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Two Ontario Communities Honour OLG in Special Event - Casino Reports 19Sep
By Daniel Thompson 0 Comments
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 Lottery 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 health 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 #

Concerns Grow of NYC Casinos Affecting Catskills Communities - Casino Reports 12Sep
By Daniel Thompson 0 Comments
Concerns Grow of NYC Casinos Affecting Catskills Communities – Casino Reports

New York is in the process of awarding three full- licenses for the downstate region, and New York City is among the favourites to land at least two if not three. However, this has raised some in , as the new would likely affect Resorts World Catskills operations, as the region is reliant on revenue from the gaming property.

Resorts World Catskills opened back in 2018 and currently provides around 1,400 union jobs. However, the gaming establishment produced just half of the tax revenue that it was initially projected to generate. Still, the site is an attraction to tourists and has still managed to provide benefits to the local economy. But the new casinos could be bad news for its operations.

Casinos Could Steal Customer Base

Despite failing to meet projections the Catskills casino is still doing quite well for itself. But it relies on buses full of seniors from Flushing and Queens who come to the site to gamble who come daily for four-hour round trips. The property has an entire wing or a third of its gaming floor devoted to Asian gamblers. But, the three new casinos could steal its customers.

Sullivan County Treasurer Nancy Buck noted the new casinos in NYC will be a major concern for the county, as it could have devastating effects. Meanwhile, Bill Rieber, supervisor of Thompson, the 16,700-person town where the casino is based, said the region will feel a little impact, and that the town should look into new ways of marketing the casinos for customers to come.

It should be mentioned that the prospect of a casino in the Big Apple stealing customers from the Catskills has been a cause of concern since the inception of the commercial casino legislation. Ms. Buck said it is a real alarm for the region, as the community needs the jobs and that the area needs revitalization after being left behind in the past.

This summer, the New York State Comptroller issued a report that studies the impact of all four upstate casinos. It found that they failed to meet initial tax revenue targets in 2019. But in 2022, only Tioga Downs met its 2019 projection. Meanwhile, the other three, including the Catskills casino, managed to generate 50 to 60% of their initial projections.

But despite the failure to meet targets, local governments still benefitted from the casinos. In the three smaller host towns, Nichols, Tyre, and Thompson, gambling proceeds contributed 30% to 60% of total revenue, allowing them to cut property taxes. But in the largest host community, Schenectady, and four host counties, gaming tax accounted for 1-3% of their total proceeds.

iGaming also Poses a Threat

In addition to the new land-based casinos impacting the casino, the Catskills region also has to worry about the introduction of online gambling as a legal option in the state. New York Sen. Joe Addabbo is a major proponent of iGaming and is working on having it in the Empire State. This could also impact the casino's player base and hurt its economic impact.

Source: Saunders, Arabella “NYC casinos could hurt Catskills communities” The Daily Star, September 11, 2023

#Concerns # #NYC #Casinos # #Catskills #Communities #Casino #