Casino opening slightly delayed, now set for August 19

NEWS/ CITY — The province’s newest casino and entertainment facility is set to open in Kamloops on Aug. 19, a few weeks later than first scheduled.

Gateway Casinos & Entertainment (Gateway) announced today everything is on track for an opening of the new Cascades Kamloops casino at the former Rona site in Aberdeen but delays in construction materials have set it back a little.

The $34-million project has created 200 new permanent jobs, boosting the total staff to 330. New employees started customer service training at the beginning of July.

The new casino, which replaces the Lake City Casino on Victoria Street, will feature 50,000 square feet of entertainment space including a gaming floor, live entertainment venues and dining and culinary options including Gateway’s signature Match Eatery & Public House, a full-service Buffet and a high-end restaurant that will be unveiled at opening.

Gateway has named the Royal Inland Hospital Foundation as the signature charity for the grand opening. Through the GatewayGIVES program, funds will be raised to support the hospital.

“Gateway has undertaken an aggressive redevelopment strategy to dramatically improve the customer experience at our properties,” said Gateway CEO Tony Santo.

“Cascades Kamloops is the first major redevelopment project we are unveiling. We are tremendously excited to open our doors at Cascades in August,” said Tony Santo, CEO of Gateway Casinos.

The grand opening was originally set for July 29 but due to some delays in construction materials a few additional weeks were required to complete the construction and prepare the property for opening, he said.