Casino under construction in Canada

Friday, July 23, 1999 | 11:28 a.m.

POINT EDWARD, Ontario -- A new casino being built in this Canadian province will compete directly with the Canadian Casino Windsor and the three casinos in the U.S. city of Detroit, officials say.

The $39-million, 60,000-square-foot casino is being constructed at an old railroad freight building along the banks of the St. Clair River, across from Port Huron, Mich., and will open later this year, Ontario officials say.

The casino, which will be located within an hour's drive of the four gambling houses, will be substantially smaller than Casino Windsor and the three casinos planned for Detroit. But Canadian officials feel they can still lure away some of those customers to the new gambling venue.

"We're certainly going to attract Michigan residents," Jim Cronin, director of communication for the Ontario Lottery Corp., told the Detroit News for a report. "And the reasons are: We don't tax jackpots, and the American dollar is so strong, Americans get a lot more gambling for their dollar."

The casino, to be operated by the Ontario Lottery Corp. under provincial charity gaming laws, will have 450 slot machines and 30 table games, including blackjack. Dice games may be added later.