Month: August 2013

Letter to the Editor – Ottawa Citizen

Posted on by mbugeja

We recognize the risks associated with gambling and the serious effects they can have on people and families. That’s why we deal with problem gambling head-on. 

With contributions from OLG, Ontario has the best funded Responsible Gambling program in North America. Each year, approximately $50 million is spent on researching, preventing and mitigating problem gambling. This includes funding for free problem gambling counseling services at 52 locations across Ontario, including four centres in Ottawa—Sandy Hill Community Health Centre, Amethyst Women’s Addiction Centre, Centretown Community Health Centre and Rideauwood Addiction and Family Services. 

OLG works to prevent problem gambling from occurring in the first place, and to provide a bridge to assistance for those who need it. We have Responsible Gambling Centres at all of our sites and our eight largest sites are supported by staff from the Responsible Gambling Council. In addition, over 7,200 of OLG’s front-line staff have received training developed by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) to recognize and respond to players who ask for help. 

Plans for potential new or expanded slot and casino facilities are based on a moderate evolution of a gambling model available to Ontarians since the mid-1990s. This fact is critical when discussing questions related to potential long term increases in problem gambling rates. 

A 2007 study of problem gambling literature for Canadian Gaming Association found that while the introduction of new forms of gambling result in an initial increase in problem gambling prevalence, this is followed by a plateau and a decline in these rates over time. Furthermore, gambling is not new to Ottawa. For more than 13 years, the city has had a gaming facility at Rideau Carleton Raceway. 

OLG is already working on solutions related to a number of the ideas raised in Ottawa’s Public Health report, including building time and money limits into the slot machine of the future. 

OLG is also working on using data analysis to drive direct feedback to players based on individual behavior and providing players with histories of their play. In addition, going forward, we will seek innovative solutions for the placement of ATMs to address RG concerns while still meeting the expectations of the 95 per cent of customers who don’t have a problem. 

At OLG, responsible gambling is a central focus and a driving force behind our business. We realize there are risks associated with gambling and we deal with them head-on. The bottom line is we don’t want problem gamblers playing our games. 

Paul Pellizzari
Executive Director, Policy & Social Responsibility

 

Posted in Update

OLG MODERNIZATION OF GAMING CONTINUES AS SOUTHWEST GAMING RFPQ CLOSES

Posted on by jdion

TORONTO, ON – Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) today marked the close of its Request for Pre-Qualification (RFPQ) for the Southwest Gaming Bundle, which was issued on May 29, 2013.

“OLG’s modernization program continues to progress. We are now in active procurement in more than half of our 29 Gaming Zones,” said Rod Phillips, OLG President and CEO. “With the closing of the Southwest RFPQ, we will now undertake our due diligence in evaluating the submissions.”

From the RFPQ submissions, OLG will select the service providers who are eligible to receive the Request for Proposal (RFP) document for the Southwest Gaming Bundle.

Interested service providers were required to submit proposals for the entire Gaming Bundle as set out in the RFPQ, not for individual Gaming Zones or Gaming Sites contained within the Gaming Bundle. This means that service providers must demonstrate their ability to assume specific day-to-day operations all six facilities in the Southwest Gaming Bundle.

As part of its modernization, OLG is working with the government and horse racing industry stakeholders to integrate horse racing into the provincial gaming strategy to ensure future revenue streams for the industry. The Horse Racing Industry Transition Panel held four stakeholder consultations in July 2013 to listen people’s concerns and ideas.

“I was pleased to attend the Panel’s consultations with stakeholders because, like the government, we’re also interested in hearing from those involved in the horse racing industry about how we can work together to achieve a strong, sustainable industry over the long-term,” said Phillips.

In the coming months, OLG will launch RFPQs for the remaining Gaming Zones – some in Gaming Bundles. All RFPQs will be available on MERXTM (www.merx.com/olg). MERXTM charges a fee to download this type of material.

OLG has two impartial advisors providing oversight on the integrity and fairness of the procurement process.

While the new gaming model will include securing qualified service providers for the day-to-day operation of gaming, OLG will continue its role in the conduct, management and oversight of lottery and gaming. OLG will also continue to help prevent and mitigate the effects of problem gambling through its Responsible Gambling program, which is recognized internationally by the World Lottery Association’s certification program, and at eight gaming sites, by the Responsible Gambling Council of Canada’s RG Check program.

OLG contributes nearly $2 billion annually to the Ontario government. The vast majority of this funding is directed to hospitals and health care.

All Ontarians will benefit once the modernization of lottery and gaming is complete through additional revenue to help fund provincial priorities such as hospitals and municipal infrastructure. In addition, a modern OLG will help create thousands of jobs and drive more than $3 billion in capital investments across Ontario.

For more details on Gaming Zones/Bundles, including a map of the Southwest Gaming Bundle, visit:http://corporate.olg.ca/modernizing-lottery-and-gaming-in-ontario-project-status/

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.

modernolg.ca
OLG is modernizing Lottery and Gaming for a better Ontario
Follow us on Twitter @modern_olg

olg.ca

“Know your limit. Play within it.”
THE ONTARIO PROBLEM GAMBLING HELPLINE 1-888-230-3505

Disponible en français

-30-

Posted in News Releases Leave a comment

Southwest gaming Request for Pre-Qualification (RFPQ) comes to a close

Posted on by mbugeja

OLG’s RFPQ for the Southwest Gaming Bundle is now closed, marking another milestone in the continuing modernization of lottery and gaming in Ontario. With the gaming RFPQs launched to date, OLG is in active procurement in more than half of its 29 Gaming Zones. 

The Southwest Gaming Bundle RFPQ was issued on May 29, 2013 and closed on August 8, 2013. OLG will now undertake its due diligence in evaluating the RFPQ submissions and select service providers who will be eligible to receive the Request for Proposal (RFP) documents. 

As part of the RFP process, pre-qualified service providers proposals can include building a new gaming site anywhere in a Gaming Zone, where there is support from the municipality. But successful proponents will need to work with the host municipality on the specifics of a facility, including the preferred location.  

Where Gaming Zones have been bundled, a service provider’s proposal will need to be for the entire bundle, not for individual Gaming Zones or Gaming Sites. This means that service providers demonstrate their ability to take over specific day-to-day operations at multiple facilities in a given region or geographic area of Ontario. 

As part of its modernization, OLG is working with the government and horse racing industry stakeholders to integrate horse racing into the provincial gaming strategy in order to ensure future revenue streams for the industry. In July, OLG took part in four of the Panel’s industry consultation sessions to discuss ideas put forth by the Panel in its consultation report.

In the coming months, OLG will launch RFPQs for the remaining Gaming Zones. 

Read the full announcement

Posted in OLG's Modernization, Update

Letter to the Editor – Ottawa Citizen

Posted on by mbugeja

At the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, responsible gambling is a central focus and a driving force behind our business.

In his opinion piece, Jeff Morrison repeats an oft-cited claim about the number of problem gamblers who play our games. However, this information is based on a very limited study completed close to 10 years ago. The authors, Robert Williams and Richard Wood, themselves acknowledge the limitations of their findings, saying they are based on a very small sample size of 32 problem gamblers.

Read full letter

Posted in Update