Gaming Floor
Cascades Casino North Bay is set at 300 Pinewood Park Drive, just off Highway 11 in the south end of the city. The gaming area covers about 39,000 square feet on a seven-acre property. It is not a mega-complex, but the layout feels open enough that it does not come across as crowded.
The venue is operated by Gateway Casinos and Entertainment Limited under the Cascades brand, which appears at several properties across Canada.
| Gaming Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Slot machines | ~300 |
| Live table games | 6 |
| Electronic table terminals | ~10 |
On the live side you will find blackjack and roulette tables. A small group of electronic table terminals is set slightly away from the main pit area and tends to absorb overflow when live seats are taken. Navigation is straightforward once you walk one loop of the floor.
Table minimums and maximums move around by time of day and day of the week. Floor staff can confirm current limits before you buy in or take a seat.
Operations run under Ontario’s provincial framework. Oversight is split between the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), which handles licensing and compliance, and the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG), which manages the provincial casino model.
Cash users should pay attention to fees on the on-site ABMs. In some cases it is cheaper to bring cash from your own bank than to pay a service charge on withdrawals inside the building.
Getting Around the Floor
Entry is from the main doors facing Pinewood Park Drive. Slot machines dominate the central space and are hard to miss. Live table games sit in a defined pit area, while electronic terminals are grouped separately, which helps if you prefer one format over the other.
You can check with any floor attendant for:
- Current betting limits at specific tables.
- Open seats at blackjack or roulette.
- Directions to the rewards desk or lobby.
Non-alcoholic drinks such as coffee, tea, and fountain soft drinks are offered on a complimentary basis while you are actively playing. The rewards desk manages Gateway’s loyalty program, player cards, and whatever promotions are running at the time. Near the main lobby on your way in or out there is a point for basic currency exchange.
How the Property Came Together
Construction on the North Bay property started in 2019. The initial timeline pointed to an opening sometime around the middle of 2020, but the pandemic pushed that schedule back by close to two years.
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Groundbreaking | 2019 |
| Original target opening | Mid-2020 |
| Soft opening | March 9, 2022 |
| Grand opening | April 21, 2022 |
A soft launch took place on March 9, 2022, with a formal grand opening on April 21 of the same year. Investment numbers vary depending on the source. Gateway’s corporate material references about $41 million, while reporting from CBC and Northern Ontario Business mentions closer to $31 million. The difference likely reflects what is counted - direct building costs versus total project spending with equipment and fit-out.
For a community of about 50,000 residents, roughly a three-hour drive north of Toronto, it represented a notable build. Over 200 employees were on staff at opening, with long-term staffing forecasts reaching up to around 300 positions.
The site is set up as a “sole purpose entertainment facility”. There is no hotel attached and no broader resort complex. The offer is focused on the casino floor plus on-site dining, running as a standalone venue.
OLG Payments to the City
OLG pays host fees to the City of North Bay based on the casino’s gaming revenue, on a quarterly schedule. The first transfer covered the short period from March 9 to March 31, 2022 and totalled $111,134.
By the first quarter of the 2026-27 fiscal year, the cumulative amount paid to the municipality had reached $6,833,649. These figures come out through OLG’s standard public disclosure and provide a direct view of the casino’s financial contribution to the local government.
