Journal Staff
Gateway Casinos and Entertainment will take over day-to-day operations of the Point Edward Casino as early as this spring.
The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation said last week it had selected the B.C.-based operator to run a total of 11 casinos in Ontario.
Employees will transfer to Gateway and the new employer will work to ensure a smooth transition, the OLG said in a statement.
Under the agreement, all 325 jobs in Point Edward will be maintained for no less than 12 months, and Gateway is required to provide eligible employees with benefits and a registered pension plan.
Local officials are hopeful the company will make new investments in the casino, which provides Point Edward with about $2.3 million in host payments each year, or about $1,000 per resident.
Gateway already has more than 4,000 employees and operates 18 gaming properties in western Canada.
It will now also operate gaming facilities in Dresden, London, Woodstock, Clinton and Hanover in southern Ontario. In the north, it takes over casinos in Sault Ste. Marie, Thunder Bay and Sudbury and has the opportunity to open new facilities in Kenora and North Bay.