| 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.
Casino Rama Resort is a Native American Casino in Rama, Ontario, Canada and is open daily 24 hours. The casino's 93,000 square foot gaming space features 2,514 gaming machines and 130 table and poker games. The property has ten restaurants and a hotel with 289 rooms. 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. Concert tickets for Headstones, Moist, and The Tea Party + more at Casino Rama Resort. Find all tickets to Headstones, Moist, and The Tea Party at Casino Rama Resort on Saturday 27 November 2021, with options from Ticketmaster CA. The last time Headstones was in Rama was years, months, weeks, days, hours, and minutes ago. Which popular attractions are close to Casino Rama Resort? Nearby attractions include Couchiching Beach Park (4.1 miles), Orillia Opera House (4.6 miles), and Stephen Leacock Museum (3.6 miles). See all nearby attractions. What are some of the property amenities at Casino Rama Resort?
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]
Coordinates: 44°38′50″N79°21′1″W / 44.64722°N 79.35028°W
NEWS RELEASE
GATEWAY CASINOS & ENTERTAINMENT
***********************
Burnaby, BC - July 18, 2018 – Gateway Casinos & Entertainment Limited ('Gateway') has signed a 23-year Casino Operating and Services Agreement (COSA) with the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation ('OLG').
Gateway has purchased the assets of the Central Gaming Bundle and entered into leases for Casino Rama Resort on Chippewas of Rama First Nation's Lands and OLG Slots at Georgian Downs in Innisfil. Gateway will take over the day-to-day operations of these sites effective today. The expansion into central Ontario represents the next exciting chapter in Gateway's successful growth strategy and also allows for the construction of a planned new casino in the Wasaga Beach/Collingwood area.
'I am very proud to invite our colleagues at Casino Rama Resort and OLG Slots at Georgian Downs to officially join the Gateway team today. We thank the OLG for their support and hard work throughout the transition process and we look forward to continuing our long-term partnership with them,' said Tony Santo, Gateway's Chief Executive Officer.
Through Gateway's growth strategy that is focused on dramatically improving customer experiences, Gateway has already begun redeveloping and investing in new properties across Ontario. In Point Edward, $26 million is being invested to transform the property into Starlight Casino Point Edward featuring the Buffet and Ontario's first Match Eatery & Public House, which opened for business to a full house on July 5 with a ribbon-cutting that also offered the opportunity to meet retired NHL stars Dino Ciccarelli and Wendel Clark. Last week, Gateway broke ground on its new $36-million Cascades Casino in Chatham which will create up to 200 new jobs and will feature the Buffet and Match Eatery & Public House as well.
'Gateway is reinvesting in local communities and creating thousands of new jobs by introducing our signature gaming and restaurant brands throughout Western Canada and Ontario. The acquisition of the Central Gaming Bundle is the next milestone in Gateway's growth strategy and significantly enhances our customer offerings in Ontario with the addition of a casino resort property that can be leveraged throughout our Ontario portfolio,' said Gabriel de Alba, Gateway's Chairman.
Casino Rama Resort and OLG Slots at Georgian Downs fit well into the Gateway portfolio and will contribute to the Company's successful growth strategy enhancing the properties and offering customers a wide range of entertainment, dining and gaming experiences. With strong brand equity and awareness in the Ontario market, Casino Rama Resort is a large-scale resort property featuring a 5000-seat entertainment centre, a 289-room hotel, 8 restaurant and dining options, VIP gaming and a large, dynamic gaming floor.
Through Gateway's loyalty program, My Club Rewards, Gateway customers across Ontario will have the opportunity to also enjoy the amenities of Casino Rama Resort. OLG Slots at Georgian Downs is a similarly well-known and popular venue featuring the latest slots and casual dining.
Gateway was previously awarded the Southwest and Northern Gaming Bundles in May 2017. In Ontario, Gateway will now operate 11 properties with 4,150 employees. Through the awarding of the bundles in Ontario, Gateway will also undertake three planned new builds in North Bay and Kenora in the North Gaming Bundle and Wasaga Beach/Collingwood area in the Central Bundle.
A commitment to responsible gambling is integral to how Gateway operates. All Gateway properties in British Columbia and Ontario hold RG Check accreditation. Together with OLG and other government partners, Gateway will continue to implement responsible gambling initiatives at all properties across Canada.
Casino Rama Ontario
About Gateway Casinos & Entertainment
Gateway Casinos & Entertainment Limited ('Gateway') is one of the largest and most diversified gaming companies in Canada. Operating in British Columbia, Edmonton and Ontario, Gateway has 9,000 employees and operates 27 gaming properties with more than 380 tables, over 13,200 slots, 77 restaurants and bars and 561 hotel rooms. As the new service provider for the Central Gaming Bundle in Ontario, Gateway has brought two more properties and one new planned build in Wasaga Beach or Collingwood to the Gateway portfolio when fully implemented. A multi-pronged growth strategy has seen Gateway diversify and expand its product offering, including developing proprietary casino and restaurant brands, which has dramatically improved the gaming customer experience while attracting new customers. This includes brands like Match Eatery & Public House, Atlas Steak + Fish and the new Halley's Club. In 2017, Gateway celebrated 25 years in the business of gaming and entertainment in Canada. Further information is available at www.gatewaycasinos.com.
About The Catalyst Capital Group
The Catalyst Capital Group Inc. ('Catalyst'), a private equity investment firm with more than $6 billion in assets under management founded in 2002, is a leader in operationally focused turnaround investing. The firm's mandate is to manufacture risk adjusted returns, in keeping with its philosophy of 'we buy what we can build.' Catalyst's Guiding Principles of investment excellence through operational involvement, superior analytics, attention to detail, intellectual curiosity, team and reputation are key to the firm's success. The Catalyst team collectively possesses more than 110 years of extensive experience in restructuring, credit markets and merchant and investment banking in Canada, the United States, Latin America and Europe.
Casino Rama Ontario Canada
***********************
