The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation recently announced the deadline for submitting Requests for Pre-Qualification for gaming operators for the Greater Toronto Area will be March 13, 2014, with notification of pre-qualification this summer.
Developing a casino in the Greater Toronto Area was one of the most controversial parts of the OLG’s plan to modernize gaming in Ontario, which was announced on March 12, 2012. The OLG wanted to locate a casino in downtown Toronto but after more than a year of meetings and studies, the Toronto City Council overwhelmingly voted against building gaming facilities there.
The Greater Toronto Area “Gaming Bundle” includes two “Gaming Zones.”
Gaming Zone C2, which will serve a market of 6 million adults, currently is being served by the OLG Slots at Woodbine Racetrack, located about 25 minutes from downtown Toronto. Gaming Zone C3 includes parts or all of Ajax, Pickering and Whitby, all located 30-45 minutes east of downtown Toronto and currently served by the OLG Slots at Ajax Downs.
The gaming operator selected will be required to service both Gaming Zones. The competition is expected to be intense for two reasons. First, the gaming operator selected will have the first right to operate a new gaming site if one is permitted in the Greater Toronto Area during the term of the Casino Operating and Services Agreement. Second, the chosen operator may become the provider for Gaming Zone 8, which includes the Great Blue Heron Casino in Port Perry, Ontario, owned by the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation, about 70 minutes from downtown Toronto.
