The gamble of a casino for northern Manitoba has not paid off.
Aseneskak Casino near The Pas plans to close in two years, with ownership hoping to roll the dice in a more lucrative Manitoba market yet to be finalized.
“The market just isn’t here,” casino CEO Suzanne Barbeau-Bracegirdle told CBC. “We have 600 game machines that we can use [but] we are presently using only 172. We are only using six table games and we have the capacity for 30.”
The Manitoba government must approve any move by the casino.
In an email to CBC, Heather Stefanson, minister responsible for the Manitoba Liquor and Gaming Authority, noted the casino has a gaming agreement with the provincial government.
“The number, size and location of casinos are negotiated between First Nations and the provincial government,” she added.
Six First Nations own and operate the casino, located on Opaskwayak Cree Nation, which is adjacent to The Pas.
The casino opened to much fanfare in 2002, but its viability has long been questioned by Flin Flon area residents who have visited the facility and observed limited usage.
Aseneskak reportedly employs 147 people. The planned closure marks another economic blow for The Pas, which is still reeling from last week’s announcement that its single largest employer, Tolko Industries, will leave town on Dec. 2.
The forestry company’s mill in The Pas employs 332 employees and utilizes about 250 contract loggers in the area.
Another First Nations-owned casino is slated to open in Thompson, the Winnipeg Free Press
reported in June. Thompson initially rejected the proposal at the municipal level but later relented, according to the newspaper.
