SIGA may face stiff competition in Lloydminster
The project manager for a proposed casino on the Alberta side of Lloydminster questions the viability of the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority’s (SIGA) plans for the city. But a vice-president for SIGA says the authority is confident in its project.
Member chiefs of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) voted Monday, Aug. 22 to approve plans for a SIGA casino in Lloydminster. However, the Frog Lake First Nation in Alberta has already presented plans for a much larger entertainment complex, which would include a WHL-sized arena, hotel, and conference centre.
In an interview with battlefordsNOW, Bruce Simms, project manager for the Lloydminster Regional Entertainment Complex, said stand-alone casinos simply don’t draw as much business as they used to.
“Our facility is quite a bit more and really, the crowd that comes in to a WHL game, that stays at our hotel, convention business, they’ll also be drawn to our casino. Our facility, it’s much more than just a casino box,” Simms said.