Mayor Rob Ford’s executive committee has approved a motion that will move the debate over whether Toronto should host a casino in the downtown core, or Exhibition Place, to city council.

The vote passed nine to four in favour of the motion which supported city manager Joe Pennachetti’s report last week that made 43 recommendations council should consider if it were to go ahead with a gaming facility.

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As discussion about a new GTA gaming entertainment centre continues, there is a natural tendency to compare the gaming experience in other jurisdictions as a way of predicting what the experience might be in Ontario.

In some cities casinos are the main tourist attraction and in others casinos are part of an integrated mix of entertainment options.

Atlantic City is an example of a community where gaming is the main tourist attraction. It has 12 casinos, 29,000 slots, 1,700 table games, and employs 32,000 people in these facilities. But a look at the surrounding area shows the casinos are not well integrated into the community.  

This is not what is being suggested for the GTA.

In the GTA, gaming would not be the only attraction, but rather it would be part of a wide mix of entertainment offerings in the area. And, what is envisioned for the GTA is not just a casino, but a gaming entertainment centre with hotel, retail and convention space. 

It would be about gaming, but equally important would be hospitality, entertainment and retail. It would also broaden the region’s appeal and capacity for conventions, business travel and tourism. It could be a real driver for growth, investment and development in the GTA. 

The GTA has a lot more in common with a place like Greater Melbourne, Australia. Melbourne has a population of 4 million and one major casino in its downtown core. At 5.5 million square feet, The Crown Casino has 1,600 hotel rooms and 16 restaurants. It covers two full city blocks. It employs about 10,000 people. Right next door, is the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre—the largest in southern hemisphere. 

This year, Melbourne was ranked as the world’s most liveable city by the Economist Magazine. 

Cleveland, Ohio is another example of a city where a casino is part of a broad entertainment mix. The Greater Cleveland Area has a population of just over 2 million people. According to a recent Globe and Mail report, more than 11 million people are expected to visit downtown Cleveland this year – twice the number of just two years ago.

Driving the increase in tourism is a new casino and a new Cleveland Museum of Art, in addition to a number of other tourist attractions, like a $465-million convention centre, a $33-million aquarium, and a Museum of Contemporary Art. 

For a comparison of Atlantic City and Melbourne, visit Casino Integration. 

When OLG’s Internet Gaming initiative is launched in late 2013, PlayOLG.ca will be the only safe, lawful and regulated online gaming site available in Ontario.

OLG has taken another important step towards bringing iGaming to Ontario with the selection of a vendor to provide a Player Account Management System for the web site and support for online casino table games and slots. SPIELO G2 was selected through a fair and competitive procurement process, which OLG began in December 2011.

Currently, when people visit PlayOLG.ca, they will find general information on OLG’s iGaming and Responsible Gambling program. In fall 2013, PlayOLG.ca will feature fun and exciting games, along with comprehensive Responsible Gambling features. PlayOLG.ca will also offer increased player protections, secure transactions and data privacy, and will require players to register to play to protect underage users from accessing the site.

Ontarians will be offered a full range of online gaming options, including: 

• Online lottery tickets (National lotto games like LOTTO MAX and LOTTO 6/49, Ontario lotteries like ONTARIO 49 and PICK- 3, etc., and Quick Play lottery games)
• Video Poker
• Online Slots
• Casino-style table games 

OLG will be introducing additional iGaming products in phases. Future launches will include online poker, bingo, and sports wagering. 

iGaming is part of OLG’s modernization of lottery and gaming in Ontario. Within five years of operation, PlayOLG.ca is estimated to deliver $375-million or more in net cumulative profit to the Province—revenue that supports important priorities like health care and community infrastructure.

“OLG will support the Auditor General’s review in every way we can and we look forward to working with his office,” said Rod Phillips, President and Chief Executive Officer.

OLG provides nearly $2 billion annually to the Government of Ontario. Modernization will increase this contribution, providing more money for hospitals, education and community infrastructure across the Province.

Since 1975, OLG lotteries, Casinos, Slots, and Resort Casinos have generated more than $36 billion for the benefit of the Province of Ontario.

The arguments in favour of a casino-hotel-convention complex at either Exhibition Place or in the city’s downtown core are compelling.

As Mayor Rob Ford notes, it will provide thousands of jobs, it will add to the city’s tax base, it will increase tourism and convention business and it will boost economic development.

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City councillors in Kitchener approved a long list of rules Monday for the two public consultations that will be held on whether the city should have a casino.

Anyone who wants to make a presentation to councillors must preregister before 5 p.m. on Friday, April 19. If delegations want to use a Power Point it must be given to city staff by 9 a.m. the day of the meeting. The first public meeting will be held Tuesday, April 23, at 6 p.m. It is scheduled to run to 11 p.m.

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A hotly awaited Toronto city staff report stopped short of recommending council open the door to a downtown casino. It does, however, weigh the opportunity and list 43 conditions council could impose. Here’s what it all boils down to:

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Venture down any number of streets in Toronto these days and you’re bound to see a sign or two protesting the mega-casino/resort proposed for the city’s downtown core. No Casino Toronto — a group of well-organized “concerned citizens” — has its own Facebook page and website, complete with an action kit where you can order a free lawn sign, join a petition and send an email directly to your councillor.

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Peterborough Square may bet its future as host of a casino. on the lower level of the downtown mall.

While details of the plan haven’t been released, on Thursday (April 5) Cheryl McQueen, property manager for Peterborough Square, confirmed the company is looking into whether the mall’s lower level could host a new gaming facility.

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The sunlight – if you can call that muted glow actual sunlight – is quickly fading, returning the late-winter sky to its customary gun-metal grey. It’s happy hour on Friday and the folks streaming into the Happy Dog, located three kilometres from downtown Cleveland, begin to disrobe in a perfunctory burlesque performance: First come the gloves, then the scarves and finally the puffy coats and wool sweaters. The knit caps, however, stay firmly affixed.

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