Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort has passed the test of its first full quarter of operation.
"We set out to create a 'wow' experience and we've achieved that. People are coming to visit, they're seeing the shows, they're having dinner, they're spending the night and most importantly, they're genuinely enjoying themselves," said Larry L. Lewin, President of Niagara Casinos.
Fallsview has achieved some remarkable successes in its short history:
- The two casinos combined paid out $30 million more in payroll and benefits and $5 million more for goods and services in the second quarter of 2004 than Casino Niagara did on its own in the same quarter in 2003.
- More than 2.1 million people visited the property in July, August and September.
- More than 40,000 people saw a live show in the Avalon Ballroom, which has staged performances by some big-name entertainers, including Barenaked Ladies, Alanis Morissette, the Steve Miller Band, Wynonna Judd, the Doobie Brothers, REO Speedwagon, Paul Anka, Julio Iglesias, Kenny Rogers, Smokey Robinson, Melissa Manchester and Howie Mandel. Upcoming acts include Anne Murray, Art Garfunkel, Wayne Newton and David Cassidy.
- The Grand Hall has hosted a number of large conventions and trade shows, including events for Kia Motors Canada and the Credit Union Managers Association (CUMA) as well as the inaugural draft of the new World Hockey Association.
- Fallsview hosted the Ontario caucus of the Liberal Party of Canada in October, including a visit by Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin on October 30.
- Also on October 30, Toronto tax accountant Nick Hulst broke the Canadian slot jackpot record at Fallsview, winning more than $5.7 million while playing a Megabucks slot machine.
- On November 16, it was announced that the Associates of Fallsview Casino and Casino Niagara raised over $193,000 for the United Way, a total that was then bolstered by an additional donation of $100,000 from the casinos themselves.

"As I walk around the property, I'm constantly approached by seasoned casino-goers who tell me Fallsview is the most beautiful and impressive casino facility they've ever seen," said Lewin. "They see it all together in one place - the casino, the hotel, the ballroom and everything else - and they just can't believe we put it all together within a few feet of one of the most famous sights in the world. They're dazzled."
Fallsview's success has attracted the attention of some of the largest and most influential media organizations in the world, including the New York Daily News, the Boston Herald, the National Post, the New England Journal of Golf, Fodor's, Brides magazine, Hotelier magazine, USA Today and CNN.
Fallsview's early successes have had a positive impact on the Niagara region's tourism industry in the second quarter of the 2004-2005 fiscal year.
Intense media interest in Fallsview Casino combined with ever-increasing awareness of the property on the part of the general public in North America are creating a ripple effect that is proving to have a very positive impact on tourism-based companies in the Niagara region, many of which are experiencing significant surges in business.
"For July and August, we were at 98 per cent occupancy at all of our properties," said Carmen Menechella, whose family is the largest owner of hotel rooms in Niagara Falls. "We are seeing more tourists from the Toronto area than ever."
Menechella's sentiment was echoed by fellow Niagara Falls hotelier Vince DiCosimo.
"July 1 to September 30 was the best second quarter the Hilton has ever experienced," said DiCosimo, the owner of the Hilton Niagara Falls and the neighbouring Denny's restaurant. "Our occupancy rate was 97 per cent. Denny's
on Fallsview Boulevard has experienced the best three months since it opened in 1990."
Fallsview Casino continues to grow as a number of new retail outlets will open on Fallsview's Galleria over the coming weeks, including Reed's Jewellers and Linda Lundstrom and, in keeping with the city's long-standing tradition as a wedding and honeymoon mecca, the resort will debut its two full-service wedding chapels in early 2005.
On December 31, Fallsview Casino will serve as the presenting sponsor of the Winter Festival of Lights New Years Eve Outdoor Concert Extravaganza featuring a free concert by rockers Collective Soul. The outdoor New Years concerts in Niagara's Queen Victoria Park have become an annual tradition and are the only New Years event broadcast live across all of Canada.
Additionally, Fallsview Casino is quickly becoming known as a premier destination for those looking to take part in some of the largest gaming tournaments in Canada. In March, 2005, Fallsview will host the Crown Jewel championship round of the largest blackjack tournament in Canada - the Masters of Blackjack - with its prize purse of $250,000.
"Fallsview Casino compares favorably with any casino in North America," says Noel Buckley, President of Niagara Falls Tourism. "It's a spectacular facility."