| Santa Maria! A new casino on Grand Turk |
| Written by Chris Morvan |
| Thursday, 26 July 2012 07:24 |
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Entertainment options on Grand Turk have gained a new dimension with the opening of the Santa Maria Gaming Saloon. Built in the shape of a ship and named after one of Christopher Columbus’ vessels, the casino is right next to the White Sands resort and is the latest venture of White Sands principals Maryse Levesque (project and business director) and owner Jacques Gascon. The building has two internal floors and an open upper deck. On the ground floor is a room full of slot machines (WMS, IGT, Aristocrat and Bally, for the benefit of those who know about such things) and a bar. On the first floor are electronic poker, roulette and blackjack tables, although customers can have a real live croupier if they wish. There is also a deck at the “bow” on this floor, with stairs leading to the top deck with its panoramic views of the island. Food is available, brought across from the One Love Café next door. “It’s created 20 jobs for local people,” said general manager Eric Boucher. “And we had 17 full-time staff building it.” He and the owners are French Canadians. As for customers, Levesque expects a certain amount of local trade, boosted by both passengers and crew of visiting ships at the nearby Cruise Centre. “We will also host special events,” Levesque explained. “Parties, tournaments, etc.” The minimum age for entry is 18, and although there is no dress code as such, the new hot spot presents the opportunity for people to wear their finery if they want to. “I’m sure there are plenty of women in Grand Turk who would like to dress up now and then, and this is the perfect place to do it. That could also generate spin-offs for other businesses.” The company is also planning to bring in customers from Provo and the Bahamas to stay at the White Sands and enjoy the casino. With this project up and running, Levesque and Gascon will move on to their next phase — building a further 84 hotel rooms to complement the suites at the White Sands. All of this represents a significant investment. So is she confident in the future of tourism on Grand Turk? “Every business venture carries a risk,” Levesque said. “But we’re hopeful that it’s going to work.” |
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