The casino opens at 8am, Wednesday, September 9th, 2020, and will be open until 4am, seven days a week.

Gaming is no longer a sure bet - at least not in a post-pandemic world.

1. Niagara Casinos is excited that with Monday's provincial announcement the Niagara Region is allowed to enter stage three on Friday, July 24. This is a great step forward as a province and region.
2. NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK—BUFFALO, NEW YORK—SALAMANCA, NEW YORK: (June 9, 2020) After 15 weeks of closure due to the novel coronavirus crisis, Seneca Resorts & Casinos is pleased to announce Phase I of its return to operations will begin Thursday, June 18 with the opening of Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino. Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino is the only Seneca Resorts & Casinos property to open at this time, with strict protocols in place to protect the health and safety of guests and team.

“The landscape for gaming in Ontario is unknown,” admits Corey Dalton, the president of Unifor Local 1090 which represents thousands of casino workers including 1,050 unionized employees at Casino Rama.

“There may be a reduction in business due to caution from guests in a COVID-19 era, or there may be an increase in business due to pent-up demand for gaming.

“We do not have a clear answer here,” Dalton told OrilliaMatters.

Uncertainty has been the norm since the pandemic hit and, for gamblers, that was never more evident than when the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) shut down casinos in Ontario on March 16 amid growing concerns about the spread of the coronavirus.

Still no word either on when construction might resume at Cascades Casino on Pinewood Park Drive in North Bay, also owned by Gateway.

See:New casino delayed. No date for construction to start

'We can't commit to a date to resume construction in North Bay,' Rob Mitchell, Gateway Casinos' Director of Communications told BayToday. 'Our primary focus is reopening our 12 existing sites across the province.'

With a myriad of COVID-19 restrictions still in place - including limiting gatherings to five people, physical distancing rules, among others - it seems apparent casinos won’t re-open anytime soon.

And when they do open, things will be much different.

But Mitchell, the director of communications for Gateway Casinos & Entertainment Limited, which operates Casino Rama and Georgian Downs, said it’s unclear just how different things will be.

“Presently we are working with the Ontario Government and the Canadian Gaming Association on developing stringent health and safety protocols for reopening that adhere to guidance from public health officials and our regulatory agencies,” Mitchell said.

“It would be premature at this point in time to speculate on what those protocols will ultimately be, but obviously they will set out measures to provide the safest environment we can for our employees, guests and the public – and build on our existing rigorous cleaning and sanitizing procedures,” he said.

Mitchell said all shows at the Casino Rama Entertainment Centre have been postponed, but he said officials “hope to reschedule with new dates some time in the future.”

Neither Mitchell nor Dalton would venture a guess at when casinos might re-open.

“(I) will not speculate on an opening date,” said Dalton. “We are confident that all stakeholders (Gateway Entertainment, Unifor Local 1090, OLG) will closely follow public health recommendations before returning to business.”

While an opening date is “unknown,” Dalton said the union has “received assurances from Gateway that a joint Health & Safety committee will collaborate on solutions for a safe return-to-work when the time is appropriate.”

He said the union “will collaborate closely with Gateway to ensure the safety of our members is the absolute top priority when casinos re-open.”

He said employees are “extremely eager to get back to work.” But the environment has to be safe, he stressed.

“Local 1090 representatives will be carefully examining all available safeguards and will advocate for any measures that will help provide our members and casino guests with a safe gaming experience,” said Dalton.

“Increased sanitation of gaming equipment, protective screens, limited seating, reduced capacity, personal protective equipment, and guest screening prior to entry are some of the options that will be discussed with the employer,” Dalton said.

It is unlikely that casinos will re-open all amenities at one time. For example, restaurants remain closed throughout the province for eat-in service, so the future of the eight restaurants in Casino Rama is unclear.

And it is likely that a show at the entertainment centre, where people are packed in a 5,000-seat venue, could be further away.

“As far as timing for the various amenities that the casinos provide, there is no timeline at this point,” said Dalton, who said it’s “possible that opening could be in phases.”

He stressed, “however (that) no plans have been discussed” as of yet.

Meanwhile, the casino has published a survey on its Facebook page, asking patrons to weigh in on potential protocols and concerns.

Seneca Niagara Casino Reopening Date

Mitchell said it’s not possible to provide any further detailed information right now.​

Seneca Niagara Casino Reopening Date

“Given the day-to-day nature of this pandemic that is all I can tell you right now,” he said.

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Casino Niagara Reopening Dates

by jmaloni

Seneca Niagara to reopen June 18, followed by Buffalo Creek and Seneca Allegany; Class II facilities will reopen June 18

The Seneca Nation has approved reopening plans for its class II and class III gaming operations, clearing the way for thousands of local employees to begin returning to work and contributing to Western New York’s economic recovery.

Seneca Gaming Corp. will reopen Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino on Thursday, June 18. Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino will reopen the following week on Thursday, June 25. Seneca Allegany Resort & Casino will then reopen on Thursday, July 2. Seneca Gaming & Entertainment will reopen the Nation’s class II gaming properties in Irving, Salamanca and Cuba on Thursday, June 18.

The Nation ordered the temporary suspension of all gaming operations on March 16 as part of the widespread response to the novel coronavirus pandemic undertaken across all Seneca territories.

“After being closed for nearly three months, we are now ready to move forward with the safe, responsible and systematic reopening of our gaming facilities,” said Seneca Nation President Rickey Armstrong Sr. “This is a signature moment in our region’s economic recovery from the circumstances that arose as a result of this unprecedented public health crisis.”

All of the facilities will open at reduced capacity, with strict protocols in place to protect the health and safety of guests and workers. Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino will also reopen at reduced capacity and will initially operate with a curtailed schedule. Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino and Seneca Allegany Resort & Casino will follow the same procedures upon their reopening. The Seneca Gaming & Entertainment facilities in Irving, Salamanca and Cuba, which offer video gaming machines, will also begin operations with a reduced number of available machines.

Seneca Gaming Corp. is expected to announce operational details for the reopening process on Tuesday – including specific hours of operation, comprehensive safety measures and protocols, and information on which areas of the operations will initially reopen to guests.

A press release said, “The Seneca Nation’s decision to reopen will provide a significant and much-needed boost to the local economy. The Seneca Nation and its enterprises are among the largest employers in Western New York. Combined, the Nation’s gaming operations employ approximately 4,000 workers from across the region and generate hundreds of millions of dollars in local payroll and economic activity with vendors both locally and statewide.”

“The Seneca Nation’s economic role extends far beyond just our territories,” Armstrong added. “We are unique in that, as a government, we inhabit an important and impactful business and economic position locally, regionally and statewide. Our business enterprises directly employ thousands of people throughout Western New York, many of whom are non-Senecas, and impact thousands more through the hundreds of millions of dollars we spend with vendors, suppliers and business partners. Those dollars are pumped right back into the local and regional economies, in addition to the crucial support they provide to our Nation and the Seneca people.”

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