Woodbine Casino getting Complete Makeover in 2020
Future of Woodbine Casino in Toronto: Expansion to include everything from live dealer tables childcare services.
It’s been years since the community of Toronto, Ontario began discussing the upcoming expansion of Woodbine Racetrack. Horse racing was the primary attraction when the track first opened in 1956. Then in 1999, the province installed a few thousand slot machines, launching them under the title OLG Slots at Woodbine. At that time, this was more than enough to appease the mass of local gaming fans, as well as those visiting from afar.
Today, however, gambling isn’t the same entertainment vertical it used to be. Not nearly so many people come out to see the ponies race anymore. Slot machines are fun, and electronic table games serve a purpose, but most players want more. They want live dealer tables. They want more entertainment and dining options.
The government of Ontario and city of Toronto recognize this need. A few years back, they agreed to an expansion at Woodbine that would see all of this, and more. As construction gets underway, new and exciting announcements are being made, including the introduction of the city’s first live dealer table games, and a childcare facility for employees and patrons alike.
Future of Woodbine Casino in Toronto
When the city first announced the official approval for the expansion, a few items were already on the docket. New restaurants were to be added; more slot machines installed; live table games with human dealers that don’t rely on electronic lottery-style outcomes. What we didn’t know what what kind or how many.
Now that the ground-breaking has begun, it’s been confirmed that approximately 300 live dealer table games are coming to Woodbine Casino. That’s double the amount of the virtual tables now featured on the gaming floor. It hasn’t been stated (as far as I know) whether the electronic games will remain, but with 300 new tables coming, I have to assume most, if not all, of the lottery-based tables will be removed.
Hopefully, the old video poker games are on their way out, too. Even those were designed with a lottery-picking chip, eliminating the ability to invoke any kind of strategy. Casual gamblers who don’t know better may enjoy them, but to the rest of us, those games are a joke.
By the Numbers – Now and Looking Ahead
For the last few years, the casino at Woodbine has offered upwards of 3,000 slot machines and electronic gaming tables. The slots take bets ranging from $0.01 to $5.00, featuring everything from Wheel of Fortune progressives to Michael Jackson’s Mighty Millionaire Slot.
The virtual table games are still on the floor, offering selections of blackjack, three card poker, craps, let it ride, high card flush, Caribbean stud poker, Mississippi stud poker, and Fortune Cup virtual horse racing. Alongside these games, new live dealer tables are already appearing. There are currently 50 of them – not nearly as many as are planned for the expansion ahead – but with the license from OLG already in hand, why wait?
The new live dealer tables at Woodbine casino in Toronto already include some of the most popular table titles in North America. There are five blackjack variants to choose from; Blackjack Switch, Free Bet Blackjack, 21+3 Blackjack, Spanish 21, and Blazing 7s Blackjack. You’ll find live poker games like Caribbean stud, Mississippi stud and three card poker. Mini-baccarat and squeeze midi-baccarat are both available, along with American roulette, casino war, let it ride and high card flush.
Woodbine to Offer Family-Friendly Services
Last but not least, confirmed just weeks ago, Woodbine has committed to building a childcare facility for patrons and employees. Up until now, a childcare centre was only speculated. Thanks to One Toronto Gaming, $5 million in funding for the project has been guaranteed.
Its exact location is yet to be announced, but it’s expected to be situated near enough to the casino to provide easy access for parents who work at Woodbine. The facility will accommodate children aged 0 to 4-1/2. Space permitting, local parents would also be able to make use if the childcare centre.
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