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In comparing the two properties, Gateway chief executive Tony Santo didn’t hide his disdain for the old Baccarat.

“The difference is night and day,” Santo said. “You can’t make a comparison. The Baccarat is something we’ve never been proud of. It’s an embarrassment to our company and we want to get out of it as quickly as we can.”

Grand Villa is Gateway’s most upscale brand while the under-construction Starlight Casino due to open early next year at West Edmonton Mall is a “more modern and futuristic brand,” Santo said.

Gateway hopes to attract locals and out-of-towners before and after they attend concerts and games at Rogers Place or while visiting the adjoining Ice District sports and entertainment corridor. The draw will be live entertainment and dining as much as gaming, Santo said.

“We really felt like this should be part of this mixed-use facility that’s being developed. Obviously, we’ll have slot machines and table games, but more than that we’re developing an entertainment experience. Whether you gamble or not, that’s OK.”

While the Baccarat had one restaurant, the new casino will have a food court, a casual Match resto-pub and a fancier Atlas Steak and Fish Restaurant, with an adjoining private dining room that was designed to be large enough to accommodate visiting NHL teams.

“The most exciting thing is we’re getting rid of the eyesore on the corner,” Coun. Scott McKeen said f the Baccarat. “It’s a more modern, nice facility with dining and music, and the sorts of things that will bring an entertainment experience for people. … The other exciting thing is it’s 200 jobs.”

Gateway is holding a job fair to help fill up to 200 positions on June 15, from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Matrix Hotel. Jobs include dealers, sous chefs, bartenders and slot attendants.

bmah@postmedia.com

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