North Bay city councillors are currently negotiating how to spend the gambling allocation they received from the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation to attract Cascade Casino North Bay. The city’s Finance and Planning Committee met Monday afternoon to present ideas on where the city government needs the most money.

Ontario shares revenues from land-based casino operations with the communities that host them through municipal contribution agreements. The payments to each municipality are different because they are calculated based on a formula that applies uniformly to all sites. Since the casino opened in North Bay, it has generated more than CAD$1.6 million in revenue.

"Monday meeting"

The Long-Term Financial Planning Committee consists of Gary Gardiner, Lana Mitchell, Maggie Horsfield, Justin Marla and Mayor Peter Chirico. The mayor said there is no shortage of resources available to fund the casino. Proposals include homeless assistance, capital projects and emergency preparedness.

One proposal would have 20 percent of casino funds go to economic development, 5 percent to social and community impact, and 75 percent to a special capital projects reserve. Mr. Malla said he would like to see more than the proposed 5 percent go to addressing social issues related to problem gambling, such as prevention and treatment programs.

It should also be noted that there is an anti-gambling website, OLG PlaySmart, which helps players customize their time and budget, as well as understand their playing habits and help them take a break from gambling when necessary. However, Mr. Marla explained that this program does not apply to North Bay’s unique gambling problem.

There are currently no formal plans, and the commission will meet again before a final draft proposal is drafted and sent to the commission for a vote on how to spend it. Mayor Chirico said the decision on what to do with the money is up to the commission. The commission also decided to use the money for property management projects, such as redeveloping buildings, and to offset city tax levies.

"OLG, Casino Revenue Sharing"

Recently, Crown Corporation presented a cheque for CAD$1.45 million to Saul St. Marie, the host community gateway casino, which is the city’s share of the gaming revenue generated from slots and live table games for the entire 2022-23 fiscal year. Since the casino opened, the city has invested approximately CAD$34 million in its role as a host community.

A few months ago, OLG also sent a quarterly payment to the City of Greater Sudbury. For the quarter ended March 31, 2023, the Crown entity issued a payment in the amount of CAD$444,925 for the hosting of Gateway Casino Sudbury. This brings OLG’s total for the entire 2022-23 fiscal year to CAD$1,929,529.