It will take a "billion dollar baby" like the spectacular Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort that opened in Niagara Falls last June for Windsor to continue to compete with the Detroit casinos, say gaming analysts.
"If Detroit has billion dollar babies, that's what you need, too," said Ivan Sack, editor and publisher of Canadian Gaming News. "You need a new MGM."
Premier Dalton McGuinty is expected to come to Windsor in two weeks to announce a multimillion-dollar development on vacant land west of Casino Windsor. The development, described as casino amenities, is reported to include a convention and entertainment complex.
The $1-billion Fallsview Casino, the largest casino gaming and entertainment centre in Canada, was dubbed the "$1B baby" in one national newspaper and described in superlatives. Built on eight hectares, the 2.5 million-square-foot complex includes 3,000 slot machines, 150 gaming tables, a 368-room five-star hotel, 27,000 square feet of meeting and conference space, a 1,500-seat theatre, shopping mall and spa.
Ten million dollars was spent on a gigantic fountain designed by Larry Lester, who also created the Earthquake ride at the Universal Studios Hollywood theme park and the Atlantis animatronic show at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. A clock tower rises from the middle of the gaming room. The shopping mall has marble floors and intricate hand-painted details on the ceilings and walls. There are also murals, crystal chandeliers and stained glass.
"It's a resort, the same as you would find on the strip in Vegas," said Sack. "That's the difference."
And Niagara Falls already wants more, said Mayor Ted Salci.
"We'd like to see more amenities here to have people stay longer and come in the off season," he said.
The city and its business and tourism sectors are lobbying the provincial government for help building a 120- to 140,000-square-foot convention centre. The casino's theatre, which Salci acknowledged is beautiful, also should be larger, between 4,000 and 6,000 seats, he said.
"I believe the secret to success," he said, "is bringing bodies to town via anything, trade shows, conventions. To do that, you need a facility."
Niagara Falls already has several advantages over Windsor, said Salci and analysts.
"Windsor has to work harder," said Sack. "They (Niagara Falls) don't have to market the falls. It attracts tourists from around the world. You don't have that."
About half of Fallsview's customers come from the Greater Toronto Area, where the only competition is a racino and a charity casino. The only other competition is a racino in Fort Erie, Ontario and a small native-operated casino on the other side of the border.
Eighty per cent of Windsor's casino patrons come from the U.S., and Windsor faces competition from three casinos in Detroit, at least two of which are expected to build grand permanent facilities soon. Detroit could seek a fourth casino, and the mayor of Cleveland, Ohio also wants to build one.
"Your competition is much more immediate and much more direct," said Sack.
The border in Windsor is also perceived to be much more difficult to cross than in Niagara Falls.
The government has to "reposition" Casino Windsor, said Sack. "It almost has to have an extra dimension that the other three (casinos in Detroit) don't to encourage people to cross the border."
He credited the approach of the City of Niagara Falls, which he said demanded all the components of a top casino. He advised Windsor to "play to your strength" - the Detroit market. The government should study the Detroit casinos and their patrons in detail, he said.
"It's such a luxury to have the Detroit market on your doorstep," he said. "There are many casinos dying to have such a market. But you have to have a new product on your shelves. You have to stay looking fresh."
U.S. gaming analyst Marvin Roffman compared Windsor's challenge to what has already happened across the U.S. in gaming. He cited the Borgata Casino, which opened in Atlantic City last year and stole a significant amount of business from Donald Trump's three "cookie-cutter" casinos. A clock tower rises from the middle of the gaming room, and casinos.
"They (Trump's casinos) came right out and said we have to put a substantial amount of money into our properties," said Roffman.