The new Gold Horse Casino in Lloydminster is in the home stretch towards completion.
The finishing touches are being applied on the 30,000 square foot, $20 million facility, located at Highway 16 and 40th Avenue in the border city. The facility’s gaming floor will feature eight tables and 250 slot machines.
The timetable calls for Gold Horse Casino to open this winter. So far, that plan appears to be on track.
In October, the casino reported on their website that construction was near completion and signage was up, and that the exterior of the building was almost complete. On Nov. 21 they provided a further update, reporting the multipurpose room is almost complete as are the bar, grill and deli areas.
The kitchen and restaurant were also nearing completion, with equipment and furniture starting to arrive.
In all, the progress has been considerable since June 2017, when sod was turned at ceremonies that included Little Pine Chief Wayne Semaganis and Onion Lake Chief Wallace Fox.
The casino itself is a partnership including 12 First Nations. The land is owned by Little Pine First Nation, which is responsible for site development and is also the tax authority. Border Tribal Council is facility landlord and will incorporate the Community Development Corporation. The property is being leased to Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority (SIGA) which is the facility development operator.
Hiring has gone on throughout this year, starting in May with the announcement that Roger Anderson would take on the role of general manager.
Anderson has a strong North Battleford connection, having served as senior operations manager at Gold Eagle Casino. Anderson has been with SIGA since 1999.
Gold Horse Casino hosted a career fair in October in which over 500 people attended and 400 interviews were conducted. The casino continues to accept applications for live games, food and beverage and security positions.
