Casino du Lac-Leamy

Casino du Lac-Leamy is a government-operated casino and entertainment complex in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. It is operated by Société des casinos du Québec, a subsidiary of Loto-Québec, the province's state-owned gaming organization. The venue opened on March 24, 1996, in the former city of Hull, before Hull became part of the amalgamated city of Gatineau. It was originally known as Casino de Hull and was the third casino established under Quebec's provincial casino program, which was created in part to generate public revenue from regulated gaming. The casino's location gives it a distinctive cross-border regional role. It stands in the Outaouais region on the north side of the Ottawa River, directly across from Ottawa. Ontario plans for a casino in Ottawa that had been discussed in the early 1990s did not proceed after opposition from the Government of Ontario. As a result, Casino du Lac-Leamy became an important gaming and entertainment destination not only for Gatineau and western Quebec but also for visitors from Ottawa and Eastern Ontario. The complex was developed on a rocky site above Lac de la Carrière, a former quarry associated with the International Portland Cement Company. The quarry lake is now a landscaped feature with a large fountain whose plume is visible from parts of the former Hull sector during the summer. The casino takes its current name from nearby Leamy Lake, known in French as Lac Leamy. Casino du Lac-Leamy is more than a gaming floor. Its facilities include more than 1,800 slot machines and over 65 gaming tables offering games such as roulette, blackjack, baccarat, craps and Texas hold'em poker. The property also includes several bars and restaurants, a 349-room Hilton hotel, and an approximately 1,100-seat theatre. The theatre has become one of the principal music and live-entertainment venues in the Outaouais region, extending the property's role beyond gambling into hospitality, dining and cultural programming. The casino is one of the largest visitor attractions in the Gatineau-Ottawa area. In 2016, reference material reported that it employed more than 1,400 people, attracted more than 2.5 million visitors and generated approximately CA$244.679 million in profit for the government. These figures describe a particular year rather than a permanent operating level. The property remains part of Loto-Québec's network of casinos and continues to combine regulated gaming with hotel accommodation, restaurants, bars and live entertainment.

Casino du Lac-Leamy was created as part of Quebec's provincial casino-building program. The initiative sought to establish government-regulated casinos that could produce public revenue while concentrating gaming activity in controlled facilities. The Gatineau-area project was the third casino developed under that program. Contemporary reporting on the project described a proposed investment of approximately CA$120 million and associated employment expectations, while also recording concerns about the social effects of gaming. Those early debates reflected the broader tension surrounding the expansion of casino gambling: the project promised jobs, tourism and government income, but opponents questioned its possible effect on the surrounding community. The casino opened on March 24, 1996, in the former city of Hull, Quebec. Its first name was Casino de Hull. The location was strategically significant because it occupied the Quebec side of the Ottawa River opposite Ottawa. During the early 1990s, Ottawa had also been considered as a possible casino location, but the Government of Ontario blocked those plans. The Hull casino consequently gained access to a wider customer base than the immediate Quebec market, drawing visitors from Gatineau, Ottawa and other parts of Eastern Ontario. The property was built on a rocky precipice above an abandoned quarry formerly associated with the International Portland Cement Company. The quarry was transformed into Lac de la Carrière, an amenity landscape containing a prominent fountain. Nearby Leamy Lake provided the basis for the property's later name. The site therefore combines a purpose-built gaming complex with a distinctive former-industrial landscape and lake setting. As the property developed, it expanded into a broader resort and entertainment operation. A 349-room Hilton hotel became attached to the casino, providing accommodation for visitors and supporting the area's tourism economy. The complex also added restaurants and bars and established a theatre with seating for approximately 1,100 people. That theatre became one of the main live-music and entertainment venues in the Outaouais region. These additions positioned the property as a destination for gaming, hospitality, dining and performances rather than as a casino floor alone. The operating entity is Société des casinos du Québec, a subsidiary of Loto-Québec. This structure places the casino within Quebec's public gaming system rather than under a privately listed casino operator. The venue's later identity as Casino du Lac-Leamy reflects both the incorporation of the former Hull location into Gatineau and the use of the nearby lake name for branding. By 2016, reference material characterized Casino du Lac-Leamy as a major regional attraction. It reported more than 1,400 employees, more than 2.5 million visitors and approximately CA$244.679 million in profit provided to the government during that year. The casino's gaming offer at that time included more than 1,800 slot machines and over 65 tables for roulette, blackjack, baccarat, craps and Texas hold'em poker. These facilities, together with its hotel, food-and-beverage venues and theatre, established the property as one of the most prominent casino-resort destinations in the Ottawa-Gatineau region. No later operating figures are included in the supplied reference material.

