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Toronto city council is considering bringing in a new attraction to the city, a province-run casino. Although several major U.S.-based casino entertainment companies have already made their interest in opening a casino in the city clear, many Torontonians are concerned this will lead to problems for residents.
The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) modernization plan for 2017 aims to enhance and revamp the future of gaming in Ontario. The plans include the creation of a casino in the Toronto area, a first for the city, which is currently waiting for approval from city council. The main question is whether residents will accept a province-run gambling facility in their neighbourhood.
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?The province and OLG have made it clear that we will not establish a [casino] facility in Toronto unless the city residents want it,? said Don Pister, manager of public relations and spokesperson for OLG.
The casino project is only one of many laid out in OLG?s modernization plan. The next step, now that companies have expressed interest in creating a Toronto casino, is to to review these bids, make a selection, and move forward with the city.
Pister could not comment on which companies have shown interest in building a Toronto casino with OLG. However, several companies such as Las Vegas? renowned MGM International and Caesars Entertainment have already gone public with their radical development plans for Toronto. Both have also stated their desire to create an ?integrated resort? development consisting of hotels, retail and business space.
Residents feel the new casino complex will be an opportunity to bring more tourists into the city, drawing them away from gaming sites like Niagara Falls and Montr?al and adding to Toronto?s diverse tourism industry. ?Toronto?s charm comes from having different neighbourhoods with different characteristics and there is something for everyone,? said Daniela Spagnuolo, first-year international development student at UTSC.
According to OLG?s website, last year $110 million from the revenue of its gaming operations was given back to local communities. Any community in the GTA, ?given? the new casino and tourism complex, is expected to earn millions in revenue and taxes each year.
Other benefits would include ?world class gaming entertainment and increased employment opportunities to city residents,? according to Pister.
But problems such as space and infrastructure, lower than expected revenue and increased crime rates are the negative factors being raised by anti-casino groups like nocasinotoronto.com, who are against the development of gambling in Toronto.
?I don?t like casinos,? said Kate Nitis, first-year french student at UTSC. ?A friend of my family lost a lot because of a gambling addiction. Bad things may come of it,? she said.
Greater opposition from anti-casino groups will likely be heard in the new year, when Toronto city council is set to make its decision on the casino. In the meantime, OLG remains positive in negotiations with companies willing to spend billions of dollars in private funding to create a casino and tourism complex in the city.
However, it is not yet clear if the potential risks to Toronto residents will outweigh the increased revenue to the city.
Source: http://www.the-underground.ca/news/2012/12/casino-talks-divide-torontonians/
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