The Municipality of Chatham-Kent is receiving just over $328,000 for hosting the Cascades Casino in Chatham.
For the fourth quarter, from January 1 to March 31, 2020, the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) has issued a non-tax gaming revenue payment of $328,430 to Chatham-Kent.
The latest payment is slightly lower than what Chatham-Kent has received from the OLG for hosting Cascades Casino in previous quarters.
On March 16, all Ontario casinos were temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a press release by OLG officials, the closure affected 15 days worth of revenue and is expected to affect the July 2020 payment as well.
“During these unprecedented times, we all feel a closer connection to our local community. Often the biggest impacts are the result of actions we take to help our neighbours,” said Rick Nicholls, MPP for Chatham-Kent-Leamington. “This fourth-quarter payment comes at a vital time as all levels of government work together to support people and employers during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The payments are made to host communities using a prescribed formula based on a graduated scale of gaming revenue at the hosted site.
In the 2019-2020 fiscal year, the Municipality of Chatham-Kent received a total of $1,420,573. To date, Chatham-Kent has received more than $13 million in non-tax gaming revenue.