After delays due to the pandemic, the time has come to pave the way for the future Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Ottawa. A launch ceremony was held on Tuesday, June 6, 2023. The event brought together Hard Rock International executives, elected officials and business leaders and unveiled renderings and details about the new casino.
Ottawa is the capital of Canada in eastern southern Ontario, close to the city of Montreal and the United States. The ceremony was held at the Rideau Carleton Casino, The Joint, with comments from the Mayor of Ottawa and city officials, representatives of the Seminole Tribe, officials from Hard Rock International and officials from the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation.
In partnership with Rideau Carleton Casino, renovations are set to begin for the development. As part of the service agreement with the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, Hard Rock International took over the day-to-day operations of the Rideau Carleton Casino in September 2017.
As it has done elsewhere, Hard Rock decided to change the name of the property. With construction plans already finalized, the casino will soon receive $350 million in new investment under the construction project, one of the largest private investment developments currently in Ottawa.
The development of a revitalized gaming and entertainment destination in Ottawa will recoup spending for Ontario residents and tourists traveling to Quebec to gamble. It is estimated that nearly US$60 million in gambling spending is ‘lost’ to the neighboring province annually.
The project is fully funded by Hard Rock and Rideau Carleton Casino. It is expected to generate over $206 million in tax revenue for the Province of Ontario, the Canadian Federal Government and the City of Ottawa once fully completed. The figure includes more than $13 million in annual revenue for the City of Ottawa once fully operational.
