The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. have sent out a request for proposals from online gaming companies to seek help in running an online gambling operation in Ontario. The move could bring in an estimated $100 million over five years and says that $450 million is annually wagered over the web by Ontarians.
There are several provinces already in the online gambling market and according to lottery spokesman Tony Bitonti “we want to . . . get this right the first time.” It is the plan of the OLG to phase in online gambling within the providence starting as early as next year.
OLG promises responsible gambling with features such as self-control options that will pop up asking if they may be playing too much and maybe, according to Bitonti, online chats with counselors. There will also be an age verification system to help control minors coming onto the site.
Not everyone is in agreement however as Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak has said;
“The bottom line for me is (that) trusting Dalton McGuinty with a new revenue source is like giving the keys to the liquor cabinet to teenagers and going away for the weekend. The motivation is going to be to try to find another tool to take money out of our pockets. There’s a product out there that’s successful. How is the OLG going to trump that?”