Construction is underway on an expansion at the grounds of Casino de Montréal that local and Quebec provincial officials say will help attract more people and spur more development in Canada’s second-largest city.
The $150 million CAD project involves building a 200-room hotel on the casino’s property at Parc Jean-Drapeau on the St. Lawrence River. A Loto-Québec release said the hotel will complement the natural landscape on Notre Dame Island, the 1967 World’s Fair grounds. The casino is part of the gaming scene in the province that also includes Quebec online casinos.
Loto-Québec President and CEO Jean-François Bergeron said the hotel will make the casino, operated by the provincial lottery, the pinnacle of Montréal’s entertainment destinations.
“Its location at the heart of Parc Jean-Drapeau will put this hotel in a class all by itself,” Bergeron said. “It’ll showcase Montréal beautifully.”
No official opening date has been set for the hotel, though the release anticipates it opening “within two to three years.” A search for a hotelier is underway.
Casino de Montréal is one of four casinos Loto-Québec operates in the Central Canadian province of nearly 9 million, more than half of which reside in the Montréal metropolitan area.
“Loto-Québec’s hotel project is completely in line with our commitment to provide our residents and visitors with opportunities to enjoy nature in the city,” Montréal Mayor Valérie Plante said. “This new accommodation offer strives for the highest environmental standards and will further enhance the attractiveness of Parc Jean-Drapeau, which is already a prime destination dear to the Montréal community’s heart.”
The hotel’s groundbreaking comes when expanded gaming is under discussion across the city and the province, which already has Quebec online casino apps. Earlier this year, Loto-Québec scrapped plans to build a mini-casino at a three-story building adjacent to the Bell Centre after local public health officials raised concerns that it might increase problem gambling behavior, particularly among younger and middle-aged men who go to the arena for Canadiens hockey games.
Besides the casinos and the provincial lottery, Loto-Québec also offers sports betting under the Mise-o-jeu brand. However, a trade group of private sports betting operators has pushed Québec officials to let them to offer online sports betting across the province in a fashion similar to neighboring Ontario.
The Québec Online Gaming Coalition commissioned a recent survey, which found that nearly three-quarters of Loto-Québec’s online players only purchase lottery tickets and that 56% of residents support the creation of an independent agency to oversee all gaming in the province.
The best Quebec online casino bonuses are at CasinoenLigneQuebec.com, where you’ll find more coverage of the province’s gaming industry.
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Steve est un journaliste accompli et récompensé, avec plus de vingt ans d'expérience dans la couverture des jeux vidéo, des sports, de la politique et du monde des affaires. Il a écrit pour l'Associated Press, Reuters, The Louisville Courier Journal, The Center Square et de nombreuses autres publications. Il est basé à Louisville, dans le Kentucky.
