Ontario Lottery and Gaming Commission Pays $40.3 Million To 29 Local Communities
The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Commission (OLG) has just made a sizable payment to 29 different communities throughout the province. These communities each provide legal gaming and received second quarter payments adding up to $40.3 million.
Since 1994, $2 billion in gaming revenue has been invested in these communities. This news comes as the province celebrates one and a half years of operating both online casino gaming and mobile sports betting in Ontario.
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OLG Makes $40.3 Million In Payments To Communities With Gaming
As announced in a recent press release, the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Commission made payments to municipal communities for its second quarter. These payments in all amounted to $40.3 million, and were directed towards 29 communities that have facilities for gaming. The second quarter for the OLG lasts between July 1st and September 30th.
These payments come from OLG profits and go to job generation, infrastructure development, and economic recovery efforts. The overall amount of these payments are based on a specific formula that is used across every betting site in the province. This formula determines payment amounts from a graduated scale. The OLG ensures that 100% of its profits are invested back into the 29 communities.
Minister of Finance Peter Bethlenfalvy said of the contribution: “OLG continues to be a proud partner in hosting gaming communities…Municipality Contribution Agreement payments help these municipalities fund priorities such as community infrastructure, parks and recreation and local health care facilities, benefiting families and local residents.”
The 29 communities have now received $83.8 million throughout the fiscal year for the OLG, which goes from April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024. $2 billion in non-tax gaming revenue has been paid to these communities since 1994.
When you play with OLG, 100% of profits go back to building local communities – parks, hospitals, fire stations, and more. Play in-store or online at https://t.co/NJwBogtNUV! #BringHomeTheWin
— OLG (@OLG_CA) October 13, 2023
Ontario Sports Betting & Online Casinos Have Been Live For 1.5 Years
On April 4th, 2022, Ontario officially launched its full gambling scene. This date saw the full rollout of online casino gaming and mobile sports betting in the state. The passing of the Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act (C-218) led to the expansion of online sportsbooks and iGaming apps in the province.
Something that stands out about Ontario’s betting market is the massive amount of platforms available. There are now 65 Ontario online casino apps and 32 Ontario sports betting sites available. This is especially interesting when compared to Pennsylvania, which has a slightly lower population (14.57 million vs. 12.96 million).
The Keystone State currently has 13 sportsbooks as well as 21 online casinos. The main difference between the two is that while Pennsylvania and many other U.S. states require sports betting apps to partner with physical casinos, that’s not the case in Ontario.
The province of Ontario is also home to 29 different retail casinos (many of which feature brick-and-mortar sportsbooks) and 15 horse racing tracks. Some locations in the province offer live poker, such as Caesars Windsor and Casino Niagara.
Outside of these more traditional betting methods, the lottery and numerous bingo halls are also operational across Ontario. An especially interesting case is with the province’s daily fantasy sports industry, which is legal but basically nonoperational. This is due to the lack of contests being offered by top platforms DraftKings and FanDuel.