Daily BrewOntario’s gambling ‘modernization’ plan in question after Paul Godfrey fired
Say what you will about the firing of Ontario Lottery and Gaming chairman Paul Godfrey and the resignation of its entire board of governors, but at the very least it suggests the province’s once-ambitious plans to modernize and expand the gambling industry have been put on the back-burner.
Godfrey was dismissed Thursday evening, just hours after Toronto Mayor Rob Ford accused the province of dragging its feet on plans to build a casino in the city’s downtown. A downtown Toronto casino was to be the jewel in the crown of a massive OLG modernization that was said to include as many as 29 new casinos and bring more revenue into provincial coffers.
The Canadian Press reports that Godfrey's dismissal triggered the entire OLG board to resign in protest, leaving the corporation completely leaderless just as massive plans for expansion were coming to a head.
Godfrey was appointed head of OLG in 2010 under former premier Dalton McGuinty, who had indicated he wanted the government-run gaming industry to expand.
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His successor, Premier Kathleen Wynne, appears less gung-ho about such plans. Just yesterday, Ford said Wynne failed to support the province's push to build a casino in downtown Toronto.
"I honestly believe that the chemistry between Kathleen Wynne and Paul Godfrey just weren’t on the same plain," Godfrey told the Canadian Press. "Some people you connect with some people you don’t. That would have been enough of an answer for me."
Finance Minister Charles Sousa issued a late-night statement thanking Godfrey for his leadership, but did not give a reason for his dismissal.
Under his leadership, OLG re-invented itself and became a modern and more efficient organization. OLG undertook a strategic business review of its entire operations that brought greater focus and discipline to this important public agency.
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The Government of Ontario appreciates the commitment that Mr. Godfrey has made as Chair of OLG, and thanks him for the significant accomplishments made during this period.
Conservative MPP Monte McNaughton claimed the firing was an indication the Liberals were in disarray and that plans to modernize the OLG were misguided to begin with.
"With the ousting of Paul Godfrey as Chairman of the OLG and the further resignation of members of the OLG Board, the entire modernization process must now be graded as a massive failure that unnecessarily bullied and divided communities throughout Ontario," he said in a statement.
When asked about his soured relationship with the province, Godfrey said he felt it came down to his recommendation that Toronto be given a larger share of revenue to host a downtown casino.
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Toronto's city manager had recommended that, should the city agree to host a casino, they should receive a minimum of $100 million per year. Ford said on Thursday that Wynne's unwillingness to meet that asking price was behind his decision to kills plans for a casino.
Although Godfrey said he doesn't believe his firing was related to Ford's decision to kill a casino debate, it does appear the province is taking two steps back from its modernization plan.
It seems that the new premier has as new vision for the OLG, and Godfrey didn't fit the mold.
