

PLAYTIME CASINO WASAGA BEACH CELEBRATES GRAND OPENING
- $34.3Million Project, 140 New Jobs for Wasaga Beach
- 250 Slots Plus Electronic Table Games
- MATCH Eatery & Public House, Beautiful Outdoor Patio, Plus Arcade Bar
January 27, 2023, Wasaga Beach, ON – Gateway Casinos & Entertainment Limited (“Gateway”) officially celebrated the grand opening of Playtime Casino Wasaga Beach on Friday, January 27, 2023. The new casino located at 88 Lyon’s Court represents a $34.3 million investment in the community of Wasaga Beach and has created 140 new jobs. Celebrating the grand opening were Wasaga Beach Mayor, Brian Smith, Wasaga Council Members, Rama First Nations Chief, Ted Williams, Simcoe-Grey MPP, Brian Saunderson, and the President & CEO of OLG, Duncan Hannay.
The new Playtime Casino Wasaga Beach spans almost 25,000 square feet and features 250 slots and electronic table games. It also features MATCH Eatery & Public House, a Gateway signature brand, as well as a large outdoor patio and Arcade Bar on the gaming floor. The casino is open from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 a.m. Friday and Saturday
“Gateway is extremely proud to celebrate the grand opening of Playtime Casino Wasaga Beach. We have been warmly welcomed by this community from the day we announced our intention to locate here. We believe Wasaga Beach has a great future and our investment here supported by OLG is now showing dividends not only in the 140 new jobs for the community, but also in establishing a year-round entertainment attraction for both visitors and residents alike,” said Carrie Kormos, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer.
“It’s great to see Gateway’s new Playtime Casino off to such a wonderful start here in Wasaga Beach. I am so pleased that you chose our community to invest and share our confidence in the potential for our town. You are not only providing jobs but another reason to visit the Beach,” said Wasaga Beach Mayor Brian Smith
“Gateway Casinos is a welcome new addition to Wasaga Beach and our surrounding communities. Not only has the casino created much needed year-round employment for the town but a new and dependable source of income in MCA payments provided on a quarterly basis to support a whole host of initiatives that will directly benefit Wasaga Beach residents,” said Brian Saunderson, MPP for Simcoe-Grey. “The mix of live entertainment, gaming and a terrific new restaurant that lets you watch every sporting event they can broadcast on a big screen makes the name ‘Playtime’ more than appropriate.”
“It is a real privilege to be able to partner with communities like Wasaga Beach in working with our service providers to deliver capital investment, create jobs, and offer world-class entertainment in a safe and secure environment,” said OLG’s President & CEO Duncan Hannay. “In a little over a month, we have seen how the new Playtime Casino Wasaga Beach has already begun to contribute to the life of the region. This is, indeed, an important way that we at OLG continue to ‘Play for Ontario.‘”
As part of the opening festivities a $5,000 donation was presented to the Wasaga Beach Ministerial Food Bank, the official beneficiary of the GatewayGives charitable donations program. GatewayGives charities are selected locally by employees of Gateway Casinos in the communities where they operate. From December 1 to 30th a portion of the casino’s food and beverage sales in MATCH were donated to the Food Bank.
Other grand opening activities include:
- $1000 cash draws at 12:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m., 7:00 p.m., 9:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m.
- Hot seat draws throughout the day/evening where patrons can win free play, gifts or MATCH gift cards
- Cupcake giveaway
A commitment to responsible gambling is integral to how Gateway operates in Ontario including OLG’s PlaySmart program. All Gateway properties in BC and Ontario hold RG Check accreditation. Together with OLG and other government partners, Gateway will continue to implement responsible gambling initiatives at all properties across Canada.
About Gateway Casinos & Entertainment Limited
Gateway Casinos & Entertainment Limited (“Gateway”) is one of the largest and most diversified gaming and entertainment companies in Canada with 29 gaming properties in British Columbia and Ontario and two additional properties in Edmonton, Alberta. Across its entire portfolio, Gateway currently employs approximately 7,000 people and features approximately 369 table games (including 30 poker tables), 14,284 slots, 95 food and beverage outlets and 564 hotel rooms. A multi-pronged growth strategy has seen Gateway diversify and expand its product offering, including developing proprietary casino and restaurant brands, dramatically improving the gaming customer experience while attracting new customers. Some of Gateway’s proprietary brands include Match Eatery & Public House, Atlas Steak + Fish and Halley’s Club. In 2022, Gateway will celebrate 30 years in the business of gaming and entertainment in Canada. Additional information is available at www.gatewaycasinos.com.
* All figures as at Dec 31, 2022
-30-
Information: Rob Mitchell
Director, Communications & Public Affairs
Gateway Casinos
226-235-6548