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It brought jobs, tourists, dollars — and fears of moral decay.
Ontario’s first casino opened 30 years ago in Windsor, instantly becoming the biggest tourist attraction in Essex County. Now known as Caesars Windsor, it has remained the region’s top visitor draw despite constant attacks, from pandemics and 9-11, to jealous U.S. politicians.
Windsor native Kevin Laforet, then happily employed at Hiram Walker distillery, wasn’t looking for a new job when the casino came to town. But after seeing an ad for a financial controller at the yet-to-open operation, he couldn’t resist.
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“It was like the circus was coming to town,” Laforet, now president and CEO, said Thursday before an event celebrating the 30-year milestone. “I interviewed with the guy who was the VP of finance. He said a casino is like a cross between a bank and Disneyland.
“I was hooked.”
Laforet was the keynote speaker at Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island’s 2024 annual general meeting held Thursday at the casino. Caesars Windsor graces the front cover of the organization’s current visitor guide.
“Caesars Windsor is our No. 1 tourist attraction,” said TWEPI CEO Gordon Orr. “I remember what the tourism landscape was before they came.
“Certainly, we know the dramatic positive effect it’s had on our region. We’re very lucky.”
Since opening, the local casino has shared over $90 million in gaming revenues to the City of Windsor. It has also donated $16 million to local causes.
“The casino coming to town, there was a lot of trepidation, so we always wanted to be a good corporate citizen,” said Laforet.
Opposition to the casino came from residents and MPPs across Ontario over fears of gambling addiction, increased crime, and the erosion of Windsor’s social fabric.
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The province promised Windsor 10 new police officers to deal with potential fallout.
But the detractors were no match for the much larger pro-casino contingent.
Casino Windsor opened temporarily at the retrofitted Art Gallery of Windsor on May 17, 1994. People lined up around the block to get in.
“I recall Barron Hilton at the time was the chairman of Hilton Hotels,” said Laforet. “He came in and saw all the people lined up. In his Texas drawl, he said, ‘It’s like shooting fish in a barrel.’”
Within 10 weeks, Casino Windsor was the highest-grossing casino per square foot in the world. Every table game was raking in US$5,500 per day. Nothing in Atlantic City or Las Vegas came close.
In December 1996, the province opened the Northern Belle casino boat on Windsor’s riverfront to handle the overflow.
“It was a fun one, too,” said Laforet. “We actually had to have a captain and crew on the ship, even though it didn’t move. One day a year with the coast guard they had to go out and show that it was seaworthy.”
Casino Windsor moved to its permanent location on Riverside Drive East in 1998.
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“And just like that, the party was kind of over,” said Laforet.
About 85 per cent of the Canadian casino’s business came from the U.S.
“I think the (American) politicians looked over and said if our folks are going to be gambling, we want some of the tax revenue,” he said.
MGM Grand Detroit and MotorCity Casino opened in 1999. Greektown’s casino followed in 2000. For a while, Casino Windsor held its own. Then 9-11 struck.
“I think we all recall pre-9-11,” said Laforet. “You could go on your lunch hour, grab a coney dog, and show a library card to cross the border. A little exaggeration, but the border thickened, and we started to lose share.”
In 2003, it was the SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) virus. Then Ontario’s smoking ban in 2006.
“A good public health policy,” said Laforet. “But a high percentage of our customers were smokers. Detroit didn’t have the ban. We lost about 25 per cent of our business.
“Throw in border requirements, additional casinos in Michigan, Ohio, Ontario. We were reeling. I was almost waiting for the locusts to come.”
Windsor’s casino went on the offensive.
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After a three-year, $430-million expansion, including convention space and 5,000-seat entertainment centre, the casino relaunched under the Caesars Windsor banner on June 19, 2008. The party restarted with a $2.3-million invitation-only gala and performance by Billy Joel.
“We turned things around,” said Laforet.
The last thing anyone expected was another pandemic. COVID-19 forced Caesars Windsor — like virtually all businesses — to shut down multiple times. It regularly reopened only briefly, with extreme capacity restrictions, before being forced to close the doors again.
“I think we were usually one of the first to close and last to reopen,” said Laforet. “At one point, we could only have 50 customers in the building.”
But that tempest, too, eventually ceased.
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Nearing its 30th anniversary, Caesars Windsor marked another historic moment in 2023 with the opening of Ontario’s first full-service, single-event betting operation.
“There were a lot of challenges, and I think we’ll continue to be challenged,” said Laforet. He’s among 300 ‘Day One’ employees still working there.
“It’s been quite a ride.”
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