Proposals for Casino Entertainment Hub in Toronto
Two of the leading entertainment providers from Nevada have independently expressed their intent to set up shop in Toronto. One is MGM Resorts International, which owns some of the most popular casinos in Las Vegas including Bellagio, Luxor, Mandalay Bay and The Mirage, as well as some in Detroit and Dubai. The other is Moonlite Bunny Ranch, Nevada's infamous but high class brothel.
That these proposals have come soon after the Ontario government's announcement of creating an entertainment hub in Toronto is hardly surprising. If these proposals fructify then Toronto could get the sobriquet of Sin City of the North.
Casino Entertainment in Toronto
According to a report in Globe and Mail, the MGM Resorts International proposal of creating an entertainment complex in Toronto includes a casino and hotel.
The newspaper report quoted Alan Feldman, MGM's senior vice-president of public affairs, saying, "It's an amazing market, it's an amazing city. We'd be prepared to invest an awful lot in the development of the concept."
MGM's development team actually visited Toronto and have set the ball rolling. They held a meeting with Mayor Rob Ford's staff, a dozen councillors and political aides at which they discussed their intention of starting a casino in Toronto.
MGM would be prepared to invest between $2 billion and $6 billion for the project. The Globe and Mail has also reported that MGM has hired the local firm, Sussex Strategy Group, to put forward and press its case with the civic authorities.
Brothel Entertainment in Toronto
Moonlite Bunny Ranch was tempted to start its business in Toronto after the courts struck down Canada's brothel laws. This was reported in another newspaper TorontoSun. Moonlite Bunny Ranch presently operates a legal brothel near Carson City in Nevada. The owner Dennis Hof said that Toronto is "a classy European kind of city with flair and style".
He will be visiting Toronto in June to scout for locations. Moonlite Bunny Ranch gained international exposure through the HBO series "Cathouse", which explores the lives of the brothel workers.
Moonlite Bunny Ranch should be prepared for political opposition to its plans. When the concept and business of Moonlite Bunny Ranch was explained to the Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, he laughed nervously and said "We're not going there. Next question."
Toronto Councillor Josh Matlow is against both the casino and the brothel. He sent out the following message on Twitter: "What happens in Vegas should stay in Vegas. I won't be supporting either the casino or brothel proposals for Toronto."
