Edmonton Journal

Starlight Casino ready to roll the dice after $57M in renos

West Edmonton Mall facility adopts new approach to help attract millennial­s

- TREVOR ROBB trobb@postmedia.com @TrevorRobb_

The table is set and all bets are final.

The Starlight Casino in West Edmonton Mall is on the verge of its grand reopening Wednesday after a $57-million renovation saw the casino’s footprint grow to 15,000 square metres from the 9,300-square-metre footprint of the Palace Casino it’s replacing.

THE REPLAY ARENA

New to the casino, and a first of its kind in Western Canada, is The Replay Arena, featuring “Dealtainer­s” who are part card dealers and part performers.

“The long-range goal is to get people in who have never tried table games and make it really, really fun,” said Starlight Casino general manager Kevin Booth, during an exclusive tour with Postmedia last Friday.

The experience is an assault on the senses. The Dealtainer­s stand behind four tables, featuring games like blackjack, roulette, baccarat, craps and sic bo, and in front of a massive wide screen that projects a live feed of the tables.

Players sit at one of 35 interactiv­e tables, which are part of the massive, open gaming floor but have the feel of an entirely different room thanks to the oscillatin­g lights and booming speakers that outline the ceiling.

The dealers control everything from a centre console and at the touch of a button the lights and music change and the screen explodes into an array of colourful graphics. On Friday and Saturday evenings,

the casino invites a DJ to come in and play music to give the space a real party atmosphere.

“The whole concept is to get new people involved, especially the millennial­s and younger generation,” said Booth. “Games like blackjack and baccarat have been around for a long time, but what this does is put together entertainm­ent and an atmosphere to it.

“When it gets busy, and a little louder and the DJ is there, it’s going to be a totally different concept that no one else has.”

NEW RESTAURANT­S

As part of the expansion, the Starlight Casino now features even more games like Fortune’s Cup live-action digital horse racing, Lightning Zap, Pac Man, and the Prizm Social Roulette table. It also added a soon-to-be 24-hour poker room with eight tables and its own private entrance.

The casino also features a number of new restaurant­s, including Match Eatery & Public House, Atlas Steak and Fish, The Buffet, CHOW Lucky Noodle Bar, The Nova Bar, and Halley ’s Club, which opened in June and is like taking a trip back into the 1930s resembling an old-style night club and featuring live bands on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

LET THE SUN SHINE IN

Another welcome addition is a set of large windows that allows for plenty of natural light to enter the casino floor.

“For us, the natural light is something we really like ... it’s just so beautiful,” said Booth. “It’s incredible how far we’ve come, from Palace to Starlight.”

Gateway Casinos & Entertainm­ent added an extra 300 staff to accommodat­e the extra amenities, an increase to 500 employees from 200.

The casino has a total of 40 gaming tables including poker tables, 768 slot machines and space for about 2,000 customers, including in the restaurant­s.

When it gets busy, and a little louder and the DJ is there, it’s going to be a totally different concept.

 ?? LARRY WONG ?? Stephen Rowbotham, left, assistant general manager, and Kevin Booth, general manager, at the interactiv­e play stations in the renovated Starlight Casino at West Edmonton Mall, are preparing for the casino’s grand opening on Wednesday.
LARRY WONG Stephen Rowbotham, left, assistant general manager, and Kevin Booth, general manager, at the interactiv­e play stations in the renovated Starlight Casino at West Edmonton Mall, are preparing for the casino’s grand opening on Wednesday.

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