Canada: OLG not forcing casino on Ottawa

Rod Phillips, president and CEO of OLG, told the committee and a full city council chambers Ontario is changing its way of thinking from placing casinos near borders, which is "outdated."

Phillips said modernizing the plan would not mean one large gambling centre but rather a casino that is integrated in a community. He also said the city would receive some of the slots revenue from a casino, but no money from a hotel or restaurant, if built.

The city committee put forth a motion Tuesday evening to signal Ottawa's interest in a casino, a move that would allow the OLG to seek proposals from potential operators.
But the 32 delegations, including community groups, members of the public and other stakeholders such as the Rideau-Carleton Raceway, shared their opposition and support for a casino. But they did not start speaking until close to 7 p.m. Tuesday, the original end time for meeting, because councillors had many questions for the OLG.

Many councillors also expressed their desire to preserve the Rideau-Carleton Raceway in south Ottawa instead of building a new casino.

The OLG did add, though, if city councillors voted against the idea either at committee Tuesday or next week at city council, the nearby township of Clarence-Rockland had already expressed interest in building a new casino east of Ottawa.