While thousands of horsepeople, service providers and employees of Kawartha Downs wonder about the future of the racetrack, the new owners of Peterborough’s Delta Bingo have “high hopes” for the future and are investing in major renovations at their facility.
According to an article on mykawartha.com, the optimism comes from the Ontario government’s recently announced plans to enhance gaming and return 47 per cent of profits from new and existing gaming machines to the owners of bingo facilities.
The Peterborough facility, previously known as Kawartha Club Bingo, was recently purchased in May by two of the largest bingo operators --- Boardwalk, owned by Larry Tanenbaum, and Delta Bingo --- which is now the facility's new name. The companies purchased the hall in hopes their revenues will increase.
According to the article, Tom Aikins, regional manager for the local facility, says he's in the process of having the signs on the building changed. Aikins says the hall's new look and modernized services will also include expanded food and beverage operation and a lounge at the front of the hall. They also are licensed to sell alcohol.
Rui Brum, spokesperson for the OLG, says renovations of that nature encourage a well-rounded, full-day experience, and draw in more people, especially men, who aren't known to frequent bingo halls. While Brum says that Delta, and other bingo facilities in Ontario are adding new electronic gaming options, he does stress that the machines aren't slot machines, and there is no plan to bring slots to bingo halls.
While the OLG is quick to make the distinction, others argue that electronic pull tab, or break open machines, approved in the OLGs Modernization Plan, are virtually the same as slot machines: Is It Bingo, Or A Slot Machine
According to Mr. Aikins, he doesn't have access to past revenues, and couldn't speculate on what the new profit-sharing formula will provide to each party in dollar value.
"We really don't have a good handle on how revenues will change," he says. "We have high hopes."
Under the OLG’s Modernization plan, Delta Bingo in Peterborough will make the funding change this fall. In total there are six facilities in Ontario that will benefit in the initial stages of the plan:
Boardwalk Gaming Centre Barrie
Boardwalk Gaming Centre Sudbury
Breakaway Gaming Centre Windsor
Delta Bingo Peterborough
Paradise Gaming Centre
Treasure Chest Bingo
Next spring, the same plan will end the slots-at-racetracks program in the province.
(With files from mykawartha.com)
This smells worse than Bingo
This smells worse than Bingo Halls or racetracks clubhouses before the smoking ban. I am always critical of track operators and horse people for lack of marketing and understanding or caring what patrons want/need for their entertainment/gaming $$$$. But, the Ontario government throwing support behind bingo halls is laughable. The demographic is older than racing. The "cold blooded" hatchet/brown bagman P Godfrey is playing the convenient "charity card" to prop-up the ultimate sleazy agenda. We'll see if BS does baffle a few million brains.
In reply to This smells worse than Bingo by ron francis
The MPP Jeff Leal and the
The MPP Jeff Leal and the mayor of PETERBORO (Liberals) are both supporting Godfreys decision to locate all the gamblers bad habits to relocate the (dens of iniquitous behavior) to downtown PETERBOROUGH to where the people want them!,
I can say for certain, being
I can say for certain, being a person who volunteers with a charity at the bingo halls, that the charities do NOT get as much as what people think they do. They'd be lucky if they receive a couple hundred dollars, from a packed bingo hall session. Most sessions, bingo halls are lucky if they get half the hall filled. This new thing they have going on is all garbage. To add alcohol to the mix at bingo halls is insane. So now they really want people to be alcoholic gamblers. Oh, and as for the decline in bingo revenue, it's because they took out smoking in the halls. Most who go to bingo that I know of were smokers. I haven't gone in years and don't plan on going back. EVER.
Who says "Crime Does Not
Who says "Crime Does Not Pay"??
The OLG wants to enhance
The OLG wants to enhance support for the Bingo Halls because they raise money for charity. In this case as the saying goes "Charity begins at home" meaning ex Liberal hack Larry Tannenbaum, personal friend of OLG's Godfrey, and owner of the majority of the bingo halls, gets his nose in the trough first.
Just part of the plan that was conceived long before the announcement of the closure of SAR program. After all where would all the older clients of the SAR facilities go if they are closed ? Certainly not to large destination casinos in Toronto and Ottawa but just around the corner to a Bingo hall owned by Larry Tannenbaum where they can now play slot-like machines courtesy of the OLG.
Stinking rotten corruption of the highest level
Take this to the highest
Take this to the highest court in the country, they don't like to mess with our rights. I have watched as time went by Ontario rise to greatness with our breeding and horsemenship, the slots program was a big help and we were looked upon as an example of what could be. If racing should cease the Liberals have taken away our right of choice in how we spend or gamble our money, all because they could not handle the peoples mandate. I'm no legal eagle but this is infringement of the people of Ontario's rights with a capital I.
Everyone get this message out
Everyone get this message out to the ombudsman quick. Maybe we can get a criminal investigation going.
Yes you can all thank Mr
Yes you can all thank Mr Godfrey of the OLG for the Mess that were in now he is the so called brain behind all this ......only a change of Government will save racing. This present government is a 3 ring circus run by a bunch of clowns.......
In reply to Yes you can all thank Mr by marbou
You are so right. Just look
You are so right. Just look at all the screw-ups that have occurred on their watch. It's unbelievable that one Government can make so many ill-thought-out moves.
Mcguinty and duncan have been
Mcguinty and duncan have been hammering the public for months with the message 'if we must choose between education and horse racing, we'll choose education and if we must choose between health care and wealthy race track owners, we'll choose health care.' I think the message we should be getting out to the public now is 'when dalton mcguinty was given the choice between education and bingo, he chose bingo. And when duncan had to choose between health care and his wealthy bingo operating friends, he chose his wealthy friends.'
They aren't "really slots"?
They aren't "really slots"? What the .... is that supposed to mean? Is that supposed to make us feel better about losing slots at ractetracks? What is so "well-rounded" about this program that isn't in the SAR? And now, because it is Paul's buddy Larry involved, it is profit sharing, not a subsidy?
I sure hope the Ombudsman can start making some inroads into this fiasco. This article was forwarded to ombudsman, Horwath, Natyshak and McNaughton, as was Ed Jame's excellent piece. The Liberal government has to be stopped before we become part of the U.S.
BTW, how do y'all feel about paying 100,000,000 for cancelling the partially completed power plant in Mississauga and moving it to near Sarnia, where it will employ a WHOPPING 300 jobs?
awww this is too much. Are
awww this is too much. Are these liberals really gonna pull off this crime or what?
So apparently McGuinty,
So apparently McGuinty, Duncan and Godfrey have no problem making billionaire Larry Tannenbaum richer, but has a problem with 60,000 honest, hardworking Ontarians earning a living?
The companies purchased the
The companies purchased the hall in hopes their revenues will increase.
love this line of the article. or how about their good friend paul is in charge of the olg and can change the rules in their favour. What a JOKE!!!!!!!!!!!! Calling for criminal investigation.
Perhaps someone might find
Perhaps someone might find out how Larry Tannenbaum knew enough to buy so many bingo halls just before the S.A.R end was announced?
In reply to Perhaps someone might find by Sanman
That is a good question. How
That is a good question. How did Tannenbaum know to buy up so many bingo halls?
TANNENBAUM again
TANNENBAUM again ???????????????--!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!