Great Canadian Gaming Corporation officially opened the casino at its newest property, the highly anticipated Pickering Casino Resort, on Monday, July 26.

Once COVID-19 health and safety restrictions are removed, the property will feature approximately 2,400 slot machines, just under 100 “live” table games, approximately 140 “live dealer” stadium gaming terminals, and 10 dining options.

In this, the first phase of the property’s opening, PCR will be open daily 24/7 and feature a gaming floor and food and beverage amenities with reduced occupancy levels to align with physical distancing requirements. The remainder of the resort’s premises are expected to launch in 2022.

“The opening of the casino at Pickering Casino Resort is yet another step towards our company’s recovery from the impact of COVID-19 and means another 600 jobs created in the Durham Region in this first phase of the property’s opening,” stated Great Canadian Gaming interim CEO Terrance Doyle in a press release.

Pickering Casino Resort is Great Canadian’s 25th Canadian property in operation, and the first casino resort opened in Ontario in 16 years. It had previously been touted for an April 2020, a date that was forcibly postponed by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I would like to thank all the hard work invested by our team, our contractors and other important stakeholders who have helped us achieve this incredible milestone,” added Doyle.

The casino at Pickering Casino Resort will likely be a direct competitor to Gateway Casinos and Entertainment’s Casino Rama Resort, which has traditionally drawn patrons from nearby areas including Pickering, as well as Ajax and Markham.

Ontario-based Great Canadian Gaming now operates 25 gaming, entertainment and hospitality facilities in Ontario, British Columbia, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. The company reopened a whole host of closed casinos earlier this month as Ontario moved into Step 3.