OLG not ‘wedded’ to Toronto casino: CEO
Posted November 13, 2012 10:06 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. (OLG) is not ”wedded” to the idea of bringing a casino to Toronto, its CEO and president says.
Rod Phillips made the comment Tuesday at the Canadian Club of Toronto where he was speaking about “modernizing” the province’s gaming industry.
Phillips said the OLG was open to other areas in the GTA, including Mississauga, Markham and Vaughan. He added that those locations could provide a benefit over one in downtown Toronto as they would be easier to get to by car and the capital cost could be as much as $1-billion less.
The casino could bring 12,000 new permanent jobs, 6,000 constructions jobs, and more than $2 billion in capital investments to the city, he has said.
Last week, Toronto’s executive committee voted unanimously to begin public consultations on a city casino.
Mayor Rob Ford, who is in favour of a casino, believes it would generate millions of dollars and thousands of jobs for the city.
Phillips stated that the OLG is the largest non tax source of revenue for the Ontario government and that Ontario spends more than any other jurisdiction in North America to support regulated gambling.
He said public input and municipal approval would be necessary in any community that would host a gaming facility.
Casino critics, including Coun. Adam Vaughan and Maureen Lynett of No Casino Toronto, want a referendum held on the issue. Seventy-four per cent of Torontonians voted against a proposed East York casino in a 1997 referendum.
This time around, developers have proposed building a complex at Exhibition Place, in the Port Lands, and or at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. A proposed Toronto casino is part of the OLG’s plan to revamp the province’s gaming industry.
Representatives from the Ex and the Port Lands have spoken out against the idea of a casino in their locations, while Woodbine Entertainment Group president Nick Eaves is pushing for a casino at his facility.
The city’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. David McKeown, is pushing for a series of restrictions if plans for a Toronto casino are approved.
McKeown suggested making the casino close for at least six hours every day, limiting the number of slot machines and prohibiting loyalty programs.
He’s also pushing for a maximum daily loss for gamblers.
During his speech, Phillips also stated that OLG will join British Columbia and Quebec in providing safe, regulated online gaming to Ontario in 2013.
