Month: July 2013

OLG Collaborates with Internationally Renowned Responsible Gambling Academic

Posted on by mbugeja

This week OLG’s Social Responsibility team hosted Dr. Sally Gainsbury from Southern Cross University in Australia. Rod Phillips, OLG President and CEO, was on hand to welcome Dr. Gainsbury and her research colleague Laura Jakob, a consultant with Communio in Australia, to OLG.

Dr. Gainsbury, who is conducting major studies on pre-commitment tools to support Responsible Gambling (RG) in Australia and on RG considerations for social media internationally, was here to gather OLG’s perspectives for her research and to hear updates on OLG’s RG program.

OLG maintains a mutually beneficial relationship with researchers like Dr. Gainsbury. While OLG gains input from credible academics in RG research, it is also able to provide people like Dr. Gainsbury with an operator’s view to inform her research.

Dr. Gainsbury is also affiliated with the Gambling Research Exchange Ontario (GREO) serving as peer reviewer of research.  In 2011, she prepared their consultation submission on OLG’s RG platform for iGaming. Her paper has significantly helped to inform OLG’s RG policies and program for iGaming.

Dr. Gainsbury’s twitter feed offers an international perspective on Responsible Gambling initiatives.  You can follow her at @DrSalGainsbury.

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E-Bingo may help charities boost funding

Posted on by mbugeja

A new plan for bingo in Thunder Bay could bring in more money for local charities if city council gives the green light to electronic bingo.

If council agrees to a partnership with the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, bingo players could soon put down their dabbers and hunker down behind touch-screen terminals at Thunder Bay Community Bingo.

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“Save our Casino” rally on july 30

Posted on by mbugeja

Less than week to go until The Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands and the Town of Gananoque hold their “Save Our Casino” Rally to reinforce the message to casino investors that the two municipalities are welcoming communities and support the current casino location as the logical business and community choice for Casino Thousand Islands. The rally will be held on Tuesday, July 30 from 4 to 6 p.m., at the Lou Jeffries Recreational Centre in Gananoque.

 

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FIRST-QUARTER PAYMENTS TO GAMING SITE HOST MUNICIPALITIES

Posted on by jdion

The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) has issued first-quarter (April to June, 2013) non-tax gaming revenue payments totalling more than $32 million to 22 municipalities which currently host OLG facilities. To date, host municipalities have received more than $938 million in non-tax gaming revenue.

“Host communities are able to invest in important local programs and infrastructure with revenue from OLG gaming sites,” said Charles Sousa, Minister of Finance. “The modernization of Ontario’s lottery and gaming business will stimulate economic development, create new jobs and continue to support public priorities like health care.”

These are the first payments under a new, equitable formula that determines the fee municipalities receive for hosting an OLG gaming facility as announced by OLG on May 17, 2013. The formula, part of the Municipality Contribution Agreement, will provide more money for host municipalities and is the same across the province.

The payments are based on an escalating scale of slot machine revenue that is consistent across all sites in Ontario.

Under the agreement, municipalities will receive:

• 5.25% on the first $65 million of slot revenue;
• 3.0% on the next $135 million of slot revenue;
• 2.5% on the next $300 million of slot revenue;
• 0.5% on slot revenue above $500 million; and
• the new element, 4.0% on table game revenue.

OLG’s modernization will increase revenue for the province and create some 2,300 net new industry jobs and about 4,000 service sector jobs. It will improve how lottery and gaming is delivered in Ontario and expand OLG’s approach to Responsible Gambling.

In 2013-2014, the province will allocate $115 million in gaming revenue to support charities through the Ontario Trillium Foundation. Every year, the Government of Ontario allocates funding to the province’s problem gambling program for research, treatment and prevention. The amount for 2013-2014 is budgeted at $41 million.

OLG is a provincial agency responsible for province-wide lottery games and gaming facilities. Since 1975, OLG lotteries, Casinos, Slots, and Resort Casinos have generated more than $36 billion for the benefit of the Province of Ontario. Proceeds from OLG’s operations help support Ontario’s hospitals, amateur sport through the QUEST FOR GOLD program, recreational and cultural activities, communities, provincial priority programs such as health care and education, and local and provincial charities.

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More OLG facilities recognized with the highest responsible gambling accreditation

Posted on by mbugeja

Another four OLG gaming facilities have earned RG Check accreditation—the most rigorous Responsible Gambling (RG) accreditation program in the world. 

The four additional sites are: 

  • OLG Casino Sault Ste. Marie;
  • OLG Casino Thunder Bay;
  • OLG Slots at Ajax Downs; and
  • OLG Slots at Sudbury Downs. 

These four sites join OLG Casino Brantford, OLG Slots at Mohawk Racetrack and OLG Slots at Woodstock Raceway and one gaming resort facility—Caesars Windsor—which all earned the RG accreditation in 2012. Caesars Windsor was the first casino resort property in the world to achieve this accreditation. 

OLG is mandated by the government to design and deliver a world-class RG program. Achieving RG Check accreditation demonstrates OLG’s commitment to addressing problem gambling head on. It does this by empowering players to make informed decisions and providing training to help employees handle a range of customer needs on the gaming floor. 

Awarded by the Responsible Gambling Council (RGC), the RG Check accreditation is based on an RG Index that is informed by international best practices and evaluates eight core standards: corporate policies, self-exclusion, advertising and promotion, informed decision making, assisting patrons who may have problems with gambling, access to money, venue and game features, and employee training. The four sites met all of these standards, earning OLG the highly recognized accreditation. 

OLG knows that when it comes to Responsible Gambling, there is always room for improvement and maintaining OLG’s high quality RG program is critical to OLG’s modernization. OLG will continue to work towards achieving the RG Check accreditation at each of its sites. In addition, all future qualified service providers will be required to adhere to rigorous external standards like the RG Check and the regulations of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.

 

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