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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