Construction on a new $100 million casino has begun in British Columbia, Canada.

The new casino is a by-product of efforts to attract a more mainstream clientele to British Columbia’s burgeoning gaming sector.

“We have been able to develop a product now that is much more acceptable to the public,” said David Gadhia, chief executive officer of Gateway Casino Income Fund. “It’s much more mainstream.”

The Starlight casino will features 600 slot machines, 54 gaming tables, a show lounge and a 25,000-square-foot interactive sports bar.

When it opens next year, the casino will replace existing facilities located inside the decks of a riverboat near downtown New Westminster.

Corey Hammill of Paradigm Capital commented: “British Columbia lags behind the rest of Canada in terms of net gaming expenditures per capita in both casinos and horse racing.”

However, he added that the growing number of Asian immigrants to British Columbia will add to the customer base, the Globe and Mail reports.

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