TORONTO – The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG), together with the Ontario Charitable Gaming Association (OCGA) and Commercial Gaming Association of Ontario (CGAO) have made further progress in the revitalization of charitable bingo and gaming in Thunder Bay with the introduction of new electronic games.

The goal of this revitalization is to ensure local charities have a viable way to fundraise; to support local programs; to enhance local charitable operations and support local employment at the gaming centres; and to offer customers a new entertainment experience.

“We are pleased to partner with Thunder Bay Community Bingo to enhance the bingo and gaming experience for our players,” said Rick Gray, Vice President of Charitable Gaming at OLG. “In addition to providing the bingo hall with new opportunities this initiative also supports over 65 regional charities, organizations that provide vital services and support in the community.”

Thunder Bay Community Bingo now offers customers the choice of new electronic games or the traditional paper-based games that have been played at bingo centres for years.

“Adding new electronic products to our traditional paper-based games enables us to revitalize the charitable gaming industry and provide a sustainable source of revenue for our associated charities to continue their important work in Thunder Bay,” said Lynn Cassidy, Executive Director of the Ontario Charitable Gaming Association.

The introduction of these new devices follows a successful 2005 pilot program which introduced e-bingo at six sites in five communities throughout the province which resulted in a significant increase of revenue raised for local communities. Since the launch of the pilot program, approximately $80 million in additional funds has been raised for Ontario charities.

More charitable gaming centres across the province will complete their revitalization in the coming months.

Backgrounder Charitable Gaming in Ontario

OLG is working closely 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 will invigorate the traditional charitable gaming experience, more money is being generated for thousands of local charities across the province. The revitalization initiative is intended to preserve and enhance funding for charities across Ontario while creating economic benefits, including employment opportunities, at local charitable gaming centres.

OLG introduced a pilot program in 2005 to test electronic versions of existing paper-based bingo games to six charity bingo centres in five communities in Ontario. These pilot centres in Barrie, Kingston, Peterborough, Sudbury and Windsor have since raised $80 million in additional money for local charities.

Following the success of this pilot project, OLG began a phased rollout of a new suite of electronic games to other charitable gaming sites in the province. This new suite of charitable games offers customers more choice and complements existing paper bingo games. Offerings include:

• 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.
• Tap Tix: 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, be more competitive and appeal to a broader demographic, while providing a different gaming entertainment experience from traditional bingo and casinos.

OLG is a provincial agency responsible for province-wide lottery games and gaming facilities. Since 1975, OLG has provided nearly $40 billion to the Province and the people of Ontario. OLG’s annual payments to the Province have helped support health care; education, research, prevention and treatment of problem gambling; amateur sport through the Quest for Gold program; and local and provincial charities.

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SAULT STE. MARIE – The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) today issued third-quarter (October to December, 2014) non-tax gaming revenue payments totalling $23,525,590 to 22 municipalities which currently host OLG facilities. To date, host municipalities have received more than $1 billion in non-tax gaming revenue.

“Municipalities are able to improve local programs and infrastructure with revenues from OLG gaming sites,” said Charles Sousa, Minister of Finance. “In turn, revenues to the province support continued investment in important Ontario public services like health care and education.”

These payments are made under an equitable formula in the Municipality Contribution Agreement that determines the fee municipalities receive for hosting an OLG gaming facility and are based on an escalating scale of gaming revenue that is consistent across all sites in Ontario.

At approximately $2 billion annually, OLG provides the Ontario government with its largest source of non-tax revenue. Modernization will help OLG provide more money to Ontario for hospitals and other government priorities.

In 2014-2015, 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 2014-2015 is $39 million.

OLG is a provincial agency responsible for province-wide lottery games and gaming facilities. Since 1975, OLG has provided nearly $40 billion to the Province and the people of Ontario. OLG’s annual payments to the Province have helped support health care; education, research, prevention and treatment of problem gambling; amateur sport through the Quest for Gold program; and local and provincial charities.

