Hundreds of people came from near and far to play the slot machines and test out the card tables on the opening day of Belleville’s newest tourist attraction.

The Shorelines Casino Belleville officially opened its doors to the public Wednesday evening.  Belleville Mayor Taso Christopher and senior casino staff marked the occasion with the breaking of a hand-crafted ice sculpture in front of a line of people stretching the length of the building at 380 Bell Boulevard.

“We’re very excited and very honoured to have partners Great Canadian Gaming and the Shorelines family in the community,” Christopher said adding that the facility created more than 250 local full-time and seasonal jobs.

Great Canadian Gaming Corporation is a majority shareholder and lead operator of the Ontario Gaming East Limited Partnership.

The casino offers 450 interactive slot machines, table games including blackjack, roulette, baccarat and others, a full-service restaurant, an entertainment lounge, a Play Smart Centre to encourage responsible gambling and more.

Gleaners Food Bank has also been chosen as the casino’s charity of choice.

“It’s a great partnership,” Christopher said.  “The casino is going to help them big-time financially and they’ll be able to assist the families in need.”  

The casino marked its grand opening with a $5,000 donation to the food bank.  Local media and VIP dignitaries got a behind the scenes look at the casino Wednesday afternoon.  The night ended with live entertainment by local country band Ambush.

The operators broke ground on the current building last spring, predicting the building would be open by spring 2017.