Casino Niagara 
Grand Opening

Official Opening Draws 30,000

Date
Dec. 10, 1996

More than 30,000 customers streamed through the doors at Casino Niagara in the first full 24 hours it was open.

CEO Larry Woolf and President Dean Macomber officially opened Niagara's second wonder at 8:25 a.m.

Casino Niagara was slated to open at 9:00 a.m. Monday. Hundreds of early bird customers arrived early in anticipation of the opening some as early as 4:30 a.m. "They came to play and they were eager to get on the floor, we didn't want to keep them waiting," Woolf said. "Our customers come first."

More than 7,000 invited guests attended a Gala Preview of Casino Niagara Saturday, Dec. 7.

Canadian singer Michelle Wright was the featured performer of the evening, which also included fireworks, laser light shows and acrobatic performers. The province's newest casino currently employs more than 3,000 associates about 80 per cent of whom are from the Niagara Region.

Directly and indirectly, the casino will create a total of 6,000 jobs in the region and 9,000 jobs throughout Ontario.

Casino Niagara is now open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.