Casino Niagara celebrates 25th anniversary; new entertainment centre underway

Casino Niagara reaches its silver anniversary marking a quarter-century of gaming operations and strong community partnerships in the city of Niagara Falls, and with plans underway for a grand opening of Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort’s new entertainment centre.

Planned anniversary celebrations include a special menu at LEV2L from December 8-11, a social media contest on Instagram starting December 6, and closing December 13 and in partnership with the Niagara Falls Illumination Board, Niagara Falls was lit in Green and Gold on December 9 at 10:00 pm.

Fun Fact: Since 1996, #casinoniagara has welcomed millions of visitors. Are you one of them? Share your favourite #CNstory #casinoniagara25th 19+/PlaySmart pic.twitter.com/oyPJt9Zn5G

— Casino Niagara (@casinoniagara) December 4, 2021

Since its opening on December 9, 1996, Casino Niagara has welcomed over 100 million visitors and continues to draw in millions of guests each year. 25 years later, Casino Niagara remains a significant contributing partner to the city and a top employer for local residents.

Richard Taylor, President of Niagara Casinos, said: "We're incredibly proud to be celebrating this milestone anniversary, not just internally but with the community as a whole. We realize what a privilege it is to maintain a successful business for 25 years and would like to express our sincere appreciation to our associates for their loyal support and to our valued patrons for making Casino Niagara a premier entertainment destination."

As a corporation, Niagara Casinos supports more than 170 charities and non-profits within the Niagara region. Through the ncCommunity program, Niagara Casinos donates approximately $1.24 million annually to community partners. Casino-sponsored organizations include United Way Niagara, Big Brothers & Big Sisters, Gillian's Place, Project S.H.A.R.E, The Village of Hope, Hospice Niagara, and hundreds more.

Dedicated associates donate more than 3,000 volunteer hours annually into community programs and fundraise approximately $162 thousand each year.

Over the years, the property has undergone several upgrades, including a $7-million-dollar investment in 2017 and a $12-million-renovation in 2005. Approximately, $48 million in capital expenditures and improvements have been invested into Casino Niagara in the last ten years.

Together, the casinos remain the region's largest commercial employer with nearly 4,000 associates. In 2020, Niagara Casinos was named Top Employer in Hamilton/Niagara by Canada's Top 100, for the tenth consecutive year.

By the end of December, over 680 associates will celebrate 25 years of service, with many more reaching the milestone throughout 2022.

"The last year and a half presented challenges none of us could have predicted. Our team of great people worked tirelessly throughout the closure to ensure that when we were given the green light to re-open we could do so in a way that had the health and safety of our guest's top of mind without sacrificing the high level of service they were used to. We always knew our team was great, but the way they came together to support our re-opening in July was truly unbelievable," Taylor added.

New entertainment centre

After more than two years in the making, and another 21 months in the waiting already, due to COVID-19 delays, planning is underway for a grand opening of Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort’s new entertainment centre.

The $130-million, 5,000-seat concert hall on Stanley Avenue was supposed to open in April 2020 with a show by country music star Brad Paisley. The start of the pandemic in March 2020 scuttled that plan and forced both the Fallsview casino and Casino Niagara to temporarily close.

Both have reopened, and live entertainment resumed recently at Fallsview’s 1,500-seat Avalon Theatre with its annual Christmas show. The new concert hall, though, remains locked up, but a big opening is in the works.

“We’re working on that. Stay tuned,” Niagara Casinos president Richard Taylor told St. Catharines Standard. Officially, the first show is set for April 24 featuring singer Joey Yung, a Cantopop star.