By Tasha Stefanis
Sparks Street landlords are marketing their location as an ideal place for one of Ottawa’s two permanent casinos.
The site has not been announced yet, but Ken Dale, of the Sparks Street Improvement Area, says landlords are actively pursuing the companies who won the casino bids in September, offering potential sites on Sparks Street.
CHC North and Star of Fortune Management are going to run Ottawa’s two permanent charity casinos, replacing three-day roving Monte Carlo events.
The casinos will consist of 150 videos lotteries and 40 table games. Each casino will be one-tenth the size of Hull’s casino, and are slated to open in the spring.
“People in Ottawa have approached us with sites,” says Barbara Fox, spokesperson for Star of Fortune.
Star of Fortune is sending a team to Ottawa soon to explore possible sites.
Fox expects a decision within a month.
Beth Nelson of CHC North says they haven’t selected a site yet either, and are still reviewing possible options.
Sparks Street is a contender for the casinos because it’s downtown and close to hotels and tourist attractions.
Dale says a casino on Sparks Street would have to be on the south side of the street because the federal government owns the property on the north side.
Peter Beauchamp says no matter what locations are chosen for the casinos they will affect his business.
Beauchamp is the owner of The Side Door bingo hall on Wellington Street.
“Casinos in general will affect the bingo industry,” he says.
Beauchamp claims there are only so many dollars available for gaming.
When the two casinos open, he says, spending won’t increase, it will just be distributed differently.
“By opening the two casinos, they’re spreading it (money) thinner and thinner,” says Beauchamp.
The location doesn’t really make a difference, according to Beauchamp, because if people want to play casino games they will travel to where the games are.