Brampton Man Faces Legal Charges over Lottery Scam - Casino Reports 20Sep
By Daniel Thompson 0 Comments
Brampton Man Faces Legal Charges over Lottery Scam – Casino Reports

Police authorities report that they have uncovered a run by a . Through the scheme, the culprit targeted older adults in several parts of Canada. According to the Peel Regional Police, he started the frauds occurred over the course of several years and started in November 2020. He will now face criminal charges in court.

It is not uncommon for people to try and scam others via a lottery or gambling-related scam, and Canadian authorities have intervened in many cases over the years. In this scheme, the perpetrator contacted victims and informed them that had won big in the lottery. He then asked them to pay the taxes on the windfall, so their winnings can be released.

Joint Investigation Locates the Scammer

In a recent statement, Peel Regional Police shared a Brampton man was arrested in connection to a years-long lottery scam across the country. Law enforcement teams from various parts of the country also helped in the investigation, this includes the departments of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, Thunder Bay, Ontario, and Timmins.

As already mentioned, the suspect reportedly got in contact with the victims and lied to them that they had won millions in lottery play. He then requested them to pay the taxes, in order for the winnings to be awarded. According to the police, the victims were instructed to send their payments to the culprit who was located in Brampton, Ontario.

After a thorough investigation, police squads were led to a search warrant being conducted by officers with Peel police. It was discovered that the name of the suspect is Clive Lothian, who is a 60-year-old. Since then, he has been charged with four counts of fraud over CA$5,000, as well as two counts of possession of proceeds of crime, and one count of defrauding the .

Mr. Lothian has been released from custody and is now set to appear in court on October 16, 2023. Investigators remarked that there may be additional victims and released a photo of the suspect. The police ask anyone with information regarding the suspect to contact the Peel police or Crime Stoppers anonymously to help with the investigation.

More Gambling-Related Frauds Detected

Just recently, a Quebec court gave a ruling on another gambling-related scam. This time the culprit was the 45-year-old Yuan Wang who was involved in a series of schemes at several gambling halls in Ontario and Quebec in 2018. Her defrauding included scamming casinos by sending fake bank drafts. She was ordered to pay casinos CA$125,000 in restitution.

Also last week, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario issued a sizeable monetary fine to Ontario Gaming GTA Limited Partnership. The penalty is in relation to a table game dealer at Casino Woodbine and alleges that the operator failed to detect or take appropriate action to prevent the cheat-at-play and the dealer collusion scheme.

Source: Rocca, Ryan “Lottery scam targeted older adults in Canada, Brampton man arrested: police” GlobalNews, September 19, 2023

#Brampton #Man # # #Charges #Lottery #Scam #Casino #

Two Ontario Communities Honour OLG in Special Event - Casino Reports 19Sep
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Two Ontario Communities Honour OLG in Special Event – Casino Reports

Recently, the Town of Gananoque and the Township of Leeds and the Thousand hosted an invitation-only garden party in Town Hall Square, Gananoque to thank the and Gaming Corporation for its funding. The took place on September 13, 2023, and its aim was to thank the Crown for its annual financial help to the two .

Every year shares a percentage of its gambling revenue with communities which are hosts to its gaming locations across Ontario. The two municipalities are currently benefiting from being host to the Crown's Shorelines Thousand Islands located at 380 ON-2, Gananoque, ON K7G 2V4. The casino is owned by OLG but it is operated by Great Canadian Entertainment.

Expressing Gratitude

For this year, OLG has provided CA$1,145,047 each to a total of CA$2,290,094. The funds will be used to support local programs and projects. The special appreciation garden party was hosted at Gananoque's Town Hall Square on September 13, 2023. It was catered by Wendy's Country Market and included a wide selection of foods from the local area.

At the event, Town Crier Brian Mabee commented that the two communities want to celebrate the continued contributions from OLG and Great Canadian Entertainment to both the Town of Gananoque and the Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands. He explained that the gambling revenue helps the municipalities with the bills and the communities are thankful for it.

