Against a Toronto casino: Jerry Agar, host of his namesake radio program on CFRB, Newstalk 1010
Here is your non-moralistic, fiscally conservative reason not to have a casino in Toronto.
The reasons given for doing it are not legitimate. The province seems to have changed its mind on the issue strictly for revenue, as the province has a $16 billion deficit.
First of all, McGuinty and his gang need to learn how to act responsibly with current money before they get any new dollars to play with, and we are a long way from that happening. Governments at all levels are swimming in money. But like drunks and gambling addicts, they spend beyond their means.
There is no indication that a casino would bring in additional revenue anyway.
A recent Globe and Mail report reads “revenues from casinos have dropped in recent years. In 2010, the OLG reported revenues from its resort casinos fell to $1.3 billion from $1.4 billion in 2009. Revenues from its other casinos, slots and racetracks also dipped slightly to $20.3 billion from $20.7 billion.”
With the government in charge, it is already a losing business. Fears are that all a Toronto casino would do is cannibalize revenue from existing Ontario casinos. Casinos, now that there are so many of them, do not draw tourists anywhere other than Vegas, it seems.
Another, even less legitimate reason some people want a casino is for additional fun and games in the city. Fun and games do not fall under the category of the legitimate function of government. I realize that governments often get in the entertainment business, but they should not. They aren’t any good at it. Their theatres and museums lose money. They blow taxpayer dollars on sports stadiums that many studies show do not increase revenue for a city. At best, all they do is shuffle current local dollars around from pocket to pocket.
If gambling is a legitimate source of fun and games that Toronto needs, then legalize it, license it and let the private sector run it the same way they run bars, restaurants and bowling alleys.
The successful operators will turn a profit at no risk to taxpayers, and the province and city can tax it.
For a Toronto casino: Randall the Handle, Sportsnet 590, The Fan’s radio host and gaming consultant
This is not the dark ages. People gamble. Locally, they’ll risk money on lotteries, bingo, sports, office pools, fantasy sports and horse racing, to name a few. Yet, folks that prefer table games, slot machines or poker must find their way to outlying casinos. With the masses gambling in one form or another, the question is not whether we should have a casino here in Toronto, but rather what the heck is taking so long?
If Toronto really wants to be a world-class metropolis, let’s act like one. Like it or not, a casino adds some glitz to a city. While a casino will not resurrect an economically depressed city, as you can’t simply put perfume on a pig, it will enhance an already thriving city by adding another entertainment option for residents and tourists alike. It will create jobs and commerce. The revenue will lessen the burden on taxpayers. Just ask any municipality that has been supplemented by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming
Corporation (OLG) slot machine revenue.
The righteous politicians and citizens may oppose a casino, but countless millions are being wagered anyway, just not within our walls.
Problem gamblers? Too bad. They represent a paltry percentage of people who gamble. People drink. I don’t see local LCBOs closing down because of alcoholics. What about obesity? Should we banish fries and shakes to the 705? The state does not need to protect us from ourselves. Drink responsibly, eat well, gamble responsibly.
There is also a huge demand for a licensed poker facility. Other than the four-week span prior to and during the CNE, when 25 tables are full from open to close, there is nowhere locally to play poker legally. Other major cities across Canada, including Edmonton, Charlottetown, Winnipeg and Regina, are more practical than political and they are reaping the benefits from the popular game. As well, a legal poker room would impact the illegal underground clubs around town, of which there are dozens.
Those that remain in their caves on this issue need to come out and embrace the 21st century. A Toronto casino is a win, win, windfall.
