THUNDER BAY — This is Silver Anniversary week at the Gateway Casino in Thunder Bay.
For general manager Sandie Delorme and for multiple other staff members at the casino, Aug. 28 also marks their 25th year of employment there.
She and 35 co-workers were on hand when OLG opened the facility, and stayed when the Ontario government transferred it to Gateway Casinos in 2017.
"I actually started as a full-time cashier," Delorme said in an interview Wednesday. "It shows what can happen with your life if you take the opportunities in front of you. Over the 25 years, I've worked in many of these departments, and taken time to grow and learn in this industry."
She is now responsible for about 185 employees.
Delorme said the fact so many of them have been with the casino for a quarter of a century shows it's a good place to work.
"We have a strong team. I love the people I work with, but it's also a fun place to work. You know, it's the entertainment industry, so we have a lot of regular customers who our staff really appreciate."
Over the years, she said, one of the significant changes was dropping the use of tokens that had to be carried around in buckets.
Replacing them with a ticket in/ticket out process was "a huge change," Delorme said. "But as technology changes, the product that we offer also changes and becomes more exciting. There are different bonus rounds now, and different capabilities. We even have electronic table games at this property, so it's just an ever-evolving industry that keeps things new."
Gateway has a number of promotional activities planned for Thursday to mark the casino's 25th anniversary.
Since its inception, it has contributed $58 million in revenue to the City of Thunder Bay through the OLG's Municipality Contribution Agreement Program.
OLG's chief gaming officer, Dave Pridmore, praised the impact the gaming site has had on the city, saying "For 25 years the casino has been a fixture in the community. It has created hundreds of jobs and delivered important revenue to the city."
Mayor Ken Boshcoff, who was in attendance as mayor when the facility opened in 2000, said the proceeds have supported important local projects as well as non-profit organizations, and added that he's proud to celebrate its milestone.
Gateway has assisted multiple charities with staff volunteers and financial contributions, with Delorme singling out the Dew Drop Inn, Grace Place, Paws for Love and Thunder Bay Counselling in particular.
Over the years, there have been some large payouts for customers at the casino, including a table games jackpot of $317,000 and a slot machine jackpot of $187,000.
Gateway Casinos & Entertainment states that its commitment to responsible gambling is integral to how it operates.
"We're very grateful to be chosen for installation of a Play Smart centre right on our gaming floor. That just opened up earlier this year, so we actually have representatives that work for the Responsible Gambling Council and are accessible to answer patrons' questions and provide resources," Delorme said.
She said Play Smart operates separately from the company with the support of OLG, and ensures all Ontario casinos "are operating in a credible manner and that we are doing what we can to make sure responsible gambling resources are available to our patrons."
Gateway has RG Check accreditation through the Responsible Gambling Council.
In Thunder Bay, St. Joseph's Care Group provides services for gambling addiction, including assessment, referral, counselling and treatment.
