The City of Brantford has received more than $97 million from the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. since 1999 for hosting a casino in the community.
Advertisement 2
Article content
The OLG provides host communities a portion of profits from slot machines at its casinos, including Elements Casino Brantford, formerly known as OLG Casino Brantford and the Brantford Charity Casino, located on Icomm Drive.
Article content
The city recently hosted an event in the Brantford Civic Center auditorium to “acknowledge the significant impact” OLG revenues have had on the community.
Since 2001, the city has re-invested casino funds through annual contributions to not-for-profit organizations, administered through the Brant Community Foundation.
“The city values the strong relationship we’ve built with OLG, which continues to exceed our expectations as a corporate citizen and generous contributor to our community,” said Mayor Kevin Davis.
Advertisement 3
Article content
Kathleen Devine, OLG’s senior manager of municipal relations, said every year “100 per cent of OLG profits are reinvested in Ontario to support provincial priorities,” including everything from infrastructure to local festivals.
“Over the years, funding from OLG has enabled the City of Brantford to infuse much needed financial support into the city’s vibrant charitable sector through its community grant program,” said Anne Marie Peirce, executive director of the Brant Community Foundation.
To date, the foundation has administered more than 1,300 grants on behalf of the city.
“Many of these organizations wouldn’t be able to continue to deliver programs and services without support from the city and the Casino Legacy Fund,” said Maria Visocchi, the city’s director of communications.
Advertisement 4
Article content
Legacy projects funded by the city include recent renovations to the civic center; physician recruitment; Canada Day events; contributions to public arts and cultural programming; mental health and wellness supports; an expansion of the Brantford Public Library; Farmers Market renovations; and support for the Downtown Revitalization project.
The city recently received $1.39 million from the OLG as its second-quarter payment. So far, during OLG’s fiscal year (April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024), Brantford has received $2.77 million.
The OLG recently made a second quarter payment to the City of Woodstock of $434,000 for hosting Gateway Casinos. So far, during OLG’s fiscal year, Woodstock has received $785,900. Since the gaming site opened in 2001, Woodstock has received $26 million.
Article content
Comments
Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourages all readers to share their views on our articles. Comments may take up to one hour for moderation before appearing on the site. We ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. We have enabled email notifications—you will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings.