I got to visit the 'new' casino last night, which really is the new 'wing' of the Woodbine location. I will share my notes below.
Casino Toronto
Signage/Roadway to the building - 5/10
Total lack of clear signage. Easy mistake is to park in the original flat/open parking of Woodbine and end up walking 2km to the new wing of the property aka 'Casino Toronto'. I made this mistake on my quick first tour 2 weeks ago. No improvement to the signage, not even a 'new parking over here' for example.
Leaving and getting back to the 427 south was a maze of on property roads and streets. Thankfully GPS is updated and knew where to go.
Hopefully they get enough comments from visitors and improve this.
New parking - 3/10
What a fucking gong show. I will lead off with the first 'wtf' I had last night. You come into the 5 level parking structure, turn down the aisle with cars on each side. You then reach a left hand turn you have to make. 1. This is where all the foot traffic getting into the Casino from this level of parking is weaving in out and out of cars. 2. The traffic you are turning against is the main outbound traffic from the parking structure. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Had to wait for the line of outbound cars to allow me to make the left turn through them and it was tight, while trying not to hit someone walking through. This is a total fail.
Parking on a Saturday night was available going on 2 levels. I suspect this will change as I did notice the original Woodbine parking lot was mostly full when I went past it - people don't know the new parking is available or are visiting the old casino instead of the new.
Building, ATM's and sound system - 6/10
Lumping these together. The building is attempt at having a Vegas style 3-4 story high open space but fails to deliver. The parking comes out this tiny little corner of a long hallway with shitty double doors that don't open all the way (another fail) and then it's a bland walk with no decorations or appeal to the casino entrance. More of the same in the actual casino, just overly high ceilings that are mostly black in colour and felt like a converted warehouse not a purpose built new space.
In the casino the sound system in the background sounded like speakers from 10 years ago stuck on a XM Radio station looping generic music choices. Outside the casino entrance they had a DJ setup to fill the empty hallway to the parking and outside doors, playing the latest bumping music to get the people going I suppose. This too was an odd choice.
Lighting is a bright white and felt almost hospital like. Nothing like the softer colors common in Vegas Casinos and elsewhere. I suppose this was done to make the Slot Machines 'pop' as it did...but it was more of the same bright white lighting we have seen in the original Woodbine casino space for those who have been there before.
ATM's were poorly placed, mostly right along main thruways. People would line up in front of them going directly across the thruway forcing you to pass through them repeatedly. Other casinos place the ATMs off in the corners and such to allow space for people to line up in less busy parts of the floor.
The building is new build and nice, for what it is...but a let down when you hear/read about 'how much money they spent' on this new property.
Slot Machines - N/A
I don't play slots but did note the machines are new, bright, often quite tall and impressive. How well they play and payout I will leave to other posters to share.
Blackjack Tables - 5/10
Confirmed 6:5 Blackjack and continuous shuffler for $50 and below. Didn't see any tables below $50 but I may have missed them. Seeing $50 tables at 6:5 with continous was disappointing.
I did come prepared to play $100 tables and hope for the best. 6-8 $100 tables going around 10pm, mostly with solo players playing heads up. I joined a gentleman playing solo, asked if I could join and he welcomed me in. 3:2 Blackjack, hit on Soft 17, Chute with auto shuffle machine, 6 or 8 decks. I'm thinking 6 decks based on the stack height when cutting but didn't ask.
All chips labelled Casino Woodbine. $100 chips at our table were all new, $25's as well. $1000 chips were the old and well used chips from the original casino, at least the few I saw.
Asked about VIP area and was told 'for now' the original 3rd floor space of Woodbine is where VIP tables will be available. No mid-chute entry and bit more private then the open main floor of the new casino. When I asked the gentleman beside told me he went up there first (9pm) and confirmed it was empty, no one playing there, which is what I remember the few times I went there previously.
The dealers didn't have details of a new VIP room. One suggested he heard they may close the original 3rd floor space and renovate it/refresh it which makes sense but time will tell if it brings players into it.
Cashier/Cage - 2/10
After an hour at the table it was time for me to head out. I go looking for the Cashier/Cage and had my next 'WTF' moment. Let me try my best to describe this. Along the far way was this tiny cage with maybe 8 windows total. Worse yet only 3 staff working the windows on a Saturday night. In front of this space was a single rope to form a line behind - no snake of ropes to line up in. The line, which was around 30 people long when I arrived, goes along the far wall behind players sitting at slot machines trying to play.
After a 20+ minute wait I was close to the front of the line. I saw something I never seen before. A server was at the end of their shift and had to wait in line with the customers - to cash out all the chips he had received as tips. At the same time he dumped all his change out to have it counted up, by hand, to be turned into bills. Because I have never seen this before I can speculate that in other casinos they have a back office window for staff to cash out so they don't stand in line with patrons and add to the delay.
Never waited that long before to cash out. It became a bit of entertainment seeing the looks of people faces when they saw the lineup as they approached. Others left to go all the way over into the original casino to cash out at one of those cages and I considered it but estimated by the time I walked there and walked back to the parking entrance I wouldn't save any time.
Other casino's of this size I have seen always had 8-10+ windows open on Saturday nights and some have 2 cages available as well.
Overall it was a decent time and I'm glad I went. Won a few bucks and getting out before the table went cold on me is always a bonus. Driving 15 minutes to Café Atlantis for a couple drinks after was probably the best part of having the new casino addition in the area, lol.
www.playground.ca
