New Bingo Hall Blocks From Woodstock Raceway?
A City Council meeting tonight (Thursday, September 6) at 7:00 p.m., which is open to the public, could pave the way for a new bingo facility to be located in Woodstock, Ont., less than two kilometres from Woodstock Raceway. Under the OLG's modernization strategy that could mean the eventual approval of 'slot-like' machines in walking distance from the current track.
On the heels of the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation’s decision to end the slots-at-racetracks partnership and give bingo operators 47 per cent of new electronic gaming machine revenues, there is a renewed explosion of interest in bingo in Ontario.
At a City Council meeting tonight in Woodstock, Robert Dowd of Chatham will make his pitch to open a bingo facility in that city. Dowd, who previously closed the last bingo facility in Woodstock in 2007, has secured a lease at the old Home Hardware location in the Springbank Plaza. His proposed location is only 1.6 kilometres from the racing facility which has been a regular fixture in Woodstock since 1951.
While Dowd’s multiple-page submission to the City of Woodstock mentions that potential revenues to the municipality would be at minimum $35,000, he makes no indication of electronic slot-like machines. However, under the OLG’s modernization plans, Dowd’s facility may, in the future, be eligible for slot-like gaming machines. If that is the case, it is unclear how much that will cost the municipality or negatively impact the possibility of other gaming facilities being located at Woodstock Raceway. For more information, click here.
Anybody wishing to speak at tonight’s Council meeting must contact the City’s clerk, Louise Gartshore ([email protected]; 519-539-2382, Ext. 2500). It is unclear whether anybody has spoken out, to this point, against the bingo plan. Contact info for Woodstock's city councillors is available at the following link: Woodstock City Council.
UPDATE: On Thursday, Woodstock City Council approved Dowd's motion.
On Tuesday, Dowd appeared before Council in Norfolk County, where he received the go ahead on opening 'Chances,' a new bingo facility in Simcoe, Ont. Simcoe hasn’t had a full-time facility since 2002, when Bingorama closed. Chances will operate from the old Bingorama facility.
Dowd currently operates two bingo halls in Chatham and is also in talks to bring a bingo facility to Tillsonburg.
For more information on the OLG's modernization strategy relating to bingo, utilize the links which appear below.
- “High Hopes” For Ontario’s Bingo Operators
- OLG, Liberals Will Get Less Money From Bingo Than Racing
- Ontario's Bingo Halls Getting 'Slot-Like' Machines?
The following is a promotional video for one company that sells the electronic Break Open (Pull Tab) machines:
The following video is a demonstration of an instant Bingo machine. It should be noted that the Bingo portion of the machine is located in the top right corner of the machine. The rest of the machine is clearly designed to resemble a slot machine.
Great suggestions Diane Lord.
Great suggestions Diane Lord. Shows just how ludicrous this government really is.
I think other gaming
I think other gaming companies should be allowed to offer competition in Ontario. Rogers Cable was not allowed to buy up everything as it would have not allowed equal opportunity to compete in those services, so why should the OLG be the only one allowed to host services in gaming?
This all stinks and I sure as heck don't know how these people can sleep at all with their choices.
Bring back equal opportunity and allow racettacks to host/run their own gaming at the tracks. Or is the OLG actually afraid of healthy competition?
I think every bus stop in
I think every bus stop in ontario should have at least, one slot machine.Also, it would a good business decision to allow slots at every subway station in Toronto. Every church in Ontario should also be allowed to have their own slots.Wouldn't be a bad idea to also allow slots at every police station in Ontario. Why not airports? Hospitals? Massage parlours? How about on every Air Canada airplane? Taxis? Let's not forget public washrooms. What about in schools,(High School, College's University's )Kindergarten's? What great Idea's!!! But lets not put slots at a racetrack, It just doesn't make good business sense for the goverment. What aaaaaaa goverment!!!!
Why not use the Slot area at
Why not use the Slot area at the Racetracks to open Bingo Halls. Then racetracks can get VLT's and 47% of the profits?
all of this is so sickening
all of this is so sickening and pathetic, you are so right, how does he sleep at night,
And then there is this
And then there is this announcement about a possible casino in the Wasaga Beach, Collingwood area.
http://www.977thebeach.ca/news_item.php?NewsID=50203
Just wondering what the population of this "underserviced gaming" zone would be in the winter months. Interesting that this government is so concerned about "underserviced gaming zones". This zone has a racetrack and slots within an hour's drive at most. McGuinty kills the SARP and then claims that this area is "underserviced". How does he sleep at night?
This article should be
This article should be mandatory reading for the OHRIA board.
The OLG Gaming Strategy is a
The OLG Gaming Strategy is a joke.
The Horse Racing Industry should be looking at partnering with a legitimate Gaming Company to create their own Slots at Race Tracks program. They could provide Slots, Table Games and Sports Betting at the larger venues and just Slots at the smaller ones ... don't know if it's feasible (based on Ontario laws etc) but it would be worth considering .. if it hasn't been already.
One thing for sure ... they would have no problem competing with the OLG ... anyone who gives up over a billion dollars a year on a hope and a prayer ... is not too bright !