OLG Shortlists Casino Operator Candidates
The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation is continuing on the path toward finding a company to run its day-to-day operations. The OLG has now short-listed casino operator candidates. The list has been pared down to between three and five contenders, and the process is moving along as expected.
OLG Candidates Kept Under Wraps
The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation is keeping the public somewhat informed regarding the potential lottery and casino operators. However, the information that is being shared is more about the fact that the process is ongoing, without giving out any details on the candidates. The OLG has announced that the final phase of the procurement process has begun. The corporation has already issued the pre-qualified potential service providers a request to put forward their proposal documents.
A senior manager for OLG Media Relations Communications and Media Relations, Tony Bitonti, has been the contact point for the public. Bitonti said: "Three to five is manageable. We went through a whole list. We went through the due diligence of checking their financials, doing everything."
Casino Operator for Northern Ontario
In addition to selecting a single operator to run the daily lottery operations, which would include upgrading lottery terminals, and developing new games in the province, the OLG is also moving ahead with the plan to select a single casino operator to oversee the casino operations that take place in Northern Ontario, and also for Sudbury.
The northern bundle of casinos will include all the gaming facilities in Northern Ontario, which includes Sault Ste. Marie, North Bay, Thunder Bay, Kenora, and Sudbury. Qualified operators will be invited to issue proposals in a few months' time. There are a number of bidders who will be qualified to make a bid on taking over these operations. As with the lottery candidates, the operator that does take over the day to day operations of the casinos and gaming operations, will do so for daily operations, while the OLG will still retain ultimate control.
Bitonti said: "We would be happy, even at this point, with any one of the proponents that we just issued the RFP to. That's how far we've drilled down with these folks at this point."
Bitonti further explained that little information is being given out about contenders fro the procurement process. He explained that there certainly has been substantial interested, and that protocols have whittled down the number of candidates, and those that remain are invited to give in their proposals.
