The topic of slot machines at the Hiawatha Horse Park has re-emerged in the mainstream media. The last progress report regarding the ‘one-armed bandits’ return to the Sarnia, Ont. raceway came in June. The situation has now been updated, and a soft date has been provided for the slots’ return.
The update comes courtesy of a recent article by The Sarnia Observer, which states that Gateway Casinos and Entertainment is hoping to have the machines in operation by the end of January.
“We’re moving forward with renovating the facility … with an eye to having it open by the end of January,” Gateway spokesperson Rob Mitchell has been quoted as saying.
Mitchell went on to state that Gateway is “shooting for an opening date of January 31.”
It was announced in 2018 that roughly 150 slot machines would be reintroduced to the Hiawatha Horse Park, which had previously been home to 450 machines under the former Slots at Racetracks Program, which has since been terminated and replaced with a new framework.
“We’ll likely do a job fair after Christmas,” Mitchell was quoted as saying. “We want to be as ready as possible to make that January 31 deadline.”
Gateway’s branding for the location will be ‘Gateway Casinos Sarnia.’ Mitchell told The Sarnia Observer that the slots’ hours of operation “have yet to be determined,” but that he is expecting the operation to be open “seven days a week.”
(With files from The Sarnia Observer)