Venice is called the home of modern casinos, giving birth to them in the 17th century. By the 1800s, the hospitality principles made popular in this European nation for this realm had spread, and in 1892, Niagara debuted a gaming establishment of its own. But, in more modern times, these locales were not legally approved to operate in Canada until 1989, when the initial regulated CA casino opened its doors in Winnipeg.
Going to a gaming venue, by default, is a social event, as these properties bring people into a shared space for an activity they will enjoy together. They create upbeat atmospheres with fancy lighting, easy-listening music, and live entertainment, all which build a sense of constant movement, that something is continuously happening. Over time, operators who understood the potential of this sphere expanded their casinos into resort-style establishments, featuring live entertainment, luxury accommodations, fine dining, and more. This, too, has been a response to the rise of iGaming platforms offering slots and online table games, an attempt to provide something dramatically different and varied compared to what customers can get on their phones nowadays.
This especially holds post-2022, after Ontario made online gambling legal and created an Internet gaming boom of sorts in the country. While physical growth has been more localized and modest, many properties have been renovated and expanded in order to compete with the online sector. And the land-based one is fighting back by redefining the social experience brick-and-mortar establishments can provide.
How Canadian Casino Resorts Evolved
The truth is that Canada has never been known as a casino haven. Several years after the opening of the mentioned Winnipeg venue in 1989, the nation’s initial government-run ones, and other similar spots began opening throughout the land. That represented a change in attitude toward gambling as a whole, and provinces began looking at this industry as one that could spur economic development. During this period, Ontario became a leader in this field with debuting properties in Niagara Falls, which looked to capture an American customer base, US residents from neighboring states who could easily hop across the border and partake in some gaming fun.
In the 1990s and 2000s, Quebec, Alberta, and British Columbia also brought forward their models for gambling regulation and launched their casinos. Quebec’s Casino de Montreal, which opened its doors in late 1993, quickly proved to be a major success, as did Casino Rama in 1996, a partnership between Ontario’s Lottery and Gaming Corporation and the Chippewas of Rama First Nation tribe.
By the mid-2000s, physical casinos were nothing strange in Canada, and Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort, which started accepting customers in mid-2004, represented the country’s most ambitious casino project, one costing over a billion US dollars. British Columbia’s River Rock Casino Resort, located in Richmond, with its marina views, was an equally impressive destination that began its operation around this time.
That said, the casinos beginning to grow into integrated resorts with diverse entertainment is something that began occurring in the 2010s, when hubs like Vancouver and Montreal saw the need for fusing nightlife fun with gambling. Today, Canada has more than a hundred gaming locations, with most of the higher-end ones boasting various types of entertainment options other than gambling, ones geared toward enhancing the level of social interaction these places can foster.
How Casinos Offer Enhanced Nightlife
Taking a page out of Las Vegas’ playbook, Canadian gambling operators have sought to add high-energy clubs and live shows to their gaming properties, adding more reasons why people should visit them. For example, the Great Canadian Casino Resort, the country’s biggest one, has a five-thousand-seat theater that runs one or two shows a week, featuring top globally known musical acts, comedians, and more. American movie star and comedian Chris Tucker, as well as Gwen Stefani, Sheryl Crow, ZZ Top, and many others have performed here.
Fallsview Casino in Niagara Falls has a comparable theater, the OLG Stage, also seating five thousand, featuring state-of-the-art lighting tech, which has hosted the likes of the Black Keys, David Lee Roth, the Commodores, and hundreds more top acts. The Hard Rock Live at Ottawa’s Hard Rock Casino also serves as that province’s premier entertainment spot, seating twenty-two hundred, boasting modern features for high-class live entertainment.
So, this is a bit of a trend, higher-end casinos having concert venues that can create magical evenings that can later continue at a bar or adjacent clubs. Yes, many CA casinos too have nightclub-style properties where DJs spin retro and new hits, bottle service is available, and dance floors get packed. Parq Casino in Vancouver is one such resort, with a renowned club, and Casino de Montreal is another.
The Addition of Luxurious Restaurants & Bars
And cocktail lounges as well. By the latter, we mean spaces that focus on premium spirits. In recent times, mixology has become very fashionable in Canada, with casino patrons preferring unique drinks rather than established mass-produced options.
The most famous casinos in the country look to ensure that their customers can move seamlessly from entertainment venues to bars and lounges without leaving the general property. They have built their resorts like this to encourage longer nights out here, and usually look to put gaming floors somewhere in the center, to act as meeting points, or places that people have to pass when entering and exiting their premises.
The extensive security at casinos makes their bars, restaurants, and lounges super safe destinations for a relaxed night out on the town. Moreover, they typically stay open longer than standard alcohol-serving venues.
And on the topic of fine dining, modern casino resorts do not fall short, believe us. Niagara Fallsview has a CAA/AAA Four Diamond recipient in the 21 Club Steak & Seafood. River Rock Casino Resort in BC includes a Gordon Ramsay Steak, and pretty much all famed resorts of a similar caliber include one signature upscale restaurant and multiple other eateries.