A
casino near the
Orillia area that has been operating since 1996, Casino Rama has established itself as one of the nicer places to
gamble in
Ontario. Too far from the
American border for a tourist to make it a day trip, Casino Rama caters to the typical
Ontarian who craves
non-stop slot action 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
The name of this casino has nothing to do with the actions that may be implied
suffix Rama (
barf-o-rama,
Bowlerama, etc...) but instead, indicates its location. Rama Township is near
Lake Couchiching and the casino was built on land owned by the
Chippewas of M’njikaning First Nation.
Controversy surrounded the casino's existence from the beginning of its planning. Residents of
Orillia and Rama Township were concerned about the impact of gambling in their
communities. Since the casino was to be built on the
reservation, employment would be available to
Natives, however many
Ontarians thought this would become a
molotov cocktail for
society on the reservation. If you pair the statistics of
Native Canadians and substance abuse with the habits of gamblers, there is cause for some concern. This has proven itself to be
moot, as the casino is promoting
education for its employees and there have been no reports of the casino contributing to the demise of society.
It has also given
First Nations residents a sense of
pride and
ownership for a sucessful operation in which they have fought for. During its
construction, a change in
provincial administration threatened its existence. Negotiations laboured on for years over
profit sharing and trust.
The casino's entertainment roster includes the following:
Games:
Dining and Entertainment
Dining ranges from
light snacks down to the
swank Silver Nightingale Lounge which features big-cheese and crooner acts like
Paul Anka,
Kenny Rogers,
Hall and Oates and
The Beach Boys.
Other services to guests include:
For More Information, see:
http://www.casino-rama.com/general.html
http://www.chiefs-of-ontario.org/casino.htm
http://casino-rama.com
http://www.mtarch.com/rama.html