CENTRE WELLINGTON – The township received $567,492 from the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) on Jan. 19 – the third quarterly payment the township receives for hosting Elements Casino Grand River.
The payment covers the period from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, 2021. Since December 2003, Centre Wellington has received more than $35.6 million in non-tax gaming revenue.
OLG makes payments to host communities under the Municipality Contribution Agreements.
All gaming sites were opened throughout the third quarter of 2021 with rigorous public health and workplace safety measures.
Despite capacity restrictions being lifted on Oct. 25, the continued spread of COVID-19 had an impact on gaming revenues, the agency states.
“We are happy that host gaming municipalities received payments this past quarter through Municipality Contribution Agreements,” said Minister of Finance Peter Bethlenfalvy in a press release.
“Once public safety restrictions are lifted again, land-based casinos will continue to play a vital role in the economic recovery of our communities.”
As a result of new time-limited provincial health measures, gaming sites were temporarily closed to the public on Jan. 5 and are expected to remain in effect until at least Jan. 26.
The health and safety of customers, employees and host gaming communities remains a priority for OLG and its service providers, the release states.
