Casinos have seen better days

Re A good bet at Woodbine, Editorial June 25 I am surprised at the Star’s endorsement of expanded gambling at Woodbine. This is a terrible time in the gambling industry in North America. Participation is dropping, casinos are closing, several huge ones in Atlantic City have closed. A kind of desperation has set in as owners and government sponsors search for some way to entice more participants.

Look at the Ontario government’s casino renewal plan and you will see the desperation. It sees other forms of entertainment as bleeding profit from the casinos, and urges an aggressive business plan to counterattack.

Woodbine is a busy gambling floor because of the huge population base nearby. And that means it is siphoning money from the local economy, not bringing outside money in.

Under these conditions it is but a dream that an expanded casino complex would invest in other entertainment amenities and devote resources to responsible gambling provisions. It’s now a competitive, dog-eat-dog environment for the casino industry.

Both economically and socially, expanded gambling at Woodbine is a bad bet. Brian Yealland, Kingston, Ont.

The Woodbine casino expansion will not be beneficial to the community if its workforce is not made up of local residents. The expansion should be approved only if it comes with ironclad stipulations for the community to have the first opportunity at employment, and to receive training if they don’t meet the job qualifications. Phillip Roh, Toronto