I have no doubt that a casino in Toronto would see visits of this amount......the issue some have (I think) is how you measure the "net effect" on toursim/economic activity. If a large number of those "visits" are just Toronto people going to the casino rather than some other entertainment option, the net effect is not great.
I have my own (non-substantiated/anecdotal) gut feel on where gambling is on the tourim driver scale these days. Hate to sound like an "old guy" but there was a time (within my adult life) where the only "outlets" for casino gambling were Vegas/AC/Monaco. At that time gambling/casinos were are real tourist draw. Now we have spun forward and a lot (most?) major cities/regions of the world have access to casinos/gambling.
I don't think, for example, people visit New Orleans because they have a casino adjacent to the French Quarter.....but people visiting for Mardi Gras or JazzFest might make a trip to the casino. Similarly, a casino in Toronto (IMO) does not all of a sudden become a tourist desitnation.....but an adjunct to the other things we offer as a destination....so, when trying to attract a big convention, we can throw in a "world class casino" as one of the city's "pluses" along with things like major league sports, fine restos, museums, theatre, etc. It is another arrow in the quiver but that is probably it. Full on "gambling junkets" are still going to be the realm of Vegas and the like and, I imagine, the bulk of our casino's visits are going to be from people already here (either because the live here or they are here for some other purpose).
That is not, necissarily, a bad thing....it just makes it difficult to measure the impact if one of its impact is just helping us not lose business that we may otherwise have lost.
Now, if someone only had some really cool pictures of world class casinos that would really add to this discussion (
)
1.) I understand what you are saying. People from far away are not going to say "lets go to Toronto so we can gamble..." However, if we have an impressive gambling facility, people from NY and other parts of Ontario or around would probably come to Toronto because it is closer.
Now, when attracting conventions a 2000 room hotel will surely be a plus.
This place probably will not be
the reason people visit Toronto, however, it ill be an attractive feature.
2.) If this was built in Mississauga or Markham or another suburb, it would be
just another gaming facility, and tourists would likely not even use it. It would be mainly residents.
If built in the heart of our city and including a huge, luxury hotel, shops, restaurants, shows, rides(?), spa, etc. It would likely be used by both tourists and locals. Look at places like Singapore and Melbourne: not thought of as "casino towns" but still use the casino/ent complex as a major attraction.
When you think about it, there are no major, luxury casino complexes in the area. Theres Vegas and AC (our casino would be a larger project than AC casinos) and thats really it. The entire area around us would be attracted. Michigan, NY, Quebec.
And even if it was hypothetically only used by people living here, why can't we have a nice place for us? Should it only be impressive if it is used to attract tourists?
coolcanadian:
The Melbourne example has been raised as an example of what could work. However, the fact you posted photos of the Portlands and suggested that as a site that would have no impact on its' surroundings is wrong, considering that plans are already drawn up for the redevelopment of that stretch and a complex of this nature might not be a good fit at all. The Ex would have been a far better site for such a project.
And yes, you should know that using the term "world class" in a booster-ish way tend to be looked upon uncharitably on here, with good reason. If you want to make a case for a casino/entertainment-plex, there are better ways to do so in an urban issues forum than to post photos of garish hotel rooms and gambling halls while ignoring how these projects engage the city in an urban planning/design level.
AoD
I am not in the position to decide on a location, and agree that the Ex is a much better fit. I am just saying that I feel this complex would benefit our city.
Another thing, I feel that people on this forum who are against a casino have no problem with showing pictures of ugly casinos, but when an impressive one is shown they get upset. I am not talking to you directly, I'm just saying.
I also did more than just show photos. I used numbers from Melbourne and other info.
I think that if a design competition takes place, which it likely will, we will see many great designs. Each company wants to build it, so they will strive to get the best plan.
A better thing to say would be "find a $5 billion dollar casino that is bad" rather than "there are bad casinos"...
This could be our sydney opera house. It would be iconic. A design competition!! Lets get something great!!