The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation says that a casino on the waterfront or in downtown Toronto, Canada, would create 12,000 jobs.
Chairman Paul Godfrey said that a Toronto gaming facility would be the largest development project anywhere in Canada with a total capital expenditure of more than $2bn. He said less than 10 per cent of the square footage would be used for table games and slots.
Speaking to the Toronto Board of Trade, Godfrey said the Toronto casino would also include hospitality, entertainment, retail and convention space. He added that concerns about crime are overplayed and haven't materialised in other communities with casinos.
Godfrey wants a waterfront or downtown site for the Toronto casino, but said OLG won't impose a facility on any municipality. There are other municipalities in the greater Toronto area that are equally viable hosts, he said, calling it "a once in a generation opportunity."
OLG’s modernisation plan will increase its contribution to the province by $1.3bn annually, drive billions of dollars in capital investment and create thousands of jobs across Ontario. To date, OLG has heard directly from 33 communities across the province who support a gaming facility in their community.