Furthermore, Mr. Mabee said that as the fiscal dollars must stretch, the monetary contribution is once again of help to both communities to meet the expanding needs to support current and future endeavours. The event featured various guests including local officials, MPPs, representatives of the OLG, and ones from nearby community groups and programs.

Some of the speakers from the party include MP Michael Barrett, Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes; MPP Steve Clark, Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes; Gananoque Mayor John Beddows; TLTI Mayor Corinna Smith-Gatcke; and Kathleen Devin, Senior Municipal Relations Manager at the OLG. Representatives of the Gananoque Skating Club, The Gananoque Royals, the Rotary Club, the Thousand Islands Association and more were also present.

Casino Money Proves Vital for Communities

Over the years, funds delivered from OLG's gambling operations have funded some important projects across Ontario communities and continue to do so to this day. For instance, over CA$1.6 million from Shorelines Casino Peterborough was used for the new Quaker Foods City Square in downtown Peterborough, splash pads, as well as the city's trails and cycling projects.

In the meantime, Playtime Casino Wasaga Beach, which is another gaming amenity in Ontario, will aid with the creation of a new community centre and after-hours clinic. The much-needed facilities will come with a fully equipped, turnkey, medical office. Additionally, a plan to operate the new medical facility is being developed with the Georgian Bay Family Health Organization.

Source: Payette, Lorraine “OLG Appreciation Garden Party at Town Hall Park – Gananoque” Gananoque Reporter, September 18, 2023

#Ontario #Communities # #OLG #Special #Event #Casino #

Montreal Public Health Disapproves Loto-Québec’s Mini-Casino Plans - Casino Reports 19Sep
By Daniel Thompson 0 Comments
Montreal Public Health Disapproves Loto-Québec’s Mini-Casino Plans – Casino Reports

is not in consent with Loto-Québec plans of launching a mini-casino with over 300 video terminals at Taverne 1909 next to the Bell Centre. Direction régionale de santé publique de Montréal issued a 40-page report on the project detailing the potential harms related to the opening of a casino right next to the home arena of the Montreal Canadiens.

The report concludes that the new gaming hall in downtown Montreal will result in a substantial change in the supply of gaming machines and does not recommend it. Instead, Public Health advises the province to continue to reduce the number of VLT sites in the city, as noted since 2017, by suspending the grant of operating permits per video lottery terminals.

The Regulator Did Not Expect Such Response

A spokesperson for Loto-Québec, Renaud Dugas, shared that the corporation was surprised that Montreal Public Health opted to send its report to journalists instead to the main party concerned, the Crown agency. He added that the Crown was surprised since it was working with MPH on the issue for two years, even before the reveal of the downtown project.

Director for the organization, Mylene Drouin revealed the provincial government requested for the report to be compiled and that it was submitted six weeks ago. Therefore, she had no responsibility to give her to the Crown corporation. MPH also criticized the Crown for lack of transparent public consultation of the various local stakeholders regarding the VLTs at Taverne 1909.

Furthermore, Ms. Drouin claimed that associating the gaming hall with the Montreal Canadiens will enable concerns for public health. In her opinion, joining a popular brand that is accepted and glorified with VLTs gives a sense of security, which is not the . She commented that the result is a product that is quite dangerous for locals.

In the meantime, Concordia sociology professor Sylvie Kairouz argued that VLTs are made for addiction. She elaborated that these machines are designed to reward the player, and their speed of playing can be quite addictive, therefore, more people could spiral down and lose control when they gamble on VLTs in comparison to any other type of gambling .

Announcement and Initial Feedback

Loto-Québec first shared its plans for the gaming facility at Taverne 1909 back in March 2023, by CEO Jean-Francois Bergeron during a radio interview. Finance Minister Eric Girard commented the provincial government has two conditions for the Bell Centre project. The first one is to have public health as a priority, and the second one would be to try to ensure a lead decrease in VLTs in the province.

