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Casino considers 24-hour operations

Oct 24, 2018 | 5:00 PM

Richard Ahenakew wants to make it clear: “It is just something we’re discussing.”

The General Manager of the Northern Lights Casino (NLC) said one of the topics coming up at an annual operations meeting in Lloydminster is the possibility of running the casino in Prince Albert 24/7.

“We’ve looked at the possibility and have a general plan in our heads of what we’d do,” Ahenakew said. “But we’d have to go through all the protocols first before we made a final decision. We’d have to go through some approvals with the government, of course.”

Currently the NLC operates from 9 a.m. to 4 a.m. Ahenakew said a business case for the change in hours is still in the works and may not necessarily mean the casino would stay open seven days a week.

“It could be just Friday and Saturday. It’s tough to say. At this time, we’re just exploring the idea. It’s what businesses do,” Ahenakew said.

The NLC has some experience with the extended hours. Ahenakew said they’ve previously stayed open 24 hours on New Year’s Eve.

“It is something that is done all around the world,” he said. “In Vegas, its 24/7.”

According to the NLC’s website, the casino is one of Prince Albert’s largest employers with over 400 employees. The Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority, the agency that runs the province’s seven First Nations casinos, had a profit of $84.5 million for the 2017-2018 fiscal year. The profits are administered by the province: 50 per cent to First Nations, 25 per cent to charities and non-profit groups, and the remaining 25 per cent to the Saskatchewan government.  

Ahenakew said there is no timeline on when the NLC could see a change in hours, if at all.

 

panews@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @princealbertnow