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Casino Windsor Quietly Turns 10

WINDSOR, Ontario – As reported by the Windsor Star: "Fresh on the heels of a bitter 41-day strike, Casino Windsor 10th anniversary will quietly pass today without much fanfare.

"'It was an unusual situation in that we were closed, so coming back into a celebration just wouldn't work,' said Casino Windsor vice-president of corporate affairs Keith Andrews.

"…Opening a casino in Windsor caused quite a stir a decade ago, with opponents worrying that crime and gambling addiction would rise while the moral fabric of the city fell.

"Crime and gambling addictions did increase, though nowhere near the catastrophic rate some predicted.

"…The interim casino started with about 2,000 employees and now has more than 4,000, making it the second-largest employer in town.

"Though service-industry jobs do not typically pay well, the wages for Casino Windsor workers -- up to 3,500 are represented by the Canadian Auto Workers -- are now better than anywhere else in the North American gaming industry, according to CAW president Buzz Hargrove.

"…Certainly, from a revenue-generating standpoint, Casino Windsor has been a money mill. In its first year, it was said to have made more per square foot than any casino in the world.

"But [Andrews] says it also helps in the community. The gaming hall's charitable arm Casino Windsor Cares has given millions to the city, including $1 million in the late '90s to the Together In Caring hospital program…"

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