However the project is also opposed by several Montreal . Sud-Ouest borough and Peter-McGill district of the Ville-Marie borough have declared that they disapprove plans. Serge Sasseville, independent city councillor for the Ville-Marie borough's Peter-McGill district commented that the new gaming establishment could be harmful to vulnerable people in the area.

Source: Rowe, Daniel “Montreal public health recommends against video gaming machines at Bell Centre” CTV News, September 18, 2023

#Montreal #Public #Health # # #MiniCasino #Plans #Casino #Reports

Casumo Adopts mkodo Tech for its Ontario’s iGaming Business - Casino Reports 18Sep
By Daniel Thompson 0 Comments
Casumo Adopts mkodo Tech for its Ontario’s iGaming Business – Casino Reports

is now bolstering its operations in 's regulated market for internet gambling and betting. The operator recently informed that it has teamed up with for the latter's geolocation verification solution, GeoLocs. Now, the technology has been incorporated into its in the province to meet full compliance with geolocation requirements.

In April 2022, Ontario became the first Canadian province to open up its online gambling market for third-party operators, leading to dozens of operators being now licensed to lawfully run in the province. The aim of the sector was to prevent local bettors from playing on offshore websites and thus keep a portion of the revenue to the province.

Enhancing Geolocation Protections with GeoLocs

Casumo was permitted to join the Heartland Province's iGaming space by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario in June of 2022. But it went online in the province in November 2022. Currently, the company wants more online security with GeoLocs, which has been developed to deal with the industry's geolocation issue with quick and seamless integration.

Mark Busuttil, CPO at the Malta-based operator said by choosing GeoLocs as a geolocation provider, the company is confident that it can provide users with a seamless and user-friendly experience which will answer to compliance and regulatory demands in Ontario. He added that the solution has been key in supporting the company in its pursuit of license and operations in Ontario.

It is worth mentioning that GeoLocs has been utilized by partners of mkodo for over a decade now. It provides a smooth user experience when it comes to the location verification process. Users are able to verify their location quite quickly, which happens directly within the app or website, hence, removing any tedious location approval process that usually drags on.

In the meantime, Stuart Godfree, Managing Director at mkodo remarked the brand is pleased to be partnering with a leading operator to support its iGaming launch in the province and broaden the solution's popularity in the region. The official further shared that the company is eager to team up with the operator and offer the best user experience for geolocation in the province.

Ontario Recaps Q1

In July 2023, Ontario issued its financial report for the first quarter of the fiscal 2023-2024, which started on April 1, 2023, and stretched to June 30, 2023. In that time, the iGaming sector witnessed over CA$14 billion in total betting volume, which translated to CA$545 million in revenue. There were 920k active user accounts, which had an average monthly spend of CA$197.

The largest portion of the betting volume is derived from digital games, including slots, live and computer-based table games and peer-to-peer bingo. It accounted for nearly CA$11.6 billion or 83% of total wagers in Q1. Betting on sports, eSports, and novelty bets contributed CA$2 billion or 14% while peer-to-peer poker accounted for CA$350 million or just 3% of the total tally.

Source: “Casumo onboards mkodo's GeoLocs solution for Ontario igaming operations” Canadian Gaming Business, September 14, 2023

#Casumo #Adopts #mkodo #Tech # #iGaming #Business #Casino #

Sports Leagues in Favour of Private iGaming in Quebec - Casino Reports 18Sep
By Daniel Thompson 0 Comments
Sports Leagues in Favour of Private iGaming in Quebec – Casino Reports

Three professional are calling for to establish a regulatory framework to license numerous sports betting brands in the province. The Canadian Football League, Major League Soccer, and the National Basketball Association urge the La Belle Province to follow 's example and introduce a similar market for third-party brands.

The efforts are headed by Québec Online Gaming Coalition, a group that contains several online operators which are currently not allowed to offer sports betting in the province. In May 2023, the coalition proposed a framework similar to that of Ontario, where numerous third-party operators can lawfully accept and offer online casino and sports betting to local players.

