This enrages me; the idea of getting something for nothing is simply a tax on the poor and the stupid. It takes advantage of people who see "gaming" as different from "gambling" -- rather as someone I know talks about "playing scratchies" instead of "running my fingernail through crud to uncover a number" in hope of finding a winning number. Give me a break! We do not elect governments to prey on people's weaknesses -- or do we? I would rather do without than to add to the misery that the increase in gambling has caused. NJC
Ontario's cash-strapped Liberal government is looking at potential areas for new casinos in the province, but won't introduce video lottery terminals, Economic Development Minister Joe Cordiano said today.
"It's an important industry, no doubt about it," said Cordiano, the minister responsible for Ontario's Lottery and Gaming corporation, as he announced a review to determine the best locations to build new casinos.
[. . . . ] Ontario's three commercial casinos in Windsor, Niagara Falls and Rama, near Orillia, and provincial lotteries, generated over $2.2 billion in sales last year, and employed nearly 7,700 workers.
The province also runs charity and aboriginal casinos in Brantford, Sault Ste. Marie, Gananoque, Thunder Bay, and near Sarnia and Port Perry, which turn over five per cent of their gross slot machine revenues to their host communities.
A spokeswoman for the Ontario Gaming and Lottery Corp. said that amounted to $14.1 million this year for local governments and for the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation, which co-owns the Great Blue Heron casino near Port Perry.
Cordiano said he also wants to make sure programs to help problem gamblers in Ontario are sufficient before the province opens up new gambling locations.
