Visiting the Montreal Casino
The largest casino in Canada is located in Quebec, situated on Île Notre-Dame in the middle of the Saint Lawrence River.
History
Following the 1967 World Fair hosted by Canada, the French Pavilion was left vacant. On December 15, 1992, the Conseil des ministres du Québec (Quebec Cabinet) approved the launch of the Montreal Casino.
Architects Jean Faugeron and André Blouin were tasked with the project. The challenge was to design a multi-story casino at a time when most gaming houses were built on a single level. It took nearly a year of construction to renovate the 5,100 square meters of the building. The grand opening took place on October 9, 1993.
Two expansions followed in 1994 and 1996, the latter adding a performance venue to the structure.
In June 2005, Loto-Québec attempted to launch a major entertainment complex project that would have included a 300-room hotel and a 2,500-seat theater. Strong public opposition and concerns regarding economic viability eventually caused the project to be scrapped.
The Montreal Casino
The Montreal Casino is a nine-story building featuring over 150 gaming tables, 3,000 slot machines, and numerous electronic games. It also houses one of the largest Keno parlors in the Americas.
The site includes five restaurants and the Cabaret du Casino de Montréal, a 500-seat performance venue that hosts variety shows and musical revues. It is the only theater in Montreal where you can enjoy a full meal during a show.
The Montreal Casino welcomes over 6 million visitors annually, generating an average revenue of 500 million CAD (about 360 million USD).
The Montreal Casino has pretty modern and quite striking architecture. Even if you do not feel like gambling, I recommend at least coming to admire the building, which is worth a look. Inside, there are plenty of slot machines and gaming tables. It is enough to have a great evening.