Wynn Resorts hopes to build high-end Toronto resort and casino

A Las Vegas-based gaming company has sent a letter to Toronto’s city manager expressing its interest in building a luxury casino-resort.

“Much of the public debate on this issue has centered around a false choice between an outdated big-box slots model and no casino,” Gamal Aziz, president and COO of Wynn Resorts Development, wrote in a two-page letter.

“I am writing you to make it clear that we would offer another option,” Aziz wrote. “That is to create a luxury resort and spa experience that will confirm Toronto as a major global tourist and convention destination, one that will integrate seamlessly into the urban fabric of the city while standing out as an architectural asset.”

The letter was sent March 4. A copy was obtained by the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Monday. Aziz said Wynn Resorts would work “closely with the city to find an appropriate location.”

Any project would include fine dining and casual restaurants, a five-star spa, hotel rooms with view of the Toronto skyline, and a convention center, according to the company.

“The resort and all of its amenities could also be accessed without entering the gaming floor,” Aziz assured Joseph Pennachetti, city manager of Toronto.

Wynn Resorts operates Wynn Las Vegas and Encore, as well as Wynn and Encore hotels in Macau. The company, founded by Steve Wynn, also is building a $4 billion resort-casino on the Cotai Strip in Macau.

MGM Resorts International announced plans last week for a $3 billion to $4 billion casino in Toronto should the Las Vegas-based company gain rights to build a resort-casino. The Toronto City Council is expected to discuss casino gambling next month, The Globe and Mail reported.

Aziz stressed that Wynn Resorts contributed millions to the Las Vegas and Macau communities last year and “would continue that tradition in Toronto.”

The gaming company has been rumored to be interested in a Toronto resort-casino. Wynn Resorts has applied for casino licenses in Philadelphia and Boston, which have yet to be approved or denied.

“It is not the role of Wynn Resorts to determine whether or not Toronto welcomes gaming,” Aziz wrote. “That decision needs to be carefully considered by the city and should be made according to the needs and aspirations of the leaders of Toronto.”

Contact reporter Chris Sieroty at
csieroty@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893.
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