Sports Leagues Call for Opening of the Market

At the moment the only legal online gambling in the province is offered via Loto-Québec. However, CFL, MLS, and NBA want to change that as they have joined the coalition which urges the province to create a new regulatory framework, such a model would allow the province to license private sports betting brands to join the regulated market.

The CFL was a proponent of decriminalizing single- wagering which became a reality in 2021. Its' Commissioner Randy Ambrosie calls for Quebec lawmakers to fully explore the positives of introducing a regulated playing environment, which will not be operating in the shadows. In his words, it would also protect the integrity of the competition and promote responsible play.

The NBA is also in of Quebec opening its iGaming sector to outside operators. A spokesperson for the association, Mike Bass commented that if Quebec's government wanted to launch an open and lawful market, the NBA would support the initiative, in the same way that it has supported the introduction of Ontario's open and competitive internet gambling.

Members of the coalition include popular gaming brands such as Bet99, DraftKings, Flutter Entertainment, Entain, Betway, and Rush Street Interactive. However, it is not enough to convince the province yet. A Loto-Québec representative said the leagues should question the coalitions' true intentions and claimed some coalition members are illegally taking bets from Quebecers.

Ontario's Market is Doing Well

In the meantime, Ontario's iGaming market continues to reap success. Recently, the province shared its financial report for the first quarter of 2023-2024. It reported CA$14 billion in online wagering and CA$545 million in gaming revenue. There were 46 operators online, which ran 71 gaming websites. There were 920k active user accounts, which had an average monthly spend of CA$197.

However, the increase in iGaming's popularity led to an influx of betting ads from private operators. That is why the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario recently banned the use of active or retired athletes in gambling ads and endorsements. This is due to the fact that such figures usually appeal to the younger demographics.

Source: Zochodne, Geoff “Report: Three Leagues Supporting Sports Betting Expansion in Quebec” Covers, September 15, 2023

#Sports #Leagues #Favour #Private #iGaming #Quebec #Casino #

NFL’s Return Sparks Busy Week for NY Sportsbooks - Casino Reports 15Sep
By Daniel Thompson 0 Comments
NFL’s Return Sparks Busy Week for NY Sportsbooks – Casino Reports

A new and exciting season of the NFL and college football are back and with them comes the days for New York's mobile betting operators. Recently, the New York State Gaming Commission reported that for the ending on September 10, 2023, the current digital contributed to a betting handle of approximately US$416 million.

It should be explained that the Empire State kicked off its mobile sports betting market in January 2022, and it quickly moved to the top-performing sectors in the U.S. Currently, eight operators are up and running in the online space due to Bally Bet going offline to migrate its sports betting platform to Kambi. The company said it will be back in the coming weeks.

Pro Football Causes Uptick in Handle

As already expected, the return of NFL and college football injected the New York market with new life. For the week ending on September 10, 2023, the eight sportsbook operators disclosed a total wagering handle of US$416 million. This weekly handle was the largest since January 15, 2023, and was a 26% jump in betting volume from this same week in 2022.

For the aforementioned week, gross gaming proceeds from bookmakers hit US$56.6 million, which is the second-highest in the state since the launch of the digital market in early 2022. It also produced the largest-ever week-over-week revenue jump of around 582% from the previous week. The week was also US$1 away from matching the all-time high for weekly profits in the state.

For the week of September 10, 2023, FanDuel was the biggest winner, as the sportsbooks disclosed US$32.3 million of the gross proceeds which amounted to 57% of all weekly profits. The New York-based company also generated the largest handle for the week with US$195.5 million of the total volume, which was almost 60% higher than the previous week.

DraftKings was in the second with revenue of US$16.4 million coming from a wagering volume of US$138.8 million. Caesars Sportsbooks came in third with a weekly betting of US$40.9 million and gross profits of US4.4 million. BetMGM was next with a total betting handle for the week of US$22.1 million and pre-tax earnings of US$2.3 million.

