Minister to clarify casino issues
Sousa promises answers for Monday finance meeting, mayor’s adviser says
With less than a week before a pivotal meeting on the future of an Ottawa casino bid, Mayor Jim Watson has finally met the provincial finance minister to ask for a second one.
Having two casinos instead of the single one the provincial Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. wants a private operator to build here could both save the Rideau Carleton Raceway, whose proprietors say it would close if it isn’t subsidized by the rent from the OLG slot machines it now hosts, and placate Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk, who wants to bid for a new casino near his Canadian Tire Centre in Kanata.
‘The Mayor previously spoke to the premier briefly on the phone, as well as meeting with Minister Sousa earlier this week.’
GEORGE YOUNG
Adviser to Mayor Jim Watson
Watson had an inconclusive telephone chat with Premier Kathleen Wynne last week. But now, says one of his senior advisers, Watson has followed up with a faceto-face session with Finance Minister Charles Sousa, who’s in charge of the gambling agency.
“The Mayor previously spoke to the premier briefly on the phone, as well as meeting with Minister Sousa earlier this week,” wrote George Young, in response to an emailed question from the Citizen.
The OLG’s market research led it to conclude that Ottawa can support one medium new casino, wherever it goes. Sousa has the authority to tell the agency to seek bids on two, if he wants to.
City council’s finance committee is to meet Monday to debate the idea. That includes deciding whether Watson should approach the province about a second casino, which he has now already done.
Both Wynne and Sousa “committed to providing clarity on issues” in time for the finance committee meeting, Young said.
Sousa’s spokeswoman Susie Heath said the meeting with Watson was private. But she reiterated, as provincial officials have several times before, that “commercial viability” is the key consideration in deciding how many casinos Ottawa should have.
This past Monday, the city’s board of health voted 8-1 to say that Ottawa should not expand gambling, and if it must have a new casino, the city and province should dramatically boost treatment for gambling addicts.
The point of a new casino is make a lot more money for the provincial government than the current racetrack slots do. Casino fans argue a new one would attract tourists, spin off new entertainment-oriented businesses, and keep gamblers in Ontario by competing with the Lac Leamy casino in Gatineau. The city has promised an economic-development study but hasn’t started one yet.
Critics say it would suck money out of Ottawa and send it to Queen’s Park, victimize people with gambling problems, and not attract any more tourists than the existing Gatineau casino already does.