sought to develop a child care centre near the casino with a stipulation that the casino operators put up as much as $5 million to make it happen. It passed.
The casino is one step closer to reality, now it's up to the province of Ontario and the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation. This final approval is expected to be a mere formality.
Future of Woodbine Casino in Toronto: Expansion to include everything from live dealer tables childcare services.
It’s been years since the community of Toronto, Ontario began discussing the upcoming expansion of Woodbine Racetrack. Horse racing was the primary attraction when the track first opened in 1956. Then in 1999, the province installed a few thousand slot machines, launching them under the title OLG Slots at Woodbine. At that time, this was more than enough to appease the mass of local gaming fans, as well as those visiting from afar.
Today, however, gambling isn’t the same entertainment vertical it used to be. Not nearly so many people come out to see the ponies race anymore. Slot machines are fun, and electronic table games serve a purpose, but most players want more. They want live dealer tables. They want more entertainment and dining options.
The government of Ontario and city of Toronto recognize this need. A few years back, they agreed to an expansion at Woodbine that would see all of this, and more. As construction gets underway, new and exciting announcements are being made, including the introduction of the city’s first live dealer table games, and a childcare facility for employees and patrons alike.
Future of Woodbine Casino in Toronto
When the city first announced the official approval for the expansion, a few items were already on the docket. New restaurants were to be added; more slot machines installed; live table games with human dealers that don’t rely on electronic lottery-style outcomes. What we didn’t know what what kind or how many.
Now that the ground-breaking has begun, it’s been confirmed that approximately 300 live dealer table games are coming to Woodbine Casino. That’s double the amount of the virtual tables now featured on the gaming floor. It hasn’t been stated (as far as I know) whether the electronic games will remain, but with 300 new tables coming, I have to assume most, if not all, of the lottery-based tables will be removed.
Hopefully, the old video poker games are on their way out, too. Even those were designed with a lottery-picking chip, eliminating the ability to invoke any kind of strategy. Casual gamblers who don’t know better may enjoy them, but to the rest of us, those games are a joke.
By the Numbers – Now and Looking Ahead
For the last few years, the casino at Woodbine has offered upwards of 3,000 slot machines and electronic gaming tables. The slots take bets ranging from $0.01 to $5.00, featuring everything from Wheel of Fortune progressives to Michael Jackson’s Mighty Millionaire Slot.
The virtual table games are still on the floor, offering selections of blackjack, three card poker, craps, let it ride, high card flush, Caribbean stud poker, Mississippi stud poker, and Fortune Cup virtual horse racing. Alongside these games, new live dealer tables are already appearing. There are currently 50 of them – not nearly as many as are planned for the expansion ahead – but with the license from OLG already in hand, why wait?
The new live dealer tables at Woodbine casino in Toronto already include some of the most popular table titles in North America. There are five blackjack variants to choose from; Blackjack Switch, Free Bet Blackjack, 21+3 Blackjack, Spanish 21, and Blazing 7s Blackjack. You’ll find live poker games like Caribbean stud, Mississippi stud and three card poker. Mini-baccarat and squeeze midi-baccarat are both available, along with American roulette, casino war, let it ride and high card flush.
Woodbine Casino Expansion Project Michigan
Woodbine to Offer Family-Friendly Services
Woodbine Casino Expansion Project Status
Last but not least, confirmed just weeks ago, Woodbine has committed to building a childcare facility for patrons and employees. Up until now, a childcare centre was only speculated. Thanks to One Toronto Gaming, $5 million in funding for the project has been guaranteed.
Its exact location is yet to be announced, but it’s expected to be situated near enough to the casino to provide easy access for parents who work at Woodbine. The facility will accommodate children aged 0 to 4-1/2. Space permitting, local parents would also be able to make use if the childcare centre.
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Woodbine Casino Expansion Project 2020
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