OLG today issued more than $17.4 million in third-quarter non-tax gaming revenue payments to 23 municipalities that host OLG Casinos and OLG Slots-at-racetrack facilities. To date, OLG has distributed $670.4 million to these host municipalities.

“These gaming revenue payments provide important local investments directly to the communities where OLG houses their 22 gaming sites,” said Dwight Duncan, Minister of Finance.

Third-quarter payments were issued to communities hosting OLG gaming sites for their share of gross slots revenue (October to December 2009). Payments are made on a quarterly basis according to OLG’s fiscal year, which runs from April to March.

Each municipality hosting an OLG Casino or an OLG Slots-at-racetrack facility receives five per cent of the gaming facility’s gross slot machine revenue from the first 450 slot machines and two per cent from any additional machines over that number. Funds are used at the discretion of the municipality.

Tracks and their horse people also share the revenue generated by the slots program, with 20 per cent of gross slot machine revenue split evenly between the two groups. Since the launch of the program in 1998, more than $3 billion has been shared between racetrack owners and their horse people.

In 2009/2010, the province will allocate $120 million in gaming revenue to support charities through the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF).

Every year, the Government of Ontario allocates two per cent of gross revenue from slot machines at OLG Casinos and OLG Slots-at-racetrack facilities to the province’s problem gambling program for research, treatment and prevention programs. The amount for fiscal 2009/2010 is estimated at $39 million.

OLG is a provincial agency responsible for province-wide lottery games and gaming facilities. Since 1975, OLG lotteries, Casinos, Slots, and Resort Casinos have generated more than $28 billion for the benefit of the Province of Ontario. Gaming proceeds support Ontarios hospitals, amateur sport, recreational and cultural activities, communities, provincial priority programs such as health care and education, and local and provincial charities and non-profit organizations through the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

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