Casino Rama Orillia Address
Posted By admin On 02/04/22Last week, 11 casinos operated by Great Canadian Gaming re-opened to the public after being shut down for more than six months due to the pandemic.
Get directions, reviews and information for Casino Rama in Rama, ON. Casino Rama 5899 Rama Rd. Rama ON L3V 6H6. Reviews (705) 329-3325 Website. Menu & Reservations.
- Find opening & closing hours for Casino Rama in 5899 Rama Rd, Orillia, ON, L3V 6H6 and check other details as well, such as: map, phone number, website.
- Rama Chief Council and Gateway Casinos says they have not decided to open the Orillia facility. Like all other casinos in the province, Rama will only be able to allow 50 people at a time.
- Dec 12, 2020 - Temporarily Closed. Casino Rama Resort is Ontario's premier gaming & entertainment destination and has earned a reputation for presenting exclusive world-class sporting, entertainment & television.
This week, Gateway Casinos & Entertainment is reopening all of its casinos - except for Casino Rama.
Beginning on Thursday, Oct. 8, locations in Woodstock, Clinton and Hanover will re-open and all other Gateway locations – except for Casino Rama Resort – will re-open on Saturday, Oct. 10.
According to a Tweet from the casino, reopening 'is not feasible to reopen a resort of this size.'
Under this framework, all properties will be restricted to the government mandated maximum of 50 guests, and will only include slot machines. Table games will not be operational and non-gaming amenities will be very limited, noted a media release from Gateway.
We know that everyone is looking forward to Casino Rama Resort will opening, however, it will remain closed for now. Given the current 50-person capacity restrictions it is not feasible to reopen a resort of this size. We ask for your patience & we will update as we know more. pic.twitter.com/f3PI9z1O33
— Casino Rama Resort (@CasinoRamaLive) October 6, 2020“We are excited to be able to re-open our Ontario properties and welcome back some of our team members and customers,' said Tony Santo, CEO at Gateway Casinos.
'The health and well-being of our employees and guests is our top priority,' said Santo. 'We look forward to fully re-opening and welcoming more of our guests back in the future as capacities are increased and restrictions are lifted.”
Due to the 50-customer capacity restrictions, properties will be open to invited My Club Rewards members only. Invited members will be notified by email with details on how to make reservations.
'Maintaining a clean environment is a year-round priority and it is regular practice to clean all hard surfaces, such as door handles and tables,' noted the media release.
'Under the current environment, Gateway is being hyper-vigilant in our cleaning protocols throughout our properties to prevent the spread of transmittable illnesses, including COVID-19.
Gateway has implemented a new reservation and virtual queue system that will allow guests to book their play time online, check-in upon arrival and safely wait in their vehicles until the casino is ready for their entry.
“This system will allow our staff to properly prepare the gaming floor for our guests, and ensure there is no congestion at the entrance as they wait to enter,” said Santo.
Meanwhile, Casino Rama staff will remain out of work and the casino will remain closed; it was closed on March 16 by OLG, a provincial crown agency.
Unifor Local 1090 president Corey Dalton said provincial regulations are handcuffing casino operations.
“The Ontario government has placed extensive restrictions on casinos,” he said, referencing the closure of table games and 50-person limits.
“Both the Union and the employer have asked the Ontario government to review this cap,” said Dalton.
“Local 1090 maintains a strong belief that the guest-limit needs to be proportionate to the physical size of each casino. Casino Rama has one of the largest gaming floors in Ontario in terms of square footage - there is an ability for Gateway to provide safe, physical distancing for a larger number of patrons than other facilities which can be 20% (or even less) of the square footage,” Dalton explained.
Santo agreed, saying the “50-customer capacity limit ... makes reopening very challenging.”
He said Gateway is “continuing to appeal to the appropriate government agencies in all provinces to allow us to re-open our operations in a safe and viable way.”
There 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.
“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.
Casino Rama Orillia Address
“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.
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.
Casino Rama Orillia Ontario Address
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.”