• 2016

  Major regional employment, visitation and government-profit contribution reported

  [1]Casino du Lac-Leamyen.wikipedia.org

  Reference material reported more than 1,400 employees, over 2.5 million visitors and approximately CA$244.679 million in profit for the government during 2016.

• 1997

  Early operation reported as commercially successful

  [1]Casino du Lac-Leamyen.wikipedia.org

  Contemporary reporting described the Hull casino as attracting substantial regional attention and visitors during its first year of operation.

• 1996

  Casino opens in Hull

  [1]Casino du Lac-Leamyen.wikipedia.org

  Casino du Lac-Leamy opened on March 24, 1996, under the name Casino de Hull. It was the third casino established through Quebec's provincial casino program.

• 1995

  Hull casino plans publicly presented

  [1]Casino du Lac-Leamyen.wikipedia.org

  Contemporary reporting described plans for a casino project in Hull, including an estimated investment of approximately CA$120 million and projected employment, while also noting concerns about the possible social impact of expanded gaming.

A large, government-operated regional casino resort and entertainment destination serving Gatineau, the wider Outaouais region, Ottawa and Eastern Ontario.

• Electronic gaming

  Slot machines

  The casino's electronic gaming area includes more than 1,800 slot machines according to the supplied reference material. The machines form the largest single part of the gaming offer and complement the property's live table-game and poker areas.

• Casino gaming

  Table games

  Casino du Lac-Leamy operates more than 65 gaming tables offering traditional casino games. The referenced selection includes roulette, blackjack, baccarat and craps, giving the property a broad table-game mix for local and visiting players.

• Poker

  Texas hold'em poker

  Texas hold'em poker is among the poker and table-game offerings identified for the casino. It forms part of the property's broader regulated gaming portfolio alongside electronic machines and traditional house-banked games.

• Accommodation

  Hilton hotel

  A 349-room Hilton hotel is attached to the casino complex. The hotel extends the property into overnight hospitality and supports visitors attending gaming, dining and theatre activities in the Gatineau-Ottawa region.

• Live entertainment

  Casino theatre

  The property includes a theatre with approximately 1,100 seats. The venue has become one of the main music and live-entertainment locations in the Outaouais region, broadening the casino's role as a cultural and visitor destination.

• Food and beverage

  Restaurants and bars

  Several restaurants and bars operate within the casino complex. These venues support the property's resort positioning by providing food, drinks and social spaces in addition to gaming and entertainment.

• 1996

  Locate a provincial casino in the Hull-Gatineau areaStrategy

  Background

  Quebec's casino program was intended to concentrate gaming in government-regulated facilities and generate public revenue. The Hull location also offered access to Ottawa and Eastern Ontario after plans for an Ottawa casino were blocked by Ontario.

  Action taken

  The provincial government opened the third casino in its program in the former city of Hull on March 24, 1996.

  Aftermath

  The property became a major gaming, hospitality and entertainment destination for the Ottawa-Gatineau region.

  Source

• Develop a casino-resort and entertainment complexStrategy

  Background

  The property was designed and expanded to serve visitors through more than gaming alone, using its regional location and lakeside setting to support tourism and entertainment.

  Action taken

  The complex incorporated a 349-room Hilton hotel, restaurants, bars and an approximately 1,100-seat theatre alongside its gaming facilities.

  Aftermath

  The casino became one of the principal live-entertainment and visitor destinations in the Outaouais region.

  Source

• 2016

  Casino du Lac-Leamy reported strong public-revenue and visitor contribution[1]Casino du Lac-Leamyen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Reference material reported that the casino generated approximately CA$244.679 million in profit for the government, employed more than 1,400 people and attracted more than 2.5 million visitors in 2016.

1. 1Casino du Lac-Leamyen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Casino du Lac-Leamy official websitecasinos.lotoquebec.com