Now that Hard Rock has made its proposal to the City of Ottawa to convert the Rideau Carleton Raceway into a premier gaming capital by spending 0 million, the city says it will follow provincial regulations to study the ramifications of the expanded facility.
Hard Rock has already won the approval of Ontario Lottery and Gaming (OLG) for 1,250 slot machines and 21 table games at the horse track. The table games addition is a new development for the racino, which has had slots since 1998. Hard Rock also plans to add 13,000 of gaming space, a hotel, and, naturally, given its name, a music venue.
Now, before the new operator takes over next month and the Hard Rock Casino Ottawa opens, the city is required by law to take input from the public on the social and economic impacts of the new facility. It is also requiring Hard Rock to do a transportation study and traffic management study.
The city has a vested interest in approving the proposal since the addition of table games means more taxes.
The city council already approved of the table games six years ago, although OLG never took advantage of the approval.
Limiting Gaming Parlors
Meanwhile, just down the road from Ottawa in La Salle, the city council recently voted 5-1 to cap the number of video gaming parlors to the existing number, five, and allow no more. Moreover, if a parlor closes, it can’t be replaced. If, eventually, all of them close, there would be no parlors.
Besides a gaming license, the parlors also need licenses to sell alcoholic beverages.
A member of the council who spearheaded the effort said some downtown business owner had said they don’t like the parlors because they hurt the image of the downtown and harm the effort to lure tourists and retail shops. The parlors are crowded in one small section of town, and three of them are on one block. The council member said they use space that could be used by more desirable retail locations.
The parlors also put a crimp in the city’s efforts to seek an official historic status for the downtown.
The owner of a bridal boutique in the area greeted the council’s actions by telling the Web Times: La Salle must protect its investors and businesses that have worked so hard to create a fluent downtown, this was a positive move in the right direction.”
Ottawa Mayor Robert Eschbach says he would prefer to “let the market take care of itself. Our downtown is vibrant, because we have a good mix of retail and restaurants and when you have such vitality, most gambling establishments can’t afford the rent.”
Ottawa’s downtown has no gaming parlors, but does have several taverns with video gaming.
In nearby Streator, there are no downtown parlors, but several outside of the downtown. Mayor Jimmie Lansford would like to keep the parlors out of the downtown.
He told the Times: “A gambling parlor needs a restaurant-bar liquor license. There are a limited number of these licenses available and the City Council has said that’s all there’s going to be. I’d rather issue one to someone opening a restaurant.”
