New Brunswick Lotteries and Gaming Corporation: Introduction of Full-Service Casino (2008 to current)

Ultimately leading to New Brunswick’s first full-service casino, the project initially involved a province-wide market analysis that resulted in repositioning the VLT network by reducing the number of VLTS and VLT locations.

HLT, initially working in tandem with KPMG, was engaged by the New Brunswick Department of Finance to provide strategic advice to the Government with respect to the restructuring of the Province’s gaming activities. Ultimately leading to New Brunswick’s first full-service casino, the project initially involved a province-wide market analysis that resulted in repositioning the VLT network by reducing the number of VLTS and VLT locations.

HLT then assisted Government and the newly-created New Brunswick Lotteries and Gaming Corporation (NBLGC) in the development of a new Gaming Control Act and Regulations in parallel with managing a competitive bidding process to select a private-sector developer/operator for a full-service casino. The project team prepared the procurement documents, marketed the opportunity to potentially-interested parties, managed all bidder communication (including briefing sessions, Q+A and input on draft agreements), developed the evaluation criteria and managed the evaluation process.

Once the successful proponent was selected, the team continued to work with NBLGC to negotiate the business and contractual arrangements with the Service Provider in order to ensure consistency with the product, market and operational commitments in the proposal. HLT also worked with NBLGC to develop standard operating policies, liaise with the Province’s regulatory bodies and to provide oversight throughout the construction process.

The culmination of efforts resulted in the opening of the first full service casino in the province in May 2010. Casino New Brunswick is a $90 million project offering a 50,000 sq. ft, gaming floor (600 slots, 21 tables, a poker room and multiple food and beverage outlets), a 1,500-seat entertainment centre and a 126-room hotel.

HLT continues to provide ongoing strategic consulting advice to the NBLGC in various areas including FINTRAC compliance and capital improvement/renovation benchmarks for Casino New Brunswick as well as providing analyses on various gaming issues for the province as a whole.