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7/24/2008: Gambling is no economic plan
Slots a drain on economy
LETTER OF THE DAY
Posted 2 days ago
http://www.thesudburystar.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1124405
Re: Gambling is no economic plan — July 7.
Excellent editorial; allow me to add a few observations. Sudbury, with the strike, is losing $2 million-plus per year.
However, adding up racetrack betting, lottery, Nevada tickets and bingos, the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. may siphon $200 million every year out of Sudbury.
Yes, OLG does give back — the city gets $2 million, the track and horse people may get four times that, and maybe 100 jobs are added.
That means OLG diverts the job earnings of, say, 5,000 people from local business to justify its 100 or so jobs.
Any decent slot consumes the earnings of two to three wage earners per day. The money disappears, but the social problems that go with gambling stay in Sudbury.
The OLG operates 24,000 non-union suckers working for you 24 hours per day.
This outflow pipeline to OLG is bigger than any inflow back to any community.
This is not the way to grow an economy.
Bill Clark North Bay
bill clark