Rideau Carleton Raceway Casino Expansion | U/C

[rocketphish]

Slot limit for Hard Rock casino was dropped by city council, OLG says
It would appear to be the death of a commitment made by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. (OLG) in 2013.

Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: February 16, 2018 | Last Updated: February 16, 2018 11:08 PM EST

Promises over a gambling cap are falling like a house of cards, but city council might have agreed to allow more slot machines at the Ottawa casino without even realizing it.

The Hard Rock and Rideau Carleton Raceway partnership revealed this week it intends to add 750 slot machines to the existing 1,250 machines already in the casino at the Albion Road facility.

It would appear to be the death of a commitment made by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. (OLG) in 2013 to respect a council resolution on the maximum number of games in the Ottawa casino.

But OLG spokesman Tony Bitonti said on Friday that any commitment on the number of slots ended at a city council meeting on Sept. 13, 2017 when municipal politicians voted 19-4 to reassert the raceway as the city’s gaming site as part of a provincial regulation. The OLG has been advised by the city that the slot cap was dropped with that September vote.

Council and the public were told the “technical requirements” let Hard Rock take over day-to-day gaming operations. There was no mention of increasing the number of slot machines. At its Sept. 13 meeting, city staff told council it was simply a “reaffirmation” of past decisions.

The council-endorsed cap of 21 table games broke last fall when the committee of adjustment approved Hard Rock’s request to add another 14 table games. The second phase of the facility’s expansion, potentially starting in early 2019, would add another 20 table games if council approves a zoning amendment for the property.

The addition of 750 slot machines would also happen in the second phase, but Hard Rock doesn’t need the city’s permission because the number of slots isn’t part of the property’s zoning. John Smit, the city’s director of economic development, said the OLG determines the number of slots.

In October 2013, before signing a new contribution agreement with the OLG during the agency’s “modernization” exercise, council wanted city management to get assurances from the gaming agency that it would respect council’s position on the maximum number of slots and table games.

“For Ottawa, this means that private sector service providers will be required to follow the decision of council, articulated in the resolution of Aug. 28, 2013, to limit gaming offerings at Rideau Carleton Raceway to 1,250 slots and 21 live table games,” wrote Jack Pastore, the director of municipal and community relations for OLG, in a letter sent to then-city manager Kent Kirkpatrick.

The city government will get some big paydays if there are more gambling options at the Hard Rock casino.

According to the Hard Rock Ottawa partnership, the city is poised to make $12.8 million annually off its cut of gaming revenue once all three expansion phases are finished after 2023. The expansion proposal includes a concert theatre and 200-room hotel at the entertainment centre.

The City of Ottawa’s 2018 budget predicts $5.6 million will come in thanks to the contribution agreement with the OLG. More blackjack tables and slot machines could be a boon for the city if Hard Rock’s projections hold true.

However, it could come with a price, as some councillors point out each time the casino comes up at city hall.

Coun. Keith Egli said he accepts that there’s casino gambling in Ottawa but he wants to make sure there are health protections against fuelling gambling addictions. Hearing that Hard Rock has been speaking with Ottawa Public Health gave him encouragement this week.

But news that Hard Rock would add 750 more slots confused Egli, since the OLG committed to the 1,250 cap.

“I think an explanation would be nice,” Egli said Friday.

Coun. Mark Taylor, a member of the board of health, said the number of games doesn’t bother him as much as the impact gambling has on addictions.

“Hard Rock has a reputation of running solid facilities,” Taylor said.

Andrew Wright, the director of the Rideau Carleton Raceway, said in an interview this week that Hard Rock is a leader in responsible gambling. “It’s something that is being taken very, very seriously,” Wright said.

The Hard Rock partnership will need council’s approval on the latest development application, which asks for zoning changes to allow the concert theatre, hotel and additional table games.

Taylor said if council could redo the gaming approvals that started last term, he would ask for a more clear process for future changes. He didn’t like that Hard Rock’s first application to increase table games went through the committee of adjustment last fall, rather than council.

jwilling@postmedia.com
twitter.com/JonathanWilling

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-...uncil-olg-says

[migo]

Application for the construction of Hard Rock Hotel & Casino @ RCR:

https://app01.ottawa.ca/postingplans...appId=__AY9IVY

[Harley613]

This will be a great addition to the farm field it will sit in, a real marquis project for the city :p

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by Harley613

This will be a great addition to the farm field it will sit in, a real marquis project for the city :p

In all seriousness, this was the city's choice from day one. They created the current situation, as they were also responsible for Casino Lac Leamey. Others filled the void because of City Council's inaction. We now need to make the best of it. Make it a top notch destination and we need to make it easy for everybody to get to it.

Unfortunately, I expect the city to bury their heads in the sand again and let this develop independently of sound transportation planning because it was not 'their idea' in the first place. Give me a break. Gloucester is now part of the City of Ottawa. Don't use that as an excuse. Former Gloucester residents (I am one of them) are also now Ottawa taxpayers.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

In all seriousness, this was the city's choice from day one. They created the current situation, as they were also responsible for Casino Lac Leamey. Others filled the void because of City Council's inaction. .

