Main Attraction: The Link Between Casinos and Tourism in Ontario

:With more than 25 casinos to choose from, casino tourism in Ontario has never been brighter. We reveal the hottest casinos in Ontario that draw in tourists and use examples to explain how different casinos generate tourism in unique ways. Read on to gain a greater understanding of casino tourism and the exciting role both online and land-based casinos play.

• Understanding the Relationship Between Casinos and Tourism
• An Overview of Casino Tourism in Ontario
• Ways in which Casinos Boost Tourism in Ontario
• 1. Creating Iconic Attractions
• 2. Driving Hotel Occupancy Rates
• 3. Offering Unique Gaming Experiences
• 4. Hosting Major Events
• The Special Case of the Online Casino
• In Conclusion: What Role Will You Play?

Understanding the Relationship Between Casinos and Tourism

Come for the casino but stay for the tourism.

Ontario casino tourism refers to an important relationship which sees tourists come to a casino for a gambling experience but stay and enjoy the local attractions. This could be local restaurants, hip bars, shopping, or taking in famous sights. Casinos boost the local economy by bringing tourists in. The relationship has evolved greatly with businesses purposely built to take advantage of the casino traffic.

For example, many hotels are often scattered around casinos which are located some distance from a downtown or centralized location. Restaurants, retailers, bars, and cafes can quickly become viable businesses within the region of a casino. This relationship has become even closer with chain restaurants opening within casino facilities. For example, you’ll find a Tim Hortons in numerous casinos throughout Ontario.

An Overview of Casino Tourism in Ontario

Your choice of facilities varies greatly when visiting Ontario casinos. Casinos come in different shapes, and sizes, and differ in type. Some casinos focus purely on gaming. Others offer a variety of entertainment, and some are located by some of the biggest tourist attractions in the world.

Here’s an overview of the different types of casino destinations in Ontario:

• Big Commercial Casinos: These are your big-name casinos. Think Hard Rock or Caesars. Big commercial casinos offer bigger gaming experiences, and far more additional entertainment options, and the facilities attract more than just gamers due to features like shopping and nightclubs. When visiting these Ontario casinos, players will spend money on more than just gaming.
• Resort Casinos: These casinos do it all. Some might say they are the pinnacle of Ontario casino tourism since they draw tourists in with many different attractions. Resort casinos offer additional non-gaming entertainment and boost occupancy rates significantly by hosting live events, conferences, and other attractions drawing international and domestic tourists.
• Racinos: These special casinos are incorporated into a racetrack which will offer live horse racing events. The obvious additional attraction of a racino is betting on and watching live racing. Naturally, the racing season will attract a significant increase in customers who will also use local hotels, restaurants, and bars.
• Indigenous Casinos: Casinos that reflect their First Nations communities offer a unique cultural experience through features including facility décor, dining options, museums, monuments, or art. These casinos provide extensive funding, contributed by player spending, toward the future development of their Indigenous communities.

Ways in which Casinos Boost Tourism in Ontario

Casinos are a draw. Plain and simple. Businesses surrounding a casino benefit from the increased customer traffic produced by visiting players. Restaurants see more covers, bars get busier, and retail shopping receives brand-new customers.  Our experts have agreed on four proven ways in which casinos boost tourism in Ontario.

We’ll provide examples of each metric, to best reveal the vital role casinos play in boosting tourism. These examples will also point you in the right direction when seeking out your own casino experience.

1. Creating Iconic Attractions

How it works

An Ontario casino destination can be iconic. These casinos are symbols of the gambling industry due to their location, facility, history, or outstanding features. Tourists will flock to these destinations because of more than just gambling. Iconic casinos are “Instagram photo-worthy” or invoke a certain special feeling, simply by being there. Their iconic status usually develops over a long time, and it is the guests who have experienced the casino that help promote the iconic status.

In many cases, people will be aware of iconic casinos before they actively seek them out because the casino’s status precedes them. This iconic status means the casinos draw larger crowds from greater pools of people – players from around the world are attracted to iconic casinos.

Examples

• Casino Rama – This casino is the symbol of Ontario casinos. It’s utterly massive, oozes grandiose, and is a First Nations casino and one of the oldest casinos in Ontario. We invite anyone to take a look at any of the iconic shots of this casino facility and tell us they’re not impressed.
• Niagara Fallsview Casino – Situated on a cliff overlooking the Horseshoe Falls, the 61,000 square metre casino and 30-storey hotel tower is the go-to Ontario casino destination in terms of iconic surroundings.
• Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto – A must-stop location for Ontario casino tourism, this is the largest casino in Ontario and images of the near-endless 140+ gaming tables are beyond iconic.

