OLG to propose a casino in GTA
Posted March 12, 2012 6:03 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
TORONTO, Ont. – Lottery and gaming revenue has become stagnant so the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation is proposing a casino in the GTA, subject to municipal approval.
OLG chair Paul Godfrey says it is time for the GTA to seize the day.
“If you stand still and do nothing and you see the activities that are taking place in Ohio and New York, you’re going to have an outflux of people from Ontario going to these centres rather than an influx coming in,” explained Godfrey.
Ontario currently has 27 casinos in 26 communities and OLG president and CEO Rod Phillips says more areas are expressing interest.
“We’ve had at least 26 other communities who have spoke to me so it has become a very popular feature because of the tourist impact, because of the economic impact,” said Phillips.
The OLG also wants to make it easier for people to buy lottery tickets by expanding the sale of them at supermarket and big box store checkouts, meaning multiple-lane sales at stores instead of selling tickets at just one lottery checkout.
The OLG also says it wants more private sector involvement.
The OLG would continue the oversight and management of the market, but the private sector would build and operate all of Ontario’s gaming sites.
They’ve said they have too many sites in some locations and some will be closed or consolidated, but won’t say which casinos or slots will be closed, however, they will close some based on customer demand.
The Drummond Report recommended closing one of the two casinos in Niagara.
The Slots at Racetracks Program will end by March 31, 2013. OLG will continue offering slots at some racetracks where there’s customer interest.
Gaming in Ontario has taken a big hit over the past ten years. Profits at border facilities have been falling for a decade from $800-million dollars in 2001 to $100-million in 2011.
