The Ontario Lottery & Gaming Corp. has quietly expanded one of its most talked-about gaming zones, adding another region to its C1 zone just beside the C2 zone that contains Woodbine Racetrack.
When the original OLG zoning plan was released, Vaughan was not included in any of the eight Central Ontario zones. OLG officials have now added a fourth region to the C1 zone, a zone that currently includes Toronto, Mississauga, Richmond Hill and Markham.
In an article published in the Toronto Sun, OLG spokesman Tony Bitonti denied that the zone expansion indicates the gaming operator is betting against a casino being approved by Toronto city council.
“Vaughan asked to be included in the C1 zone,” Bitonti told the Sun. “OLG has always said that the zone boundaries are subject to change based on, among other things, municipal interest."
While the City of Vaughan has been debating the possibility of hosting an gaming entertainment centre for months, Vaughan council has not formally voted on the issue.
OLG Gaming Zones - as of March 2013