Expanded Gold Eagle Casino opens

Visitors to the Gold Eagle Casino will be seeing a bigger and better facility in North Battleford.

Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority cut the ribbon at the grand opening Friday morning for the 5,000 square foot expansion and renovation of the casino.

The expansion to the existing 34,000 square feet building accommodates a new closed-off smoking section of the gaming floor. The section includes its own entrance, and features an improved and upgraded HVAC system in which air comes through a raised roof. The rest of the facility will be completely smoke-free.

The ventilation at the facility has been a concern for years. Gold Eagle Casino has been notorious for a generally smoky atmosphere inside the gaming floor. 

“We did get feedback where air quality was a concern, and it was for us as well,” said Zane Hansen, president of SIGA. 

The casino has also been regularly packed with customers, which meant that the gaming floor was also notorious for a cramped and crowded atmosphere as well.  

The additional space will help address those issues. There will also be increased gaming options with some 50 slot machines being added to the gaming floor.

A three-day celebration is planned for Aug. 25 to 27 in which the casino will be offering food and entertainment and chances to win prizes as well as hosting the SIGA hot air balloon.

There has been talk for years about what to do with the existing Gold Eagle Casino building due to the ventilation and space issues.

There was talk of a completely new building, but in the end the decision was made to expand and renovate the existing facility that has been in use since 1996. When the building permit was issued in 2014 the value of the expansion was pegged at $4.8 million.

The project is mostly complete though there is still some work needed to finish the exterior siding.  

“It’s a great step forward for the Gold Eagle,” said Hansen.

“The North Battleford marketplace, the Battlefords, has been so good for us. The employees have been fantastic and have really built up a great enterprise here.”

The renovation also allows the Gold Eagle to stay competitive in the Saskatchewan marketplace with the other casino and entertainment options.

“The casino was always doing very well,” said Hansen. “This was an investment to make it that much better and to supply the market to the best of our abilities.”

Over 320 full- and part-time employees are employed by the casino, which is a major employer of First Nations people in the region.  

The opening ceremonies were attended by several First Nations officials including Chief Danny Starchief of Mosquito, Chief Lori Whitecalf of Sweetgrass and Chief Reginald Bellerose, SIGA board chair. Mayor Ian Hamilton and councillor Gordon Yarde represented the City of North Battleford and the Town of Battleford.

Also on hand was the Assembly of First Nations national Chief Perry Bellegarde, who welcomed the opportunity for an expanded casino.

“Let’s continue to build our economies and provide hope, jobs and careers for our young men and women, that’s what it’s all about,” said Bellegarde.