SAULT STE. MARIE, ON – The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) today issued a first-quarter (April to June, 2016) non-tax gaming revenue payment of $641,633 to the City of Thunder Bay for hosting OLG Casino Thunder Bay. Since August 2000, Thunder Bay has received more than $38.9 million in non-tax gaming revenue.
"OLG gaming site revenue allows host municipalities across Ontario to invest in local priorities such as infrastructure and programs and services that help strengthen communities," said Michael Gravelle, MPP Thunder Bay-Superior North. "The people of Ontario also directly benefit from these funds through public services such as health care and education."
"The funds generated by Casino Thunder Bay allow for investment in infrastructure that reaches our entire community," said Bill Mauro, MPP for Thunder Bay-Atikokan. "This investment makes our region more attractive to business and strengthens our economy."
These payments are made under an equitable formula in the Municipality Contribution Agreement that determines the funds municipalities receive for hosting an OLG gaming facility and are based on an escalating scale of gaming revenue that is consistent across all sites in Ontario.
At approximately $2 billion annually, OLG provides the Ontario government with its largest source of non-tax revenue. Modernization will help OLG provide more money to Ontario for hospitals and other government priorities.
In fiscal 2016-2017, the province has allocated $115 million in gaming revenue to support charities through the Ontario Trillium Foundation. Every year, the Government of Ontario allocates funding to the province’s problem gambling program for research, treatment and prevention. The amount for fiscal 2016-2017 is $38 million.