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THE ONTARIO PROBLEM GAMBLING HELPLINE 1-888-230-3505

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TORONTO, ON – The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) today announces the province-wide launch of its Internet gaming site, PlayOLG.ca.

Following a successful preview by eligible members of OLG’s Winner’s Circle Rewards program, PlayOLG is now live and available to legal-aged Ontarians. Eligible players across the province can now register for an account, play games and fully experience PlayOLG.

With the launch of PlayOLG, Ontario joins British Columbia, Manitoba, Quebec and all of the Atlantic Provinces in offering online gaming. Currently, approximately 500,000 Ontarians spend an estimated $400 – $500 million annually on grey market sites that are not regulated in Ontario.

“We are excited to launch PlayOLG, an important milestone in the modernization of gaming in Ontario,” said John Wisternoff, OLG’s Vice President of iGaming. “For Ontarians who love the excitement of gaming, PlayOLG offers a safe and regulated alternative to grey market websites.”

PlayOLG features a wide range of interactive casino-style games including slots and table games such as Blackjack, Baccarat, Single-player Poker and Roulette, as well as the sale of LOTTO 6/49 and LOTTO MAX lottery tickets and ENCORE.

In addition to offering players the latest in Internet games and entertainment, PlayOLG provides a dedicated customer service team based in Ontario.

With the launch of PlayOLG as a new line of business, OLG will provide more money to the Government of Ontario for hospitals, community infrastructure and other government priorities.

OLG’s Responsible Gambling

PlayOLG has embedded Responsible Gambling (RG) tools which draw on Canadian and global best practices after consulting broadly with a range of stakeholders, researchers and addiction specialists.

OLG’s RG program continues to receive international recognition. The World Lottery Association (WLA) recently awarded OLG the WLA Best Overall Responsible Gambling Program Award. This award recognizes excellence in Responsible Gambling among more than 140 member organizations from around the world.

“PlayOLG’s RG safeguards are comparable to putting seatbelts and airbags in vehicles,” said Paul Pellizzari, OLG’s Executive Director of Social Responsibility. “The RG features focus on prevention and mitigation and include player education on healthy playing habits and how to seek help and support for problem gamblers.”

Play OLG’s RG features include:

• No anonymous play
• Registration includes age and identity verifications
• Mandatory weekly deposit limits
• Casino loss limits
• Time limits for casino game play
• Lottery ticket purchase limits
• Customized RG messaging based on play levels
• Seven day cooling-off period before increasing limits
• Player self-assessments and risk profiles
• Breaks from play on PlayOLG (one day to three months)
• Self-Exclusion
• Full account history available to every player
• Tips for parents about password protection, how to use tools to restrict access to websites, and how to monitor their children’s Internet access and usage

PlayOLG is regulated by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).

Please visit PlayOLG.ca for more information.

PlayOLG Fact Sheet, Responsible Gambling Features, Privacy and Security Facts, and B-roll Video available

OLG is a provincial agency responsible for province-wide lottery games and gaming facilities. Since 1975, OLG has provided nearly $40 billion to the Province and the people of Ontario. OLG’s annual payments to the Province have helped support health care; education, research, prevention and treatment of problem gambling; amateur sport through the Quest for Gold program; and local and provincial charities.

