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Canada’s largest private casino operator has ditched plans for a new hotel, restaurant and casino complex at the Western Fair grounds in London, instead inking a deal at a site in the city’s south end — a move Western Fair president Hugh Mitchell calls disappointing, but not unexpected.

Gateway Casinos and Entertainment, which operates the slot machines at the Western Fair District, now plans to locate its new complex along Wonderland Road, north of Wharncliffe Road, at a property owned by concrete company N-J Spivak.

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“I can confirm we have signed a lease to locate on Wonderland Road near the intersection with Wharncliffe Road,” Rob Mitchell, a Gateway spokesperson, told The Free Press.

Losing the casino would clearly leave a large hole in Western Fair District’s attractions, but its president insisted it’s “early days to really determine the ultimate impact.”

“Never a door closes where another one doesn’t open. We’ll handle this news. We’re an organization that’s been around for 100 years, and we’ve had our share of adversity over the years,” Hugh Mitchell told The Free Press Wednesday.