Lifting of slots cap shocks councillors
Watson says existing limit on machines only applies to casino before expansion
Councillors who have been vocal skeptics about expanded gambling in Ottawa are shocked to learn that a council-ordered cap on the number of slot machines at the new Hard Rock casino is off the table.
“It’s frustrating because that should have been disclosed to council in a very open and forthright way,” Gloucester-Southgate Coun. Diane Deans said on Tuesday.
“We were all told at the time that this was just pro forma, what we did last September, that we just need to confirm what we had already done.”
The council vote in September was to reaffirm the Rideau Carleton Raceway as the gambling site in Ottawa and acknowledge that Hard Rock is running the casino. But the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. says the city has indicated the September vote also meant the end to a council-imposed limit on the number of slots.
Council in 2013 voted to have a maximum of 1,250 slot machines at an expanded casino at the raceway. Hard Rock plans to add another 750 slot machines in its next expansion phase, for a total of 2,000 slots.
The city on Tuesday was unable to confirm if the September vote meant the slot cap was dropped or if it told the OLG that the slot cap has been dropped. The staff expert with the information wasn’t available to provide answers.
Councillors learned in the Citizen over the weekend that the OLG was told by the city that the slot limit is over.
“It was news to me,” Capital Coun. David Chernushenko said. “There was certainly no decision made that we would lift or remove the cap.”
Chernushenko said council should get an explanation from city staff about what the September vote meant.
There was nothing in the report to council ahead of the meeting on Sept. 13, 2017, about an increase in the number of slots.
“We were told it was a technicality and they wouldn’t do anything until they came back to us first,” Somerset Coun. Catherine McKenney said.
Knoxdale-Merivale Coun. Keith Egli echoed the comments.
“I’m going through the reports to understand how this transpired,” Rideau-Rockcliffe Coun. Tobi Nussbaum said.
Kitchissippi Coun. Jeff Leiper didn’t think there was a councilapproved change to the 1,250 slots, either.
Deans, McKenney, Nussbaum and Leiper were the only councillors who voted against the September report.
Mayor Jim Watson said he believes the 1,250-slot cap only applies to the casino as it currently exists.
“It was always my understanding that the cap was for the existing site,” Watson said. “If they were going to expand it, which was pretty evident that it’s a pretty massive expansion, there would probably be a corresponding expansion of the number of slots.”
Watson said he needs to check with city staff, but he doesn’t believe the OLG would need council’s permission to increase the number of slots in the casino.
A development application for the Hard Rock casino at the raceway asks for permission to add another 20 table games as part of a $318-million expansion, bringing the total number up to 55 table games.
Municipal zoning on the property regulates the number of table games, but not the number of slot machines.
Council received assurances from the OLG in 2013 that any expansion of the current gambling facility at the raceway would stick to a maximum of 1,250 slot machines. There was also an assurance to keep the number of table games at 21, but Hard Rock received the committee of adjustment’s blessing last fall to increase the number by 14. The company has a good shot of winning council’s approval for adding another 20.