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

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

Disponible en français

General Facts

• With the launch of PlayOLG, Ontario joins British Columbia, Manitoba, Quebec and all of the Atlantic Provinces in offering provincially regulated Internet gaming entertainment.
• PlayOLG will deliver a competitive and entertaining experience that is government-regulated, safe and responsible.
• Internet gaming already exists in Ontario and approximately 500,000 Ontarians spend an estimated $400 – $500 million annually on out-of-province grey market gambling sites not regulated in Ontario.
• PlayOLG offers Ontarians a controlled, government-regulated alternative to grey market online gambling websites.
• OLG’s Internet gaming proceeds remain in Ontario to support provincial priorities such as hospitals, education and community infrastructure.
• PlayOLG is estimated to deliver $375 million in additional profits to the Province of Ontario during its first five years in operation.
• GTECH, a global leader of regulated Internet gaming services, is the primary service provider for PlayOLG.
• On November 4, 2014, OLG sent emails to a group of eligible members of OLG’s Winner’s Circle Reward loyalty program offering them an opportunity to take part in a customer-focused preview of PlayOLG.ca.
• On December 4, 2014, PlayOLG issued invitations to the first group of eligible OLG’s Winner’s Circle Reward members to register and play during a customer-focused preview of PlayOLG.ca.
• On January 8, 2015 PlayOLG goes live with a full province-wide product launch.

 

Responsible Gambling Facts

• Drawing from best practices across Canada and the world, OLG has embedded Responsible Gambling and safe play mechanisms into all aspects of PlayOLG.
• There is no anonymous play on PlayOLG. All players are registered and age and identity confirmed.
• All play is recorded and reports are available for customers to review their individual activity. Players will have access to their own individual data, consistent with privacy standards.
• PlayOLG provides a controlled environment with the ability to identify each player, securely maintain player data and allow players to track their own play.
• PlayOLG has measures in place to encourage healthy player behaviour, to respond to changes in play that may lead to risky gambling habits, and to provide information on where to seek help if needed, as well as to enable self-exclusion.
• PlayOLG features an extensive suite of play management tools that includes:
  • No anonymous play
  • Registration includes age and identity verifications
  • Mandatory weekly deposit limits
  • Casino loss limits
  • Time limits for casino game play
  • Lottery ticket purchase limits
  • Customized RG messaging based on play levels
  • Seven day cooling-off period before increasing limits
  • Player self-assessments and risk profiles
  • Breaks from play on PlayOLG (one day to three months)
  • Self-Exclusion
  • Full account history available to every player
  • Tips for parents about password protection and how to monitor their children’s Internet access and usage
• PlayOLG registration process includes identity and age verification.
• OLG’s Responsible Gambling (RG) program continues to receive international recognition. The World Lottery Association (WLA) recently awarded OLG the WLA Best Overall Responsible Gambling Program Award. This award recognizes excellence in Responsible Gambling among more than 140 member organizations from around the world.
• As is the case with other OLG gaming offerings, OLG’s Internet gaming business operates in a regulated environment that is overseen by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).

 

PlayOLG Products

Games at Launch:

• Variety of Slot Games
• Variety of Table Games such as:
  • Blackjack
  • Single-player Poker
  • Baccarat
  • Sic bo
  • Roulette
• Lottery Sales:
  • LOTTO MAX
  • LOTTO 6/49 o ENCORE

 

Future Games:

• Online Poker (peer-to-peer)
• Bingo
• Sports Wagering

 

PlayOLG Responsible Gambling Backgrounder available.

More information is available at PlayOLG.ca.

Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation’s (OLG) Responsible Gambling (RG) program continues to receive international recognition. The World Lottery Association (WLA) recently awarded OLG the WLA Best Overall Responsible Gambling Program Award. This award recognizes excellence in Responsible Gambling among more than 140 member organizations from around the world.

As the only Internet gaming site regulated by the Ontario government, PlayOLG is built with RG measures in place to encourage healthy player behaviour, to respond to changes in play that may lead to risky gambling, and to direct players to information on where to seek help, if needed.

OLG consulted broadly with a range of stakeholders, researchers and addiction specialists in addition to reviewing available industry and academic research, to develop and implement RG best practices for PlayOLG.

Key Responsible Gambling Features and Play Management Tools on PlayOLG:

1. Limit Setting:

• PlayOLG features play management tools that may be used to set financial or time limits including:
  • Mandatory weekly deposit limits o Loss limits for casino games
  • Time limits for casino game play
  • Lottery purchase limits
• Should someone wish to decrease a self-imposed limit, the change will be made immediately.
• However, if a player wants to increase a limit, he or she will have to wait seven days for a cooling-off period.

