Seneca Niagara Casino celebrates grand opening of major sections of $26 million transformation

Exciting new gaming areas, upgraded air quality, superior comfort highlight completed upgrades

An unmatched casino entertainment experience awaits visitors to the area's premier gaming and entertainment resort, as officials from Seneca Gaming Corp. took the wraps off large glittering sections of completed upgrades to the main gaming floor at Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel today. The upgrades are part of a $26 million transformation announced by the corporation earlier this year.

The differences on the gaming floor are striking. Dazzling new slot displays and contemporary table game layouts and canopies, each complemented by plush new furniture and greatly enhanced lighting, help create a distinctly energetic atmosphere across the 88,000-square-foot area. A brand-new Keno bar has been created adjacent to the entrance to Thunder Falls Buffet, while a larger, brighter Player's Club booth, located in the southeast corner of the gaming floor, has prominent signage, an easily accessible location, and includes more stations for rapid customer interaction and service.

Key to the design is a new layout with wider, more open walkways, which allow for easier navigation and better integration of the entire property. Aesthetic changes also include new, richly colored carpeting, covering a total area of approximately two acres, brighter lighting and fresh wall coverings.

"Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel has set the standard for excitement and entertainment for tens of millions of visitors from throughout the northeast United States and southern Ontario," said Cathy Walker, president and CEO, Seneca Gaming Corp. "By reinvesting in and reinventing our main gaming floor, we hope to offer our guests an entirely new escape here in the heart of Niagara Falls."

The airy new feel in the casino goes beyond the architectural design. A major component of the renovation program is a nearly $6 million upgrade of the air quality system. The new system, which is fully installed and will be fully operational over the coming weeks, can handle double the capacity of airflow, bringing abundant outside air into the casino and improving overall air quality throughout the entire property.

The gaming floor renovations were designed by SOSH Architects, one of the nation's premier gaming and hospitality architects, while Seneca Construction Management Corp. is overseeing the construction. More than 300 construction jobs and more than 100,000 man-hours will be created by the time the entire project is complete.

"Our ongoing investments in our properties continue to drive economic benefits and job creation throughout the region," said Kevin W. Seneca, chairman of the Seneca Gaming Corp. board of directors. "From the guests who visit us, to our employees and the contractors and business partners who help us build and operate, Seneca casinos continue to play an important role in our area's economy and resurgence."

With many of the major renovations complete, construction crews will now focus on the creation of a new feature bar and live entertainment stage in the southwest corner of the gaming floor. The new space will be furnished with a dance floor, lounge seats, a circular bar with 20 tabletop video gaming units and a large high-definition jumbo video wall, creating a natural focal point of activity and excitement on the gaming floor. To make way for the new feature bar, Club 101, the bar and live entertainment stage located in the center of the gaming floor, will be closed and dismantled in early January. The entire renovation program is expected to be complete in the spring of 2014.