2. Driving Hotel Occupancy Rates

How it works

Casinos drive hotel occupancy rates in a variety of ways.

Firstly, resort casinos offer numerous attractions and other hotels can leverage this. Other hotels will accept customers who are staying purely so they can enjoy the attractions of the resort casino which may be occupied.

Casinos are also an attraction. Hotels are developed around casinos to accommodate the thousands of players that will flock to the destination each month.

Resort casinos have the capacity and facilities to host major events. For example, the best wedding casinos in Ontario are mostly resorts.  This can also drive hotel occupancy rates when guests stay to join the festivities.

Examples

• Great Blue Heron – The North York casino and hotel has a 12,737-square-foot banquet hall perfectly equipped to host weddings and corporate functions for up to 800 guests. There are also luxury meeting rooms for presentations and business meetings.
• Niagara Fallsview Casino – Along with Casino Niagara, this casino gives tourists a reason to stay after enjoying Niagara Falls. The local hotels all benefit from the additional customers looking to stay the night when they might have otherwise travelled elsewhere.
• Gateway Casinos Thunder Bay – Prince Arthur Waterfront Hotel is a truly historic, landmark hotel in Thunder Bay which significantly benefits from its proximity to this casino. Players flock to the hotel to play games.

3. Offering Unique Gaming Experiences

How it works

Some casinos are a must-stop Ontario casino destination in Ontario because of the games on offer. Slot gamers may be drawn to big progressive jackpot games, high rollers will be looking for private VIP rooms, and serious players will look for specific table games and betting limits. The types of games available at a casino can be a deciding factor in choosing a place to visit.

Poker players won’t choose casinos without a poker room and baccarat players won’t bother with a casino that only offers slots. Casino players can be quite picky too and offering a unique experience can lead to repeat visits.

Examples

• Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto – If gambling is the main focus of your trip, then this casino is a must-stop. It is the largest casino in Ontario and the number of games you can play is truly immense. You can enjoy hundreds of gaming tables, high-stakes options, and thousands of slots.
• Casino Niagara – The second casino located by Niagara Falls has a poker room that stays open until 4 AM, boasts 18 tables, and offers both low and high-limit games, unlike many competitors.
• Pickering Casino Resort – Casino tourism in Canada is for all player types and this casino pleases everyone. The 2,200+ slots include C$0.01 games for casual players and C$100 games, for serious players.

4. Hosting Major Events

How it works

It’s not just gamers visiting casinos in Ontario. Many will stop by for major events such as live music, conventions, trade shows, or entertaining shows. While most casinos will put on some live music in a bar area, larger casinos have theatres or event spaces which cater to thousands of patrons.

When a major music act or convention is hosted by a casino, players from all over Canada and the world will visit the casino purely to enjoy the event. However, this will drive hotel occupancy rates, and generate income from casino play, and local businesses will often benefit too.

Examples

• Caesars Windsor Hotel & Casino – The Colosseum at Caesars is a 5,000-seat theatre that hosts some of the biggest musicians, comedians, and entertainers in the world. People from around the world travel to Caesars to see their favourite acts.
• Casino Rama – The Entertainment Centre at Casino Rama is another 5,000-seater playing host to plenty of big-name acts. Comedians, hard rock bands, opera singers, and R&B stars – Casino Rama hosts them all.
• Niagara Fallsview Casino – The casino, in partnership with the Hilton Hotel Niagara Falls, has 47,000 square feet of meeting space. Major trade shows such as the MISA Ontario Annual Conference and Trade Show attract thousands of guests.

The Special Case of the Online Casino

If you can’t make it to a physical casino destination in Ontario, you can always choose to go down the digital route. There are hundreds of incredible online casinos in Canada offering digital slots, live table games, and a variety of other gambling products.

The Ontario online gambling market is one of the newest regulated markets in the world and is a great example of how forward-thinking the province is. These casinos accept players worldwide, meaning you do not need to be physically present in Ontario.

In Conclusion: What Role Will You Play?

With such a wide range of exciting casinos in stunning locales, seeking out your ideal casino experience is a great reason to visit Ontario. You can visit for a unique gaming experience, take in a show, stay during a business trip, or experience something truly iconic.

Our experts provide further helpful insights about visiting Ontario casinos online. We help align your preferences with the perfect online casino and provide details on how you can prepare for a real casino visit using online games.