It was "two long years of waiting," but it came to an end Wednesday afternoon as the honour of being Cascades Casino's first customer, went to casino "super fan" Brian "Grandpa" Beninger, 75, of North Bay.
"I've driven my wife crazy for this day," he told reporters at 4 p.m., the time the casino was officially able to open the gaming floor to customers. The first hand of blackjack went to Beninger, hand-picked by management to be the first gambler.
"She knows every time I go by here I'm stickin' my nose in, watching the progress of construction. It had to come or she was going to shoot me."
Toni, his wife of 53 years standing nearby, just smiled.
Beninger has played casinos all over the world and sees the facility as a great addition to the city and a big part of the community.
He likens it to the TV show Cheers, where everybody knows your name. He expects to be a daily player.
"The best casinos are the community ones. That's the spirit I'd like to see in this casino and that's why I'm calling it my casino. Grandpa Brian is my name but blackjack is my game,' he said, itching to get back to the table." It's the best game in the house for player's odds."
Grandpa came dressed for the part. His tie was covered in pictures of playing cards, and his green shoes also displayed decks of cards.
"My wife Toni and I love fun. You're never too old to stop having fun so we like to put ourselves in the spirit of the thing, and if that means wearing something a little silly...mainly I do it to embarrass my grandchildren.
"At my age everything either leaks or creaks, so this is one thing I can do where I'm comfortable, I'm happy, and I'm relaxed."
Grandpa is no stranger to winning. He recalls being at a casino in Victoria B.C. on his birthday. Toni bought him dinner and $200 worth of chips.
"I sat down and started playing blackjack. Two hours later I walked out with $10,000 dollars."
Casino staff actually escorted Grandpa Brian back to his car because he was carrying such a large wad of cash.
Dealing the first card to Beninger was Nataliya Lebeau, a Ukrainian immigrant who arrived in Canada 20 years ago seeking opportunity. She worked at Fallsview Casino in Niagara Falls for 18 years before moving to North Bay to be closer to her family.
"I'm really proud to be part of the opening team for this casino," she told BayToday.
Moving to this city was the right decision she says. "I love it here. People are so friendly. This is the best community ever. People are so helpful and understanding and ready with open arms," she said as she waited patiently to deal cards.
"This isn't about hardcore gambling," Grandpa Brian concluded.
"This is a place where I can bring my grandchildren, have a nice dinner at the MATCH, and when they are old enough, sit down and have a little card game with them. If I have out of town guests, the first place I'm gonna bring them is to the casino,"
