TORONTO
The company behind some of Las Vegas’s best-known gambling destinations—including Bellagio, Luxor, Mandalay Bay and The Mirage—has begun lobbying to build its first Canadian casino in Toronto.
MGM Resorts International’s development staff visited Toronto recently and the entertainment behemoth has hired a local firm to make its case at city hall. MGM is exploring a $2 billion-to-$6 billion investment in the city, one that could go well beyond slot machines and roulette wheels to include hotels, restaurants, spas and convention facilities.
MGM’s inquiries are in the very early stages, said Alan Feldman, MGM’s senior vice-president of public affairs. The company isn’t much interested in a small project, such as adding tables to the slots at the Woodbine racetrack.
But if the province and city are interested in a sprawling “integrated resort” where gambling facilities make up as little as 10 per cent of the space, then MGM is very interested in Toronto.
