There's still time to lay your bets on what's next in London's casino location debate.
City planners are recommending re-zoning to permit the $75-million investment on Wonderland Road South, and Gateway Casinos is responding positively to the report.
Rob Mitchell of Gateway Casinos and Entertainment, says, "We're pretty positive about this…I think we're really in the ninth inning now. It's been a long road but this is a very positive signal to us moving forward."
But some city councillors are continuing to push for a casino to be built at the Western Fair District, where zoning had already been approved, instead of an area surrounded by housing and retail.
Councillor Anna Hopkins says, "If we were going to expand gaming in the City of London to have it at the fairgrounds…if we are going to move it to another location in the city I think we have to really understand the implications of that."
The original plan at Western Fair was nearly double the size and included a hotel.
While Mitchell wouldn't comment on whether they'd consider going back to Western Fair, after three years of unsuccessful negotiations, he will say they've put the idea behind them.
"I think we've all moved on from that. I think that ship has sailed."
Still, Councillor Stephen Turner, a planning committee member, says they simply don't know enough about the new site.
"We haven't really had that discussion about what its adjacent impacts would be."
The report goes to council's planning committee on Monday, but with many on vacation, there likely won't be enough councillors present for a decision.
