Rama Casino
Posted : admin On 4/11/2022There have long been rumours and concerns about the fate of one of the region’s largest employers, but Casino Rama isn’t going anywhere, says Chippewas of Rama First Nation Chief Ted Williams.
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“That’s not going to happen,” he said in response to concerns about the casino closing permanently.
The casino closed in March because of the COVID-19 pandemic and, despite the province giving casinos the go-ahead to reopen last month, Rama’s remains closed.
“The casino business kind of goes with the flow as far as the economics of the day,” Williams said, noting the pandemic has affected all businesses in some way.
Casino Rama generates $200 million to $300 million per year, and Williams said it would be “foolhardy for us to think that it wasn’t going to rebound and come back.” There might be some changes, he added, “but it’s still a viable business.”
Rama First Nation is not involved in the day-to-day operations of the casino, but band officials “are providing strong leadership to assist Gateway (the casino operator) to meet the demands of business” and ensure employment opportunities are available for residents of Rama and surrounding areas.
“The employment levels of First Nation individuals was and has been a concern for 24 years,” acknowledged Williams, who was elected as chief in a band election in August.
He estimated the casino employs 30 to 40 Rama band members. That number was about 140 when the casino opened in 1996, but Williams noted many have gained experience at the local facility before moving on to other career opportunities elsewhere. Some have even gravitated to the Rama band office.
Rama Casino Ontario
That’s another reason Williams is confident a casino can continue to operate in Rama. The band has “casino experts” on staff, he said. It also has Rama Gaming House operations (smaller casinos) in Mississauga and Scarborough and used to be a partner in a casino in Cranbrook, B.C. Rama sold its portion of that casino a few years ago.
Rama has always wanted to gain ownership of Casino Rama at some point, and that’s still the goal.
“I’d be lying to you if I said it wasn’t. That remains the objective,” Williams said, noting the question is “how and when that will take place.”
For now, the focus is getting Casino Rama back up and running and ensuring it thrives. Williams — one of the key players in bringing the casino to the First Nation, and who served as a vice-president in its early days — is optimistic that will happen, despite changes that have been made since Gateway took over operations.
They include the closure of some restaurants, changes to the popular players card program, cancelling buses that brought visitors from local hotels and ceasing promotion of bus tours from the Greater Toronto Area.
Sometimes, major changes are necessary, Williams said.
“What Gateway has done is respond to the market and the competition. We have stiff competition to the south of us,” he said. “There is a need to respond accordingly to the business levels. I could second-guess Gateway until the cows come home, but we’re working with them … to ensure the longevity and our fair share of the market.”
Rama First Nation has continued to receive its share of revenues during the casino shutdown, he noted.
Rama is “always looking at diversification opportunities,” he said, but added that is not in response to fears about the casino’s future.
“We’re always open to ideas to assist and complement the casino or the community,” he said, noting a retail cannabis store slated to open in February is an example of that type of diversification.
Williams said he understands the importance of Casino Rama to not only the First Nation, but also surrounding communities.
“To the local community, the townships, the cities, the businesses: I know that they’re looking for strong leadership. You have strong leadership here,” he said. “We have a great team and we’re doing everything we can to make sure everyone’s safe and healthy.”
| Casino Rama | |
|---|---|
| Location | 5899 Rama Rd Rama, Ontario, Canada |
| Opening date | July 31, 1996 |
| No. of rooms | 289 |
| Total gaming space | 192,000 sq ft (17,800 m2) |
| Notable restaurants | St. Germain's Steakhouse, Couchiching Court Buffet, Willow (authentic Cantonese), Simcoe Yard House, Dream Catcher Sports Bar, The Noodle Bar, The Weirs, Cedar and Firestarter Lounge |
| Owner | Chippewas of Rama First Nation Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation |
| Operating license holder | Gateway Casinos & Entertainment Limited |
| Website | Official Casino Rama Site |
Casino Rama is a large casino, hotel and entertainment complex located in the town of Rama, Ontario on the reserve land of the Chippewas of Rama First Nation. It is jointly owned by the Chippewas of Rama First Nation and the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, with operation of the casino contracted to Gateway Casinos & Entertainment Limited.
Casino Rama is Ontario's only First Nations 'commercial casino' (as opposed to a lesser class, charity casino) and the largest First Nations casino in Canada. The casino also includes restaurants, a hotel and spa, and an entertainment complex which regularly hosts ticketed shows (for an additional charge).