Are you saying that the Casino du Lac-Leamy here primarily got built because of the City of Ottawa's dilly-dallying about the casino issue?

If I remember correctly, Lac Leamy (de Hull at the time) was discussed first after Quebec's successful foray into the casino business in Montreal. Unless I am mistaken there wasn't really much discussion in Ottawa about a casino (downtown?) at the time.

Once the plans for this side of the river started getting more serious, some voices came to the fore in Ottawa saying maybe they should try and have their own casino to compete with ours.

But at that point it seems to me that picking a location for a (downtown) Ottawa casino, getting everything designed, approved and built, in order to open before or around the same time as Lac-Leamy/Hull, would have been an incredible and improbable fast-track tour de force.

[YOWflier]

Imperfect as it may be this thing needs to be built in order to tip the balance back as much as possible.

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Are you saying that the Casino du Lac-Leamy here primarily got built because of the City of Ottawa's dilly-dallying about the casino issue?

If I remember correctly, Lac Leamy (de Hull at the time) was discussed first after Quebec's successful foray into the casino business in Montreal. Unless I am mistaken there wasn't really much discussion in Ottawa about a casino (downtown?) at the time.

Once the plans for this side of the river started getting more serious, some voices came to the fore in Ottawa saying maybe they should try and have their own casino to compete with ours.

But at that point it seems to me that picking a location for a (downtown) Ottawa casino, getting everything designed, approved and built, in order to open before or around the same time as Lac-Leamy/Hull, would have been an incredible and improbable fast-track tour de force.

Jim Watson was the mayor back in the 90s and there were discussions at the time. I don't remember the exact sequence but it seemed to me that Ottawa had the opportunity to move first before Lac-Leamy opened but chose not to. There was a considerable anti-casino sentiment at pre-amalgamation City Council. Not long after Claudette Cain moved on putting the slots in at Rideau-Carleton in order to generate revenue for the City of Gloucester.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by ac888yow

Imperfect as it may be this thing needs to be built in order to tip the balance back as much as possible.

You really think this will make much of a dent in Lac-Leamy's bottom line?

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

Jim Watson was the mayor back in the 90s and there were discussions at the time. I don't remember the exact sequence but it seemed to me that Ottawa had the opportunity to move first before Lac-Leamy opened but chose not to. There was a considerable anti-casino sentiment at pre-amalgamation City Council. Not long after Claudette Cain moved on putting the slots in at Rideau-Carleton in order to generate revenue for the City of Gloucester.

I was living in Ottawa at the time and I seem to recall discussions about Ottawa urgently needing to get on board with a casino because one was going to open in Hull. Can't find any articles though.

One thing I did find is that Ontario and Quebec got into the casino business around the same time. Around 1992-1993. Quebec seems to have opened its first casinos slightly earlier. Montreal's opened in 1993 but I think Ontario's first in Windsor only opened a year or two later.

At best, Ottawa if it had acted quickly would probably have had a downtown casino in place likely around the same time as the one in Hull opened in 1996.

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I was living in Ottawa at the time and I seem to recall discussions about Ottawa urgently needing to get on board with a casino because one was going to open in Hull. Can't find any articles though.

One thing I did find is that Ontario and Quebec got into the casino business around the same time. Around 1992-1993. Quebec seems to have opened its first casinos slightly earlier. Montreal's opened in 1993 but I think Ontario's first in Windsor only opened a year or two later.

At best, Ottawa if it had acted quickly would probably have had a downtown casino in place likely around the same time as the one in Hull opened in 1996.

I am looking at the Citizen archives and the debate concerning an Ottawa casino started in 1992 including at Rideau-Carleton as a result of Windsor being OK'd for a casino. The discussion about the possible opening of a casino in Hull started in 1993, so Ottawa had a slight head start. Obviously, Hull was much more decisive as they understood the potential economic benefits. As I recall, Ottawa politicians were only concerned about the downside of a casino possibly downtown, so it never was really seriously considered. As far as I recall, there was no specific location chosen. It never got that far, as has been the case with the most recent discussions of a new casino.

I am not sure also about the timing, but the bar scene in Hull died very suddenly when hours were harmonized with Ontario in order to end the lawlessness that was happening at closing time. The need of the casino revenue may have been pushed by the loss of bar business, but without the problems that the latter produced.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

I am looking at the Citizen archives and the debate concerning an Ottawa casino started in 1992 including at Rideau-Carleton as a result of Windsor being OK'd for a casino. The discussion about the possible opening of a casino in Hull started in 1993, so Ottawa had a slight head start. Obviously, Hull was much more decisive as they understood the potential economic benefits. As I recall, Ottawa politicians were only concerned about the downside of a casino possibly downtown, so it never was really seriously considered. As far as I recall, there was no specific location chosen. It never got that far, as has been the case with the most recent discussions of a new casino.

