Editorial-
When Premier Kathleen Wynne took over from Dalton McGuinty, it wasn’t long before she showed former Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. boss Paul Godfrey the door.
Godfrey was let go last May because Wynne was less than thrilled with his controversial restructuring of the horse-racing industry and talks on how much Toronto should be paid to host a casino.
It seemed clear Godfrey’s attempts to “modernize” gambling in this province were not in line with the approach of the post-McGuinty Liberals.
So why, then, is a central tenant of Godfrey’s plan — the privatization of lotteries — going forward?
The OLG generates more than $3 billion and writes a $1.7-billion dividend cheque to the province annually.
Much like alcohol, it is a reliable source of revenue at a time when the economic recovery continues at a snail’s pace and jobs remain scarce, especially for young people.
So, how does sending that profit to the private sector, in exchange for a purchase price that will no doubt be far less than its value, serve Ontario over the long haul?
How does the inevitable loss of hundreds of jobs (potentially more than 500 in Sault Ste. Marie), benefit the province?
Why would it be good for Ontario’s gaming industry to be controlled by foreign interests? It’s a scenario that is highly possible should the province auction off gambling.
In explaining the reforms, OLG boss Rod Phillips claims the future of gambling lies in the ability to buy tickets on iPads and Blackberrys.
“Customers’ tastes have changed… and our business model didn’t,” he says.
But, where’s the evidence that tastes have changed?
Eight million people play annually. An estimated $34 billion has been raised for government programs since the OLG was established.
Does that sound like a broken system?
With billions of dollars at stake, the Wynne government needs to halt the privatization and take a hard look at the long-term impact of this plan.
http://www.simcoe.com/opinion-story/4145213-halt-lottery-privatization/
When Premier Kathleen Wynne took over from Dalton McGuinty, it wasn’t long before she showed former Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. boss Paul Godfrey the door.
Godfrey was let go last May because Wynne was less than thrilled with his controversial restructuring of the horse-racing industry and talks on how much Toronto should be paid to host a casino.
It seemed clear Godfrey’s attempts to “modernize” gambling in this province were not in line with the approach of the post-McGuinty Liberals.
So why, then, is a central tenant of Godfrey’s plan — the privatization of lotteries — going forward?
The OLG generates more than $3 billion and writes a $1.7-billion dividend cheque to the province annually.
Much like alcohol, it is a reliable source of revenue at a time when the economic recovery continues at a snail’s pace and jobs remain scarce, especially for young people.
So, how does sending that profit to the private sector, in exchange for a purchase price that will no doubt be far less than its value, serve Ontario over the long haul?
How does the inevitable loss of hundreds of jobs (potentially more than 500 in Sault Ste. Marie), benefit the province?
Why would it be good for Ontario’s gaming industry to be controlled by foreign interests? It’s a scenario that is highly possible should the province auction off gambling.
In explaining the reforms, OLG boss Rod Phillips claims the future of gambling lies in the ability to buy tickets on iPads and Blackberrys.
“Customers’ tastes have changed… and our business model didn’t,” he says.
But, where’s the evidence that tastes have changed?
Eight million people play annually. An estimated $34 billion has been raised for government programs since the OLG was established.
Does that sound like a broken system?
With billions of dollars at stake, the Wynne government needs to halt the privatization and take a hard look at the long-term impact of this plan.
http://www.simcoe.com/opinion-story/4145213-halt-lottery-privatization/
