TORONTO, ON – Ontario’s Charitable Bingo and Gaming Revitalization initiative is marking an important milestone in Thunder Bay. More than $1 million has been raised and has benefited local charities in the region as a result of the revitalization of charitable bingo and gaming.

This program, which began a decade ago, is delivered through a partnership between Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG), the Ontario Charitable Gaming Association (OCGA), the Commercial Gaming Association of Ontario (CGAO) and local gaming and bingo centre operators.

Superior Shores Gaming Centre hosted the official celebration for the $1 million milestone, as this location, which is owned and operated by sixty-five local charities, converted to an e-bingo gaming site in December 2014. Today’s event was attended by the The Honourable Michael Gravelle, Minister of Northern Development and Mines and MPP for Thunder Bay-Superior North, Mayor Keith Hobbs, David Fraser, Director of Governance and Relationship Management, OLG and Lynn Cassidy, Executive Director of the Ontario Charitable Gaming Association.

“OLG is proud of the Charitable Bingo and Gaming Revitalization program and the role we have played in providing sustainable revenue sources to the charities that serve the Thunder Bay area,” said Rick Gray, OLG’s Vice President of Charitable Gaming.

"Today is celebrating the wonderful success of Charitable Gaming in Thunder Bay," said Lynn Cassidy, Executive Director of the OCGA.  "This initiative is making a big difference to many local charities who provide important programs and services."

Background on Charitable Gaming in Ontario

In the past 10 years, OLG has been working with the CGAO and the OCGA to revitalize the province’s Charitable Bingo and Gaming industry. By developing and introducing new products and technologies that have invigorated the traditional Charitable Gaming experience, more money has been generated for thousands of local charities across the province. The revitalization initiative is preserving and enhancing funding for charities across Ontario while creating economic benefits, including employment opportunities at local Charitable Gaming centres.

A pilot program was started in 2005 to test electronic versions of existing paper-based bingo games with six Charitable Gaming Centres in five communities in Ontario.

Following the success of this pilot project, a phased rollout of a new suite of electronic games was introduced to other Charitable Gaming Centres in the province. This started in 2012.  The new Charitable Gaming products offer customers more choice and complement existing paper bingo games:

• Electronic Bingo: Charitable Gaming Centres offer terminals with touch screens that allow players to touch the screen to dab the numbers and play along.
• Play On Demand (POD): A collection of electronic games that can be played anytime, with great prizes to be won.
• TapTix: The evolution of the classic Break Open Ticket features an interactive display screen on a ticket dispenser.

The new games allow Charitable Gaming Centres to offer more customer choice and appeal to a broader demographic, while providing a different gaming entertainment experience from traditional bingo.

In total, 31 Charitable Gaming Centres have raised more than $100 million in additional money for local charities and their communities.

As part of the revitalization, OLG assisted in introducing Responsible Gaming Resource Centres at all of the 31 Charitable Gaming Centres.  The RGRCs, managed by the Responsible Gambling Council of Ontario, offer effective educational tools and resources to build awareness and understanding of the risks associated with, and strategies to prevent, problem gambling.

Each RGRC has information available on the following topics:

• Safer play strategies
• Gambling myths and facts
• Community agencies that support people with gambling concerns

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
OLG Media Relations
1-888-946-6716
Ontario Charitable Gaming Association (OCGA)
905-824-5478

OLG is the Ontario government agency that delivers gaming entertainment in a socially responsible manner. OLG conducts and manages gaming facilities, the sale of province-wide lottery games, PlayOLG Internet gaming, the delivery of bingo and other electronic gaming products at Charitable Gaming Centres and is leading the integration of horse racing into the provincial gaming strategy. Since 1975, OLG has provided nearly $42 billion to the Province and the people of Ontario. These payments to the province support the operation of hospitals, amateur sport through the Quest for Gold program, local and provincial charities and problem gambling prevention, treatment and research.

All for Here – 100 per cent of OLG’s proceeds are invested in Ontario
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CONTACT:
OLG MEDIA RELATIONS
1-888-946-6716