Windsor West MPP Lisa Gretzky held a press conference Monday air her concerns around iGaming, which is launching next month in Ontario, and the impact it may have on casino workers in Ontario.
Beginning April 4, private gaming operators that have registered with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario and have executed an operating agreement with iGaming Ontario can begin offering their games to players in Ontario.
Companies will operate gaming sites in the market on behalf of the Province in accordance with these agreements.
Gretzky says with so many land based casino workers off work, and no transparency from the provincial government with regard to their plan for iGaming, there are real concerns about future job losses.
"Add to that that land based casinos return 55% of net gambling profits to the Ontario treasury. Billions of dollars that go towards out publicly funded healthcare, our education, infrastructure and other sectors that we all rely upon. As well as transfers to our municipalities for municipally funded services."
She says a recent report concluded that over five years Ontario's government revenue will be $3-billion less, that there will be 2,500 direct job losses, and over $190-million in municipal contributions to communities with casinos with lost as well.
"Indigenous leaders, workers, unions, Chambers of Commerce and mayors across the province are asking for the provincial government to not implement iGaming without the assurance that the thousands of land based casino workers will be called back immediately."
Speaking on behalf of the local casino workers at Caesars Windsor was Unifor Local 444 president Dave Cassidy.
He says this is a big issue, but it ultimately comes back to supporting the jobs at land based casinos and the communities they're apart of.
"Our local was the one who started with the single sports betting a decade ago, and we knew that with single sports betting it was going to potentially couple into this iGaming down the road. But it's got to be about the bricks and mortar, it's got to be as Lisa mentioned about the hospitals, about the schools, the municipalities and giving back."
Gretzky says there has to be transparency about the Ford government's plan to regulate iGaming because there is serious concern about the loss of revenue to important public services, as well as very real concerns about the loss of good paying jobs.
The government says its been working on these plans for two years, so Gretzky doesn't think it's unreasonable for the people of the province to be given the details before iGaming goes live in April.