Top 10 casino openings, expansions and renovations

The Parq Vancouver will open later in the month.

In the world of renovations, openings and expansions, there's no pause button. That's why we're bringing you the latest and greatest new developments.

This week we have properties breaking records, new food additions, updates on the NHL team that's coming to Las Vegas and news from Canada.

10. Mystic Lake Casino Hotel to become second largest in Minneapolis-St. Paul area
Mystic Lake Casino Hotel is poised to oust The Hilton Minneapolis as the largest hotel in the St. Paul region with the completion of its expansion, slated for 2018.

The new addition, Mystic Lake Center, will include 70,000 square feet of meeting and event space and a nine-story hotel tower with 180 rooms. That'll bring the hotel's total room count to 766.

The property is hoping to attract masses of football fans on 4 February, when they'll descend upon the city for the 2018 Super Bowl.

9. New Belgium Brewing coming to Mohegan Sun
In the coming months, Mohegan Sun will debut the New Belgium Brewing taproom and its rotating line of seasonal beer.

Located in the racebook in Casino of the Earth, New Belgium Brewing will be a 74-seat space with 12 draft lines. It will also show off some limited edition and special release beverages.

8. Mohegan Sun begins rebrand of its spa
Let's stay with Mohegan Sun for a minute, as they've got even more in the pipeline.

The Connecticut casino's Elemis Spa is slated for a complete renovation, to be reopened in spring 2018 as Mandara Spa.

During this major rebranding, a temporary Elemis Spa will be available on the fourth level of the Sky Tower.

If you're not looking to wait, the casino's second hotel, the Earth Tower, currently houses a separate Mandara Spa and fitness center.

7. Lightning Link Lounge opens at WinStar World Casino
One of the world's largest collections of Lightning Link units – over 150 – has debuted in one of the world's largest casinos, WinStar World Casino and Resort.

Lightning Link is a set of linked games with progressive jackpots from Aristocrat which feature four game themes, free games and hold & spin bonuses. The game was named Best Slot Solution in 2017 at the Asian Gaming Awards and has been one of the industry's top performing games.

6. Jack Cleveland Casino opens two casual eateries
Fast-casual eating joints Nonna Pazza and Stack'd have joined the food scene in Ohio at Jack Cleveland Casino.

Nonna Pazza, as its name suggests, offers rustic Italian fare, while Stack'd offers a variety of sandwiches, tacos, burgers and any other number of foods that require an edible container.

As for what "fast-casual" means, exactly, we'll get back to you on that.

Ladies and gentlemen: Meet The Quad! Are you up for the challenge? ?? #Stackd #JACKCleEats pic.twitter.com/mAmF7DQB8O
— JACK Cleveland (@JACKCleCasino) September 7, 2017

5. Rampart Casino opens Race & Sports Book
It seems to be the year of the sportsbook in Las Vegas. Rampart Resort Casino at Summerlin unveiled this week its 6,000-square-foot space.

Like all good sportsbooks, this one goes heavy on the HDTVs, boasting 50 – nine of which are 60 inches – with an additional flourish in the form of a 50-foot customizable LED screen, a beast which can be configured to show multiple games, events or messages.

4. Topgolf Swing Suite opening at MGM Grand Detroit in fall
The Swing Suite, featuring three simulators, lounge seating, HDTVs and, of course, food and beverages, will open at MGM Grand Detroit Casino this month.

Topgolf, a favorite of golfers and non-golfers alike, is a unique experience that opened its flagship venue in Las Vegas last year.

Topgolf already has multiple locations open all over the country, but the Detroit permutation is something of a milestone for the company, offering a fresher golf experience.

3. Vegas Golden Knights' practice facility close to completion
The two-rink practice facility, City National Arena, will soon welcome Las Vegas's new professional ice hockey team, the first major sports team to be based in the city.

The rink will total 146,000 square feet, costing between $25 and $30 million to complete. The Golden Knights begin their inaugural season on 6 October in Dallas and their first home game will be played at the T-Mobile Arena against Arizona on 10 October.

2. Flamingo completes $6.5 million renovation of meeting center
The first in a series of refreshes has been completed at Flamingo Las Vegas in the form of a $65 million meeting center improvement. The 73,000-square-foot space has been rejuvenated with new carpet and energy-efficient lighting.

Also on the table is a new convention space. This casino's come a long way since its 1946 opening.

#TBT April,1954. ??@SummaCorp pic.twitter.com/YzY5zqOaQQ
— Flamingo Las Vegas (@FlamingoVegas) September 7, 2017

1. Parq Vancouver to debut on 29 September
British Columbia's latest and greatest addition to its skyline will debut later in September, ready to entertain all who pass beneath its doors. As the largest private development in the region, Parq Vancouver features two luxury hotels, high-tech gaming options, carefully landscaped vistas and the best in culinary concoctions.

Not to be missed is the lobby's full-size replica of a Douglas fir that apparently represents a city-nature balance.

We'll have to see if it lives up to those lofty goals.