I am not sure also about the timing, but the bar scene in Hull died very suddenly when hours were harmonized with Ontario in order to end the lawlessness that was happening at closing time. The need of the casino revenue may have been pushed by the loss of bar business, but without the problems that the latter produced.

I was not involved in the backrooms but I seem to recall that when there was talk of putting a casino in Hull it wasn't the city that was begging for it. Or at least, there wasn't unanimous support for it, and the idea was panned by lots of reasons from gambling addiction to a possible resurgence of nightlife-related crime to the fact that the vast majority of the proceeds would be going to Quebec City, and not the city and region.

Ultimately I am pretty sure the decision to build a casino here was made by the Quebec government and the Quebec government only.

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I was not involved in the backrooms but I seem to recall that when there was talk of putting a casino in Hull it wasn't the city that was begging for it. Or at least, there wasn't unanimous support for it, and the idea was panned by lots of reasons from gambling addiction to a possible resurgence of nightlife-related crime to the fact that the vast majority of the proceeds would be going to Quebec City, and not the city and region.

Ultimately I am pretty sure the decision to build a casino here was made by the Quebec government and the Quebec government only.

You may indeed be right about that. It was a complicated saga. In my opinion, Ottawa did not make the correct choices back then, but that is just my opinion.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

You may indeed be right about that. It was a complicated saga. In my opinion, Ottawa did not make the correct choices back then, but that is just my opinion.

I do remember back then Jim Watson or some other Ottawa politician saying that money made by the Casino de Hull was "wasted" or equivalent to throwing it in the garbage...

I think what was meant was that it was a missed revenue opportunity for Ottawa and Ontario, but just stated inelegantly.

[Vixx]

This discussion got me thinking about how a downtown Ottawa casino would have done and where a good spot would have been. Especially back in he 90's when downtown was an absolute deadzone, it may have injected some life and kickstarted some development that took a long time to ripe and get going.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Vixx

This discussion got me thinking about how a downtown Ottawa casino would have done and where a good spot would have been. Especially back in he 90's when downtown was an absolute deadzone, it may have injected some life and kickstarted some development that took a long time to ripe and get going.

Somewhere on Sparks St. would have been great. Isn't there at least one grand old bank building on that street that is actually abandoned but is maintained to look like it's not really abandoned?

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Somewhere on Sparks St. would have been great. Isn't there at least one grand old bank building on that street that is actually abandoned but is maintained to look like it's not really abandoned?

I got a lot of flack here when I suggested Sparks Street not that long ago. Just like I got flack for suggesting a downtown Walmart. Both would have generated a lot of foot traffic (and spin off businesses), especially on Sparks where it is so badly needed.

Everybody assumed that both would generate a lot of car traffic. I suppose it is true no matter what kind of destination we put in, but with the subway about to open, people would also come by transit as well.

We need to start counteracting the sucking of money from downtown to the suburbs, which is the opposite of what was happening 50 or 60 years ago, when retail and entertainment was much more centralized.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

I got a lot of flack here when I suggested Sparks Street not that long ago. Just like I got flack for suggesting a downtown Walmart. Both would have generated a lot of foot traffic (and spin off businesses), especially on Sparks where it is so badly needed.

Everybody assumed that both would generate a lot of car traffic. I suppose it is true no matter what kind of destination we put in, but with the subway about to open, people would also come by transit as well.

We need to start counteracting the sucking of money from downtown to the suburbs, which is the opposite of what was happening 50 or 60 years ago, when retail and entertainment was much more centralized.

Cartrafficshcarschtraffic... gimme a break. Traffic is extremely light in Ottawa's CBD after 6 pm (even 5:30 some days) and on weekends.

This makes me think of the old "nobody goes there anymore - it's too crowded!"

[Vixx]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Somewhere on Sparks St. would have been great. Isn't there at least one grand old bank building on that street that is actually abandoned but is maintained to look like it's not really abandoned?

Are you referring to the building (the name is escaping me right now, the old Bank of Montreal one?) that the federal government recently announced will turn into a museum of some sorts? The details are foggy since its been awhile.

Sparks would've been great, but could you imagine the uproar from people working near or on Sparks? I bet the city would not even dare to have brought that up as an idea at the time, because of the backlash.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Vixx

Are you referring to the building (the name is escaping me right now, the old Bank of Montreal one?) that the federal government recently announced will turn into a museum of some sorts? The details are foggy since its been awhile.

Sparks would've been great, but could you imagine the uproar from people working near or on Sparks? I bet the city would not even dare to have brought that up as an idea at the time, because of the backlash.

Again... I don't really see the issue.

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by Vixx

Are you referring to the building (the name is escaping me right now, the old Bank of Montreal one?) that the federal government recently announced will turn into a museum of some sorts? The details are foggy since its been awhile.

Sparks would've been great, but could you imagine the uproar from people working near or on Sparks? I bet the city would not even dare to have brought that up as an idea at the time, because of the backlash.

How does a museum really help Sparks Street? Museums are always closed in the evening.