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Message from the CGA - Archives
Plus ça Change
Spring 2012


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All the recent speculation about whether or not there will be a casino in Toronto has brought to the fore a great deal of rhetoric and misconceptions about casino gaming; and as Yogi Berra put it so succinctly, “It's déjà vu all over again.”

One can’t help recall the disappointing experiences in Montreal, which was denied a fabulous new entertainment venue that included Cirque de Soleil; and in Vancouver, where a two-hotel, 74,000 square- metre entertainment complex has been stalled and compromised, principally by baseless fears incited and fanned by rabid anti-gaming media.

 

 

 


The best way to deal with anticipated opposition from the usual suspects is to get out in front of the arguments with facts and information about what the project is and is not, and what can reasonably be expected. This approach was followed by the government of the day with respect to Casino New-Nouveau Brunswick in Moncton, most notably by then Premier Shawn Graham and Finance Minister Victor Boudreau. The Canadian Gaming Association was pleased to be able to be part of public meetings and media presentations to help get the message across.

With specific regards to a potential casino in Toronto, the debate regarding “should gaming exist in our community or not” has passed us all by. With slot machines at Woodbine Race Track for more than a decade, buses ferrying people daily to Fallsview Casino and Casino Rama, and being able to play poker on a laptop either at home or a local wi-fi coffee shop, the fact is gaming is available and accessible to anyone who wants to participate.
 

The next argument that is always raised is the specter of increased problem gambling and attendant social costs. These concerns need to be met head on with the hard fact that problem gambling rates are – and remain at – approximately one percent of the population both before and after legal gaming is introduced or expanded. CGA sponsored groundbreaking research on this subject, which compiled the results of more than 100 problem gambling propensity studies done across North America and around the world, over a 20-year period.

Another oft-stated misconception is that casinos are a tax on stupid people, and they prey on the poor. While this might be great rhetoric, it isn’t backed up by the facts. Research shows the average casino player is slightly older, wealthier, and better educated than the general public. They may not dress in evening clothes like the people did in Monte Carlo in the 50s and 60s, but then, neither do the people who go to the ballet and the opera.

A casino in Toronto will immediately be able to tap into the already existing city tourism market of more than 10 million overnight visitors annually, and has the potential to add to this number.

If the decision is made to proceed, the message that needs to be put forward by the city, the province, and the industry is that, if properly situated and sized, a casino would be a significant new addition to Toronto’s tourism infrastructure, which already includes professional sports, music and entertainment, theatres, museums and galleries, restaurants, and clubs.

 

By Bill Rutsey, President and CEO of Canadian Gaming Association

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