A casino is a lucrative business that generates a lot of profit.
Casinos, in turn, operate as a business and therefore pay taxes, employ people and contribute to the economy of a community.
Take the Town of Ajax for instance, where the Slots at Ajax Downs generated more than $13 million in non-taxable revenue up to the end of 2008.
This is good.
However, a casino is not like a regular business. It requires a social safety net for program gamblers and extra policing for issues that arise. This places an extra burden on social services.
Durham Region would like its share of casino profits to help offset the costs associated with gaming.
Recently at regional council, it was decided that the region would ask the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation to review its methods of compensation through slot revenue to ensure that upper-tier municipalities receive some form of compensation to offset costs associated with the services the region delivers.
Ajax Mayor Steve Parish argues it isn’t fair the region tap into his city’s revenue source, which consists of five per cent of the revenue generated on the first 400 slot machines and two per cent on those thereafter, he says.
Somebody needs to pony up to help pay for the extra costs incurred by the region and that should be the Slots at Ajax Downs. While it’s surprising the region didn’t iron this out when approval was granted for a casino, as is the case of The Great Blue Heron Casino on Scugog Island, it’s time it be recognized for carrying the load for the Town of Ajax.