Shorelines Casino Belleville Opens Today - January 11, 2017

First casino to open in the Province of Ontario since 2006

BELLEVILLE, ON, Jan. 11, 2017 /CNW/ - The wait is finally over as the anticipated Grand Opening of Shorelines Casino Belleville is scheduled to take place today, starting at 5 p.m.

"We have worked tirelessly over the past ten months and today we have so much to be proud of as we get to welcome our guests and the community to experience the Shorelines brand and the gaming entertainment facility that has so much to offer," said Craig DeMarta, Vice President Operations East, Great Canadian Gaming Corporation.

Great Canadian is the majority shareholder and lead operator of the Ontario Gaming East Limited Partnership (OGELP), the owner of Shorelines Casino Belleville.

"Congratulations to OGELP on this important day," said John MacFarlane, Vice President, Gaming, OLG. "Shorelines Casino Belleville is creating jobs and helping to drive economic growth, while maintaining high standards of responsible gambling. This is good news for the City of Belleville and the Province of Ontario."

As part of the Grand Opening festivities, live entertainment, commemorative giveaways and promotions will be offered throughout the day. Shorelines Casino Belleville houses over 450 state-of-the-art interactive slot machines, popular table games such as blackjack, roulette, baccarat and others, along with premium dining options at the buffet and the full service Windward Restaurant. To complement the gaming experience, Shorelines Casino Belleville is home to the Windward Lounge, an intimate entertainment space that will boast the best in local music, comedy and more.

Shorelines Casino Belleville also features an innovative and interactive PlaySmart Centre, operated by the Responsible Gambling Council, an independent, non-profit organization committed to problem gambling prevention and awareness of responsible gambling practices.

"We are so very honoured to be in the position to open a gaming entertainment facility of this magnitude in Ontario, especially considering the last casino opened in the province ten years ago. As a company with over 30 years of gaming experience, we are confident in our ability to create and deliver an exceptional overall entertainment experience," added DeMarta.

OGELP was selected as the successful proponent by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) to operate gaming facilities in OLG's Gaming Bundle 2, also known as the East Gaming Bundle. The East Gaming Bundle contains three gaming zones.

The first gaming zone is in the Township of Cavan Monaghan, the City of Peterborough and surrounding areas, and is currently served by Shorelines Slots at Kawartha Downs. The second gaming zone included a new build opportunity to service the City of Belleville and the municipality of Quinte West. The third gaming zone is identified as the City of Kingston and surrounding areas, including Gananoque and Leeds and Thousand Islands, and is currently served by Shorelines Casino Thousand Islands.

For more details about the grand opening of Shorelines Casino Belleville, please visit www.shorelinescasinos.com.

Great Canadian Gaming Corporation is a Canadian based company that operates gaming, entertainment and hospitality facilities in British Columbia, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Washington State. The Company has 21 gaming properties, which consists of thirteen casinos, including a four Diamond resort hotel in Richmond, British Columbia and a four star hotel in Moncton, New Brunswick, four horse racetrack casinos, three community gaming centres and one commercial bingo hall. A key element of Great Canadian's business model is its commitment to social responsibility. "PROUD of our people, our business, our community" is Great Canadian's brand that unifies the company's community, volunteering and social responsibility efforts. Under the PROUD program, Great Canadian annually invests over $2.5 million in our communities, and in 2015, over 3,600 charitable organizations were supported by Great Canadian. In each Canadian gaming jurisdiction, a significant portion of gross gaming revenue from gaming facilities is retained by our crown partners on behalf of their provincial government for the purpose of supporting programs like healthcare, education and social services.

SOURCE Shorelines Casino

Sonja Mandic, Director, Media Relations & Social Responsibility, Great Canadian Gaming Corporation, 604.889.7114, [email protected]