Downside of Sports Betting Popularity

However, with the increasing popularity of digital sports betting more and more New Yorkers have enrolled into voluntary self-exclusion programs. This was noted in an NYSGC and Office of Addiction Services and Supports, which indicated that there was a 33% increase in exclusion requests in the first 12 months. There has been a 23% bump in calls to the state's HOPEline.

The risks of problem gambling in the Empire State are growing bigger, but there has been no progress in the initiative of banning sports betting advertisements. A while back US Rep. Paul Tonko, D-20th introduced a bill to induce a federal ban on ads, but recently the lawmaker said the legislation titled H.R. 967 has not gained much traction in Congress.

Source: Senkiw, Brad “Sports Betting Operators in New York Hit Big on First Full Week of Football” Covers, September 14, 2023

# #Return # #Busy #Week #Sportsbooks # #

Woman Sentenced in Million-Dollar Fraud Case - Casino Reports 15Sep
By Daniel Thompson 0 Comments
Woman Sentenced in Million-Dollar Fraud Case – Casino Reports

This week, a court ruled that the 45-year-old Yuan Wang has been served a suspended sentence and probation for three years over of a number of gambling-related scams. She was reportedly involved in a series of schemes at several gambling halls in and Quebec in the summer of 2018, including Niagara Fallsview Resort.

Back in 2018, the Niagara Investigations Unit of the Ontario Provincial Police Investigations and Enforcement Bureau, attached to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, conducted an inquiry after it was discovered that a number of frauds and attempted frauds occurred in Ontario and Quebec gaming properties. These were similar to previous incidents in Alberta and B.C.

The Scheme

His defrauding attempts included a casino patron sending one of the casinos a copy of a bank draft from the National Bank of Canada. The property would verify the drafts, and at that time a person pretending to be a bank employee would confirm the documents were authentic. These funds would be then deposited and the individual then withdraw it from the casino in chips and cash.

The gaming establishment would be later alerted that the drafts were fake, but by that time the money would be long gone. In August 2018, Ms. Wang filed a digital copy of a bank draft to Casino Lac-Leamy in Quebec in the amount of CA$500,000. She then proceeded to withdraw the funds from the casino. She was arrested in early 2019 along with Daud Srosh from .

Judge Rosemarie Millar commented Ms. Wang's sentence should be similar to the sentence given to similar offenders. She explained the court believed a suspended sentence with a probation order would be a suitable sentence. A sentence individualized for the accused's situation and a sentence in accord with the one received by a co-accused and another fraudster noted the judge.

Defence lawyer Leonardo Rossomano remarked his client had lost almost CA$3 million in gambling over five years and her addiction largely affected her life. The had also previously joined in a self-exclusion program, therefore, she was not allowed at Ontario casinos, which led her to Quebec. She was ordered to pay the casinos CA$125,000 in restitution.

Ontario Casinos Handle Over CA$372M in Shady Transactions

In May 2023, a report discovered that over CA$372 million in suspicious transactions had been made across Ontario gaming properties in 2022. One of those transactions includes a case of more than CA$4 million made over several years by Branavan Kanapathipillai. He made a large cash buy-in at Pickering Casino Resort in 2022, which was reported by staff.

However, the news raised some concerns in the province. Cal Chrustie, a former RCMP investigator who was involved in money laundering and transnational investigations, shared his expertise on the issue. His guess is that in many of the cases, large sums of cash were acquired illegally. He noted that the numbers were significant but until every transaction is fully examined by an investigation it would be hard to tell.

Source: Langley, Ashley “Casino scammer loses in court” Niagara Falls Review, September 14, 2023

#Woman # # # #Case #Casino #

AGCO Fines Casino Woodbine Over Unlawful Dealer Activity - Casino Reports 14Sep
By Daniel Thompson 0 Comments
AGCO Fines Casino Woodbine Over Unlawful Dealer Activity – Casino Reports

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario which oversees gambling in the Heartland Province has issued a sizeable monetary fine to Ontario Gaming GTA Limited Partnership. The penalty is about an incident at , where a table game dealer was caught red-handed in colluding with patrons and was accused of a cheat-at-play.

