A new report by city hall staff is recommending that the city move forward with plans to expand gaming at Woodbine Racetrack.
According to the report, the city could see between $12.5 million and $19.5 million per year in additional revenue from expanded gaming. Most of that revenue would come from adding live dealer tables. About $5.5 million would come in the form of new property taxes that would result from further developing the site.
The OLG currently owns and operates the facility at Woodbine, which features 3,000 electronic games, but no live dealer tables.
The city currently takes in about $15 million a year in “hosting fees” from the gaming operation at Woodbine. That arrangement would continue even if the city does not expand gaming.
Speaking about the report Tuesday, Mayor John Tory he might support expanded gaming at Woodbine if it were part of “much bigger and bolder” plan for an entertainment complex.
“I have said all the way along that I support us taking a second look at casino gambling at Woodbine provided it is part of a much larger vision, that we’re not doing it just for sake of allowing a casino out there where there are already slot machines and horse racing,” Tory told reporters.
He also said the main benefit for an expanded entertainment complex at woodbine would be jobs.
“It’s all about jobs for me. It’s all about jobs and economic development, not gambling,” Tory told reporters.
The report recommends that the OLG select a service provider to develop a plan for Woodbine that includes non-gaming uses as well.
The report comes just weeks after the city’s Board of Health issued its own report recommending that council maintain its opposition to expanding gaming. The board advised that if the city does decide to go ahead with expanding gaming at Woodbine, the facility should be required to maintain all existing and planned responsible gaming measures and that operations be limited to no more than 18 hours per day.
About 2.5 per cent of Ontarians have moderate to severe gambling problems according to the Problem Gambling Institute at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). In Toronto, about 11,000 people have severe gambling addictions, while some 100,000 others have more moderate problems, the institute says.
In 2013, council voted against expanding gaming at Woodbine and building a casino downtown. But in March, council decided to revisit the issue of expanding Woodbine gaming after Coun. Vincent Crisanti moved to do so.
The city’s executive committee will consider the report at its June 30 meeting.
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