Sask. government gives approval for new casino in Lloydminster

Another casino could be built in Saskatchewan, bringing the provincial total to nine.

On Tuesday, the province said conditional approval has been given for a new casino to be built in Lloydminster, the city that straddles the Alberta-Saskatchewan border. Don McMorris, minister responsible for the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority, said construction will not begin until the community has been consulted.

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"There needs to be proper consultation through SIGA (Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority) as well as the community," McMorris said. "Once that's complete, they'll put a formal request into SLGA that will ask for then the construction of a casino in that area."

McMorris said it will be up to the community and SIGA to determine the exact type of consultation which may or may not include a plebiscite.

"That's really the community's responsibility," he said. "We're saying that we're kind of conditionally in agreement with it. But it really does need to be a local decision that is made."

McMorris said he expects the process will take a few months.

A Lloydminster casino would join the six other casinos run by the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority. Those are in Prince Albert, North Battleford, Yorkton, Swift Current, south of Saskatoon, and on the White Bear First Nation near Carlyle.

The provincial government also runs casinos in Regina and Moose Jaw.

"It's not a large, large casino roughly four or five gaming tables and 250 machines," McMorris said. "So that's not large compared to some of the other casinos. But there is also that whole market on the Alberta side, for sure, that it would be able to tap in to. That's what makes it attractive."

Right now, according to McMorris, 50 per cent of revenues from SIGA casinos got to First Nations Trust, 25 per cent goes to the government's general revenue, and 25 per cent goes to community initiatives.