The dates back to April 2023, when the Ontario Province Police and Enforcement Bureau investigation in conjunction with the led to criminal against five individuals. These charges derive from an inquiry into allegations that an electronic craps dealer at the Toronto casinos was scheming with those patrons to defraud the gaming amenity.

Slapped with a CA$80,000 Fine

After the investigation, AGCO's Regulatory Compliance Branch conducted a thorough compliance review to assess the casino's commitment to the Gaming Control Act, 1992 and the Registrar's Standards for Gaming. The regulator determined the establishment failed to detect or take appropriate action to prevent the cheat-at-play and the dealer collusion scheme.

The investigation concluded that internal financial reports and emails saw drastic and abnormal losses from electronic craps games over a six-month window, but the casino did not act on it. Also, table games supervisors were commonly not present at the craps table when suspicious gambling transpired. Video footage also confirmed the casino failed to follow the required rules and protocols.

Furthermore, AGCO's statement continues that although the casino had issued the dealer with seven violations for inappropriately pushing dice to patrons before closing bets, the dealer was allowed to continue dealing with electronic craps. Still, the gaming property fully cooperated with the watchdog's regulatory review and it is now committed to addressing its deficiencies.

After the review, the operator was issued a Monetary Penalty by the regulator in the size of CA$80,000. However, the gaming operator has the right to appeal the Registrar's decision to the License Appeal Tribunal. According to the AGCO, in its inability to prevent the cheat-at-play the casino property breached Standards 4.3, 4.14, and 6.1 of the Registrar's Standards for Gaming.

Online Operators are also Under Scrutiny

As a regulator for all gambling in the province, AGCO has also sanctioned monetary penalties to iGaming operators who are licensed to offer lawful gaming in the jurisdiction. This includes a CA$48,000 to Unibet over breaching the provincial rules by publishing and broadcasting ads stating that offered generous welcome bonuses for new users.

Before that, the iGaming regulator also fined BetMGM and PointsBet Canada for alleged advertising and inducement breaches. BetMGM was fined CA$48,000 for failing to comply with Standard 2.04 and 2.05. While PointsBet Canada was penalized CA$30,000 for also breaching Standard 2.05. Standard 2.04 prohibits companies from marketing gambling inducements, bonuses, and credits unless a player has given active consent.

Source: “AGCO issues $80,000 penalty related to dealer cheat scheme at Woodbine Casino” GlobeNewswire, September 13, 2023

#AGCO # #Casino #Woodbine # #Dealer # #Casino #Reports

Recovering Bettor Criticizes Ontario for Late Protection Attempts - Casino Reports 14Sep
By Daniel Thompson 0 Comments
Recovering Bettor Criticizes Ontario for Late Protection Attempts – Casino Reports

Noah Vineberg, who completed 's sole residential treatment program for problem gambling has recently criticized the province for its to mitigate gaming addictions. Just recently, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario banned the use of athletes in ads, but Mr. Vineberg says those efforts arrive too late.

Five years ago, Mr. Vineberg graduated from the Residential Treatment Program at Windsor's Centre for Problem Gambling and Digital Dependency and now he serves as a guest speaker for the very same program. There he shares experiences to try and help others facing such gambling-related issues. However, he is skeptical about the recent ad changes in the province.

Kids are Affected Too

In a recent interview, he shared that the biggest surprise for him was to see some clients enrolling in the program being around the age of his son. He noted that there are children out there, aged 14 to 15, who play on apps such as FanDuel, DraftKings, and more. They use either their parents' accounts or have someone else help them in creating their own and playing fantasy .

Diana Gabriele, a certified counsellor at the CPGDD at Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, remarked gaming ads are quite problematic for most people as in recent years they have become quite common in sports broadcasts. She claimed the ban on sports stars is a good first step, as prior to the past six months or so, she has seen this proliferation of gaming ads in her life.

