Ontario government officials say a new deal with the main casino operator in Niagara Falls could clear the way for more gaming proponents in the region.
A statement issued Thursday afternoon said an agreement between Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) and MGE Niagara Entertainment Inc. (MGE), which operates Fallsview Casino Resort and Casino Niagara, will remove the company’s exclusivity provisions to gaming in the region and allow for additional casino and entertainment operators. It noted MGE will continue to manage its two casinos.
OLG is set to begin a tendering process later in 2026 “to identify potential new gaming operators.” The timing for completing that process wasn’t immediately clear.
Niagara’s existing casinos attract more than five million visitors per year and generate more than $500 million a year for the province in gaming revenue.
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At the end of 2025, Ontario Premier Doug Ford outlined an multi-billion-dollar initiative dubbed the Destination Niagara Strategy that aims double the number of visitors to the Niagara Region (currently around 13 million people) with visions of multiple new casinos, a theme park, an expanded airport and more.
Ford said the average overnight stay in the Niagara Falls area is less than two days and he wants to see that grow to four days or even a week.
If the strategy is realized, provincial government officials said it could mean an extra $3 billion for Ontario’s GDP annually.
With files from The Canadian Press
