TORONTO – The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG), together with the Ontario Charitable Gaming Association and Commercial Gaming Association of Ontario have made further progress in the revitalization of charitable bingo at Boardwalk Gaming in Pembroke 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. “Through the introduction of new electronic games, we are able to provide customers with new gaming choices and improve their customer experience” said George Sweny, Senior Vice President of Charitable and iGaming at OLG. “The revitalization of gaming at bingo centres will provide a new source of revenue for local charities to continue their important work in communities.” Boardwalk Gaming Pembroke 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 communities” 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, more than $43 million has been raised for Ontario charities. “Boardwalk Gaming & Entertainment is pleased to partner with the local Charities in Pembroke, and Laurentian Valley Township, alongside the OLG to ensure the survival of charitable gaming in the Ottawa Valley” said Tom Aikins, Regional Manager of Boardwalk Gaming. “We are excited to present new bingo play options now and into the future as new products are added.” 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 Commercial Gaming Association of Ontario (CGAO) and the Ontario Charitable Gaming Association (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 will be 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 $43 Million for local charities. Following the success of this pilot project, OLG is beginning a phased rollout of a new suite of electronic games to other charitable gaming sites in the province. This new breed of charitable games will offer customers more choice and complement existing paper bingo games. Offerings will 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.
• Break Open Ticket dispenser: The evolution of the classic Break Open Ticket features an interactive display screen on a ticket dispenser.

The new games will allow Charitable Gaming Centres to offer more customer choice, be more competitive and appeal to a broader demographic, while providing a new 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 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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