However, Vineberg argues that the changes have come too late. He believes the update in gaming ads would have made an impact if the province had listened to all the advice of other countries and everything going into it had not been allowed. The gambling addict also noted that the province should not wait to enact the new rules until February 28, 2024.

Windsor's Centre for Problem Gambling and Digital Dependency staff revealed that the number of people looking for help has doubled since the start of the unprecedented situation. The organization accepts clients to stay 24/7 for three weeks in a row and Ms. Gabriele is the only centre in Ontario to offer weeks of overnight stays to aid clients in battling addictions.

She also provided some advice on people struggling with iGaming addiction. She urged them to text a loved one whenever they have the need to indulge in internet gambling. This way their close one will be able to distract them from the need. There is also the possibility of contacting the centre at 519-254-2112 which can provide professional help and guidance.

Studying Impact on People

This month, LegalBet Canada reported that it has launched an inquiry into the impact of gambling ads in the country and what effects they may have on different demographics. According to a poll from Ipsos, almost half of Canadians or 48% believe the volume of betting ads is out of hand and that regulators need to put them in check.

Source: Maru, Sanjay “Recovering problem gambler says province's efforts to curb addiction ‘too little, too late'” CTV News, September 12, 2023

#Recovering #Bettor # #Ontario #Late # #Attempts # #

CSN Claims Casino Strikes are Needlessly Prolonged - Casino Reports 13Sep
By Daniel Thompson 0 Comments
CSN Claims Casino Strikes are Needlessly Prolonged – Casino Reports

Confédération des syndicats nationaux or which represents over 500 currently protesting employees at Lac-Leamy has shifted the blame to the employer, Loto-Québec. The union explained that the only reason for the to be still dragging on to this day is that the Crown corporation is purposefully stalling and an agreement could have been reached already.

The current strikes are not only at Casino Lac-Leamy but at other gaming properties of the employer across the Province of Quebec. Picket lines were first formed in the middle of June 2023, when unionized workers voted in of the strike. They demand an additional CA$1 per hour of work for wages to match the increasing cost of living in the province.

Talks Have Stalled

The Hull Resto-Casino Workers' Union which is affiliated with the CSN, representing both workers in the restaurant sector and the gaming site, that the employer has not gone further with the potential agreement due to reasons beyond its control. President Colin Valiquette shared that there are still a few negotiation dates added and talks are quite productive.

But Mr. Valiquette explained that the employer has not taken a step to move the agreement in principle which could have been reached by both sides almost three months after the start of the issue. He clarified that everything is pretty well settled and the only issue remaining on the table is the matter of remuneration. However, he remains intrigued as to why the employer has not moved forward.

Recently, some of the protesting workers shared their thoughts on the situation. One of the protesting staff members, Constantinos Alexiou, commented that life is getting more and more expensive and some workers have trouble making ends meet. He clarified that is why the casino and hotel employees demand proper salaries.

CSN shifted the blame to the Crown corporation for using strikebreakers as security agents at the Casino in a complaint submitted to the Administrative Labour Tribunal, and suggest that this could also occur at the Gatineau. Mr. Valiquette noted that there is a good chance that complaints will be submitted at the other properties.

However, the employer dismissed those claims and assured that it would not resort to such measures to fill in the blanks of unionized employees. In its statement, the Crown said it was not surprised by the union's complaint in the context of how it managed to continue its operations across casinos since the start of the strikes a few months ago.

Employer Wants to to the Negotiation Table

Last month, Loto-Québec issued a statement to address the situation and offered several possible solutions to address the union's concerns. However, according to the employer, those terms were declined in the last two days of discussions. Renaud Dugas claimed the union left the negotiation tables for a third time, and that the company remains open to resume talks.

Source: LeBlanc, Daniel “The strike at the Casino du Lac-Leamy drags on for no reason, says the CSN” LeDroit, September 12, 2023

#CSN #Claims #Casino #Strikes # # #Casino #Reports