McPhillips casino renovating, hopes to appeal to younger demographic

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Patrons of the McPhillips Station Casino will be the lucky winners in a $45 million redevelopment planned for the site.

Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries CEO John Stinson said the money will be used to “freshen” the outside for the first time since the facility was built in the 1990s.

Stinson said patrons would see a new facade, a new front entrance, and for the first time a link from the parkade to the casino.

“The $45 million is for the outside — it doesn’t count costs for freshening up the inside of the casino,” he said today.

Stinson said gone will be the exterior look of a train station at the facility.

“The train station motif, just like the south of the border palm trees at Club Regent, will disappear. We want to modernize both.”

Stinson said plans are still in progress, but the casino also plans to update the main floor gaming area and is looking at ideas for what to incorporate onto the second floor.

He said the proposals include a special room for poker, code-break escape rooms, and a fantasy sports bar.

“We are looking at a different demographic we could attract,” Stinson said.

“We want to attract a younger demographic that what we have now. But we also don’t want to impact our loyal customers so we will keep the gaming room on the main floor.”

Stinson said a hotel is still in the works, but Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries is hoping CP Rail will move the Winnipeg Beach rail line between the casino and where the hotel would be built on McPhillips Street.

“We were thrilled when we heard (moving rail lines in Winnipeg) in the Throne Speech,” he said.

“All the data shows a link on the main floor from the hotel to the casino is more effective. We don’t want our patrons to get whacked by a train.”

Stinson said he hopes the exterior renovations and construction will be completed in the next two to three years.

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca