A $60 million casino proposed for Sudbury, Ontario has for the first time stirred activist opposition since it was first proposed in 2012. The casino, which will be built in conjunction with a $100 million events center and new hotel, is expected to begin construction this year.
A meeting was planned for January 3
Opponents, led by organizer Cathy Orlando say no one has ever asked citizens of the city whether they wanted the casino, although the city council in that year passed a resolution favoring the proposal. They are demanding to be consulted and to be told how the facility will affect the city.
Orlando claims that statistics show that eight percent of those who live near a casino are in danger of developing compulsive gambling. The danger increases with the proximity to the casino, she said.
She told Barrie Today, “If you don’t have easy access to it, it’s hard to be a problem gambler and right now, you have to drive 45 minutes to get to the OLG slots,” she said. “There are studies that show people who live within half an hour of a casino are more likely to develop problems than people who live further away.”
Orlando added, “You’ll have grandmas and grandpas dropping off kids in the middle of nowhere to go skating, and oh, there’s a casino right there. I think there should be regulations about how close family-oriented things can be to a casino. This boggles the mind.”