History[edit]
The casino opened on July 31, 1996.
In 2007, a group of people, including several of the casino's employees, were arrested after police investigated a $2 million scam involving cheating at baccarat.[1]
In 2013, Casino Rama underwent a multimillion-dollar renovation.[2]
In November, 2016, the resort was the victim of a cyber attack, and financial and personal information about customers was stolen from the company's records.[3]
Casino Rama has remained closed since March 16, 2020 due to COVID-19 regulations. There has been no announced reopening date.[4]
Description[edit]
The resort consists of a 289-room hotel, a Casino with a 192,000 sq ft (17,800 m2) floor, a 5,000-seat Entertainment Centre, and ten restaurants. The casino has 2500 slot machines and 110 table games.[3]
Concerts[edit]
The 5,036-seat Entertainment Centre has hosted a variety of stars including Mariah Carey, Laura Pausini, Christina Aguilera, Journey, Air Supply, Alice Cooper, Diana Ross, Johnny Mathis, Kelly Clarkson, Creed, 3 Doors Down, Eric Burdon, The Searchers, Faith Hill, David Cook, Celtic Thunder taped two shows here, Deep Purple, Gloria Estefan, Men at Work, Jay Leno, Jewel, Carrie Underwood, Chicago, Olivia Newton-John, Vince Gill, Tony Bennett, Bill Cosby, Styx, Michael Bolton, Ringo Starr, Neil Sedaka, Jeff Foxworthy, LeAnn Rimes, Alicia Keys - 2005, Art Garfunkel, Clint Black, David Copperfield, Petula Clark, Roger Hodgson, ZZ Top, Bad Company, Dolly Parton, The Guess Who, George Thorogood, Heart, Steve Miller, Tom Jones, New Kids on the Block, Smokey Robinson, Stone Temple Pilots, CCR, Hall & Oates, Lionel Richie, Weezer, Terra Naomi, Whitesnake and KISS. Judas Priest, Big & Rich, Gretchen Wilson, Brad Paisley, John Legend, Rick Springfield, Kelly Pickler, Miranda Lambert, Sugarland, Doc Walker, Trace Adkins, Blake Shelton, Huey Lewis & The News, Wayne Brady, Larry The Cable Guy, Tim Allen, Joe Nichols, Wynonna and the Big Noise.
Hong Kong Cantopop stars and television personalities have held concerts at Rama as part of a Toronto tour:[5]
- Vivian Chow, 2013
- Elisa Chan & Maria Cordero, 2013
- Sandy Lam, 2013
- Raymond Lam, 2012
- Joey Yung, 2012
- Twins, 2011
Boxing and MMA[edit]
Casino Rama has hosted a number of live boxing events, titled Rumble at Rama. On April 2, 2011, Casino Rama hosted what was promoted as the first sanctioned mixed martial arts (MMA) event in Ontario, taking place 4 weeks before UFC 129 in Toronto.[6][7] This was not entirely correct, as an MMA event was held in the Six Nations of the Grand River First Nation 3 years prior, where Dan Severn defeated Ian Asham in the main event; 7 MMA events were staged before the event at Casino Rama.[8]In July 2011, it hosted a Bellator Fighting Championships event.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^'Casino Rama scam busted'. Toronto Star, Paul Moloney, May 25, 2007
- ^'Changes abound at Casino Rama'. Orillia Packet, By Gisele Winton Sarvis, November 28, 2013
- ^ ab'Massive theft of Ontario’s Casino Rama data sparks proposed lawsuit'. Toronto Star, November 12, 2016. Colin Perkel
- ^'Casino Rama to remain closed amid 2nd coronavirus wave'. Global News. Retrieved 2020-12-01.
- ^[1]Archived March 6, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^'Ontario's First Sanctioned MMA Event Set for Saturday'. MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2014-06-27.
- ^'Sellout at Ontario's first sanctioned MMA show'. Tsn.ca. 2011-03-31. Retrieved 2014-06-27.
- ^'Iroquois MMA Championships Fights, Fight Cards, Videos, Pictures, Events and more'. Sherdog.com. Retrieved 2014-06-27.
External links[edit]
Rama Casino
Coordinates: 44°38′50″N79°21′1″W / 44.64722°N 79.35028°W