Seneca Niagara Undergoing $47M Renovation After Ontario Fields Casino Bids

Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino, overlooking Niagara Falls in Upstate New York, is set for a major renovation.

Seneca Resorts & Casinos, a fully owned entity of the Seneca Nation, announced on Monday (Aug. 17) that the company will invest $47 million to renovate 594 rooms and suites in Niagara’s 26-story hotel.

“Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino is the gateway to bold, distinctive, and memorable experiences for our guests,” said Seneca Resorts & Casinos CEO Kevin Nephew.

Work on the upgrades is slated to begin in October, with three floors being renovated at a time. Seneca officials say the entire project is scheduled for completion by the end of 2027.

Niagara Falls Gaming Market Pressures

Seneca Niagara’s hotel news comes only days after the Ontario government announced it was terminating MGE Niagara Entertainment Inc.’s gaming exclusivity.

MGE, owned by Mohegan, the gaming and hospitality firm of the Mohegan Tribe in Connecticut, will continue to operate Fallsview Casino Resort and Casino Niagara on behalf of the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG). Mohegan is receiving undisclosed compensation for losing the exclusivity, but executives with the tribal firm say it’s a “win-win” because Ontario is committed to increasing tourism in the area.

OLG hopes to attract other big-name casino developers to build and operate resorts on the western bank of the Niagara River.

“We have to build Niagara, we have to invite other casinos in. We want more casinos, large casinos,” Ontario Premier Doug Ford said this past December. “[To] all the big casinos in Las Vegas: we’re serious. Get on board, put a proposal in, and tell us how you’re going to build a billion-dollar hotel.”

The Senecas are making a substantial bet before the market possibly expands in improving its room offering. At $47 million, the investment equates to about $79,000 per occupancy.

Seneca Niagara Casino opened on New Year’s Eve 2002. Four years later, the tribe opened the resort’s 26-story hotel, with 2026 marking its 20th anniversary.

To prepare for the next 20 years and fend off Ontario’s “Las Vegas North” ambitions, Nephew said the project couldn’t wait.

With 10 penthouses, which won’t be touched in the renovation, the 604-room hotel is the largest in the region. Seneca Resorts & Casinos said it sold more than 181,000 room nights at Niagara last year, and through June, is far ahead year-over-year.

At 604 rooms, Seneca Niagara had 220,460 total available room nights in 2025, meaning the casino experienced an occupancy rate of more than 82%.

Seneca Casinos

In addition to Niagara, Seneca Resorts & Casinos owns and operates Seneca Allegany Resort & Casino in Salamanca and Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino in downtown Buffalo.

Seneca Niagara features the largest gaming floor with 2,500 slots and 80 table games.