Sudbury Downs boss calls Zulich casino partnership announcement 'misleading'

The director of Sudbury Downs is wading into the conversation around the proposed location of a new casino in the city.

Earlier this week B.C.-based entertainment company Gateway Casinos signed a letter of intent to add a new casino to the entertainment complex that Dario Zulich and his partners are planning to build on the outskirts of the city.

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But Andrew MacIssac, director of Sudbury Downs, stated in a newsrelease today that the announcement between the two parties gives a "misleading impression" that the new casino's location is a done deal.

"After Tuesday's initial announcement, Gateway clarified that it is keeping its options open and that the casino could remain at Sudbury Downs, or move to a location other than the Kingsway," MacIssac said.

"So clearly...there is, in fact, no binding Gateway commitment to the Zulich site."

'Can't be bigger than Rama'

MacIssac also took issue with Zulich's claim in local newspapers that a Sudbury casino could be "bigger than [Orillia's] Casino Rama."

"We cannot be 'bigger than Casino Rama,'" MacIssac said.

"Sudbury has been approved for 600 slot machines...Rama has 2,500 slot machines. Gateway estimates a total of 400 jobs. Rama employs over 2,500 people," MacIssac stated.

"The total population of all of Northern Ontario is less than 1 million. There are several million people within a 1 hour drive of Rama."

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The location of the new casino is still subject to municipal approval.

Gateway Casinos took over as the operator at Sudbury Downs earlier this month.