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Ontario Moves to Establish ‘Vegas of the North’ in Niagara Falls
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More land-based casinos are on their way to Niagara Falls after a new deal announced by the Ontario provincial government.
An August 13, 2026 press release revealed a new partnership with the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) and the MGE Niagara Entertainment Inc. (MGE) to allow more operators into the region, as part of the broader Destination Niagara Strategy.
Commenting on the new deal, Ontario’s Interim Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Gaming, Doug Downey said:
“Niagara has long been one of Ontario’s premier tourism destinations, and we’re working to unlock its full potential and attract more visitors and investment for decades to come.”
“Our government is creating the conditions for long-term growth by building on the region’s strengths and unlocking new opportunities for businesses, workers and communities across Niagara.”
Ontario Seeks to Double Niagara’s Visitor Count
The Canada-US border city, officially known as the City of Niagara Falls, has long been a premier tourism hub. Its natural landscapes, extraordinary wineries, exciting casino venues, and vibrant cultural attractions have brought in upwards of 14 million visitors yearly.
But in December of last year, Premier Doug Ford unveiled the multi-billion-dollar Destination Niagara Initiative, which aims to upgrade Niagara. Given Ontario’s gambling market is predominantly an online thing, the Destination Niagara Strategy aims to strengthen Niagara’s position as one of the province’s premier land-based gaming and entertainment destinations.
The plan is to encourage investments and development across the region’s top five pillars:
- World-class gaming
- Tourism attractions
- Arts and Culture
- Wine and culinary tourism
- Transport development
The new bid to attract new operators is one of the many steps toward realizing the wider Destination Niagara Strategy. The broader plan also includes building a new theme park, Niagara’s first five-star hotel, upgrading the Niagara District Airport, and much more. It will increase annual visitors to 25 million and generate an extra $3 billion in annual GDP for the province.
The OLG will open a procurement process later this year to announce potential new gaming operators in the region.
The Deal Ends MGE’s Exclusivity Rights
The new partnership confirms that the Mohegan Gaming and Entertainment (MGE) has agreed to give up its exclusivity rights within the Niagara Gaming Bundle. This opens the door for other casino operators to compete for opportunities in the region, potentially bringing more investment and development to Niagara’s gaming sector.
Since its start in 1995, the Connecticut-based MGE has been the Mohegan Tribe’s representative in all things casino and resort development/management. At present, 4 integrated resorts, 75 culinary experiences, 400+ sports and entertainment events, along with the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun are under the company’s portfolio.
MGE entered the Canadian gaming market in 2018 after the OLG selected it as the service provider for Fallsview Casino Resort, Casino Niagara and the planned Niagara Falls Entertainment Centre.
Since then, Mohegan has remained closely tied to Niagara’s casino industry, with both Fallsview Casino Resort and Casino Niagara listed among its properties. By ending its exclusive position, MGE is effectively allowing Ontario to explore a more competitive land-based gaming market in Niagara for an undisclosed financial consideration, as disclosed during the MGE’s August 13 earnings call.
Nonetheless, the tribe still continues to operate the Fallsview Casino Resort, Casino Niagara, as well as the Playfallsview iGaming platform.
“The interests of Mohegan in the Niagara market as well as the government of Ontario are aligned in the sense that both parties want more development, more tourism, and ultimately better drivers of guests and visitation into the Niagara area, particularly on the Canadian side of the border,” said Mohegan’s CEO, Joe Hasson, during the earnings call.
“… We’ve given our OK in exchange for financial consideration to allow that market exploration.”
Mohegan Reports an 11% Decline in Niagara Casino Revenue
Despite unprecedented growth across Ontario’s online gambling market, Mohegan reported declines across its Niagara casino operations.
Falling 11% year-over-year to US$66.8m for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, the company’s adjusted EBITDA fell 57% to US$2.2 million. Total segment loss amounted to a US$984,000 net loss, compared to a US$1.3 million profit during the same period last year.
The decline is mainly isolated to the adverse swing in table hold, which resulted in lower revenue. The online segment, on the other hand, experienced an uptick. Gross gaming revenue from the PlayFallsview platform increased 9.7% year-over-year. As for monthly active users, they jumped 48% during the quarter.