 

2. Support Resources:

• PlayOLG provides tools to help players assess their own gambling behaviour:
  • providing self-assessment tests o providing risk profile information
  • access to one’s personal full gambling account history
• Additionally, should an individual have concerns or feel they are experiencing problems, PlayOLG will suggest options that may include:
  • taking a break from playing
  • Self-Exclusion from PlayOLG
  • directing customers to free online or local gambling support resources

 

3. Customized Responsible Gambling Messaging:

• PlayOLG continuously provides RG messages to all players.
• PlayOLG’s data analytic technology assesses the level of play and customizes RG messages to each player:
  • New players and Low Risk assessed players – continuous RG messaging
  • Medium Risk assessed players – 25 per cent more RG messaging
  • High Risk assessed players – 50 per cent more RG messaging
• OLG continually monitors and assesses all RG tools to help ensure RG programming meets the needs of all PlayOLG customers.

 

4. Responsible Gambling Training:

• OLG continually works to help prevent and mitigate the effects of problem gambling.
• While OLG is not able to diagnose a gambling problem, a number of supports are provided to players who have concerns about their gambling behaviour.
• Just as with other OLG lines of business, OLG works with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) to provide customer service employees with training that focuses on recognizing potential problem gambling red flags and making appropriate referrals to resources.

 

5. Underage Play:

• OLG takes underage gambling and age verification seriously.
• A thorough registration process helps ensure that the player registering is actually who they say they are. Sophisticated tools are used to validate a player’s identity, including their age.
• PlayOLG also contains a variety of information for parents to educate them about their responsibility to manage their OLG account in a secure way to prevent anyone else, including their children, from gaining access.
• This includes details about password protection, and how to use tools to restrict access to websites, and tips for monitoring their children’s Internet access and usage.

 

OLG approaches every aspect of responsible gambling online with the same commitment to excellence that it has demonstrated in its other lines of business.

As is the case with other OLG gaming offerings, PlayOLG operates in a regulated environment that is overseen by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).

More information is available at PlayOLG.ca.

PlayOLG will deliver a competitive and entertaining Internet gaming experience that is government-regulated, safe and responsible. At OLG, the integrity of our products, along with the privacy and security of our customers’ personal information, is a priority.

As a government-regulated website, our customers’ deposits and all winnings earned on PlayOLG are guaranteed unlike some grey market online gaming sites.

Regulated in Ontario:

• PlayOLG is regulated by the Government of Ontario through the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).
• Each game on PlayOLG has been tested and approved by the AGCO to ensure game integrity.

No Anonymous Play:

• The PlayOLG gaming registration process provides a controlled environment with the ability to identify and age-verify each player.
• PlayOLG is only available to adults, one must be 18 or older to register and buy lottery tickets and 19 or older to play casino games.
• All customers have their information sent to Equifax for age and identity verification.
• A credit check is not part of this identity verification process.
• Once a PlayOLG account has been idle for a period of 10 minutes, the system will automatically log the account off to prevent any unauthorized access.
• Each player is able to track and monitor their own play.

Personal Data and Privacy:

• OLG protects personal information in accordance with Ontario’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA), OLG’s Privacy Policy and other applicable laws.
• PlayOLG has implemented technical and administrative controls to ensure that all personal information is protected in a manner consistent with provincial privacy standards.

 

Transactional Services:

• In addition to game play, all financial transactions on PlayOLG which includes deposits and withdrawals are logged.
• Each customer has access to the full history of their PlayOLG account as a tool to keep informed about game play and make knowledgeable decisions.

 

PlayOLG Fact Sheet and Responsible Gambling Backgrounder availabe.

More information is available at PlayOLG.ca.