Responsible Gaming Doesn’t
Gamble with Good Jobs
Legalized gaming is supposed to help create and protect good jobs while providing revenue to help fund public services like hospitals and schools in our communities. However, the rush to quickly legalize online casinos in Ontario before the next provincial election puts much at risk.
The provincial government is gearing up to launch “iGaming” (i.e., regulated online gaming) across Ontario in early April and according to the Great Canadian Gaming Corporation (GCGC), they are poised to give multinational online gaming companies what amounts to a big “tax break” to operate, threatening casino, slots, and racetrack jobs in addition to public revenue.
Take Action!
Help protect good jobs.
Slot attendants & technicians, cage & coin cashiers, food & beverage cooks & servers, maintenance & housekeeping, and other jobs at casinos, slot parlours and racetracks are all at risk.
Email the Premier of Ontario to demand there be a level playing field.
iGaming operators must be held to the same standards as casinos/slot parlours to stop job losses and maintain community investments in public services.
Instructions
1) Copy and paste the sample letter into the body of an email. Feel free to make changes to personalize the content. While this isn’t required, it makes it more powerful.
2) Don’t forget to include your name and address at the end if the letter.
3) Prepare to send it to Doug Ford. His email is: Premier@ontario.ca
4) Consider sending a carbon copy (cc) to your Member of Provincial Parliament. You can find them and their email by clicking here
Sample Letter
COPY AND PASTE INTO YOUR EMAIL
Dear Premier Ford,
I am writing to express my deep concern with the province’s current plan for iGaming, which will result in the loss of thousands of jobs and significant revenue for public services in our communities.
Online gaming operators must be held to the same standard, and the make same financial contributions to our communities, as the job-creating brick and mortar casinos and slot parlours. The proposal to give what amounts to a tax break to multinational online gaming operators is bad public policy.
Legalized gaming is supposed to create significant public benefits to offset the risks inherent to gaming. Among those benefits is job creation, and there is no evidence jobs will be created in Ontario during iGaming’s expansion.
In the U.S., 19 States have recently introduced single sports betting and/or i-Gaming but all have done so in a very careful, strategic, and coordinated manner with their existing gaming footprint in order to ensure existing gaming jobs are preserved. Ontario needs to do the same as soon as possible.
- Online gaming licenses should be tied to a land-based casino / slot parlor to recognize the fact that land-based operations have significant capital investments and employ a high number of people
- Online gaming licenses should be limited.
- Most importantly, the tax rate for online casinos should be equal to or higher than the tax rate for land-based casinos / slots parlors.
Responsible gaming doesn’t gamble with good jobs.
Sincerely,
[Enter your name here]
[Enter your address here]
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You can also cc us on the original email or forward the email you’ve sent to info@seiulocal2.ca
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Background
Legalized gaming was introduced by the Province of Ontario in 1998 with the promise of thousands of good-paying gaming jobs in our communities. The slot parlours at Ontario’s racetracks ushered in this new industry followed shortly after by even larger stand-alone casinos. Ontario’s Slots and Casinos industry has been managed carefully and successfully ever since, delivering thousands of good paying jobs and creating billions of dollars in Provincial revenues to support healthcare, education and social services all designed to significantly improve the quality of life in Ontario.
According the GCGC, a major employer of SEIU slots and racetrack employees in the province, the Ontario government stands to lose almost $3 billion in revenue over the next five years and over 2,500 jobs with the proposed changes. They say brick-and-mortar casinos/slot parlours pay the government about 55% of gaming proceeds while the new online gaming websites will only have to part with 20% of their proceeds.
The government’s plan may also put thousands of jobs in the horse racing industry in jeopardy in addition to those in casinos and slots. With the ensuing decline in racetrack slot revenues, related slots lease rents to racetracks also declines. This valuable revenue stream helps support the horse racing industry where more than 50,000 Ontarians are employed.
There's a Better Way
This unprecedented wave of off-shore online gaming operators must be required to operate and make their profits by the same economic rules and level playing field as Ontario’s bricks-and-mortar operators.
When Ontario ensures iGaming is properly regulated and controlled fairly and responsibly – consistent with all other North American jurisdictions – good jobs are maintained and protected in our communities benefiting us all.
The Ford government needs to pause, recalibrate, and follow the more carefully thought-out U.S. example. In the U.S., 19 States have recently introduced single sports betting and/or i-Gaming but all have done so in a very careful, strategic, and coordinated manner with their existing gaming footprint in order to ensure existing gaming jobs are preserved. Ontario needs to do the same as soon as possible.
