Toronto Casino Vote Delayed
Supporters of a new casino in Toronto have been left frustrated with the news that a decision about the proposal may take longer than anticipated.
Initially, the executive committee of the City of Toronto was to have been presented with a staff report, giving members enough time to examine the proposal and send it to a scheduled council meeting on April 3 - 4.
However, it has now been announced that the staff report has been delayed, which means that the proposal will not make the meeting at the beginning of April.
City spokesperson Jackie DeSouza said that they were "awaiting outstanding information from OLG regarding the two zones being considered for the location of a potential casino."
No new date has been set, although another general council meeting has been scheduled for May 7 - 8.
If Mayor Rob Ford feels that there is urgency in the matter, he has the power to call a special meeting once he has been presented with the staff report.
More Power for Toronto Council Members
In the meantime, the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation has made it more tempting for council members still sitting on the fence regarding their support of the casino proposal, to vote in favor of the idea.
The OLG spokesman, Tony Bitoni said that council would be given more deciding power about the size and location of the casino should the proposal be given the green light.
Essentially, two votes will be held - one to vote in favor of the actual idea of a casino, and the second to determine its size and location.
OLG Toronto Casino Statement
In the OLG statement issued on Tuesday, Bitoni said: "If Toronto council were to say yes to pursing this opportunity, then OLG would go out with its Request for Pre Qualification, as we have done in 9 other gaming zones and then move to Request for Proposal. OLG will then pick the proponent as required by the Criminal Code under the conduct and manage requirement."
"Then that proponent would need to come back to the city to discuss specifics about the facility to discuss specifics about the facility, such as picking a specific site, just as would happen for any major development," he said.
"The municipality has a say in many of the aspects of any major development, including location, how it fits into the community, etc.
Despite the Toronto casino vote delay, several US gambling heavyweights continue to lobby in favor of a Toronto casino.
