Toronto Woodbine Racetrack Ancillary Facilities Building | 14.5m | 2s | Woodbine Ent | DIALOG

I just watched a W-five special on CTV today, and they said that the slots are the most addictive. this really makes sense, I mean they are the most prominent, the easiest to play, and usually the least expensive. Oh, and the flashing lights.
So, as Woodbine already has that, building a full fledged casino would not bother me at all. and it just might bring in more tourism, and with Woodbine live being multiuse and all, bring more money to the city's overall economy, not just City Hall.
 
I think that there are politics in Ontario regarding the City of Toronto getting a casino, i also dont think mayor David Miller and his cronies are into seeing casinos in Toronto.
 
You think? (<not sarcastic) Wouldn't Miller be looking at all possible options for generating income for all the city projects. Because his intiatives are actually great, but there's no money for them.
 
You think? (<not sarcastic) Wouldn't Miller be looking at all possible options for generating income for all the city projects. Because his intiatives are actually great, but there's no money for them.

Would some of this profits from a casino not be split between the provincial and municipal government?
 
I went to a casino for the first time this January in Montreal. It wasn't an earth-shattering experience by an means, but it was eye-opening that it was pretty normal. Just people there to play and have fun. Not full of addicts or anything like that. So for that reason I would have no problem with Woodbine becoming a full-fledged casino. It's only a matter of time in my mind. On that note, I think Woodbine should build an iconic building to host its casino.
 
^One can only hope. Recent proposal for Casino Mediterráneo in Benidorm, Spain:
benidorm-casino-tower_mUpTs_58.jpg
 
i agree instead of the city taxing us to death.

Montreal, Vancouver, Calagary all have casinos but here we are Canada's largest city, still waiting to grow up.

Yeah, time to finally be all grown up and world class like New York, and get a - uh, wait a minute.

Maybe New York's not so world class after all...

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I went to a casino for the first time this January in Montreal. It wasn't an earth-shattering experience by an means, but it was eye-opening that it was pretty normal. Just people there to play and have fun. Not full of addicts or anything like that. So for that reason I would have no problem with Woodbine becoming a full-fledged casino. It's only a matter of time in my mind. On that note, I think Woodbine should build an iconic building to host its casino.

Not full of addicts? So, you did a study while you were there? You had gamblers fill out questionnaires? Got their bank account records and studied their financial affaires? And it all turned out entirely benign? Well, that's great news, and great detective work!

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Not full of addicts? So, you did a study while you were there? You had gamblers fill out questionnaires? Got their bank account records and studied their financial affaires? And it all turned out entirely benign? Well, that's great news, and great detective work!

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He was, obviously, just making an observation that the people looked like they were having a casual night of entertainment.....just as when you go into some bars it is clear (or appears to be clear) that the people there are having a social drink as opposed to feeding a bad habit....obviously it is impossible to tell but if you live long enough and get out enough your instinct on these things is usually pretty reliable.

That being said, I think everyone is aware that casinos and other gambling forms are not purely benign forms of entertainment. We know that there is a sad addictive and dangerous side to it. What has always bugged me, however, is that we engage in this sort of moral dishonesty where we allow gambling....but only certain types of gambling (slots, bingos, lotteries) as if attaching the word "casino" or "craps" or "blackjack" is what leads people to ruin. I am particularly ashamed of our governmental/institutional dishonesty on this matter as we seem to only allow the "cheaper" forms of gambling....you know, the types that everyone can afford to play and have the greatest opportunity of taking the money out of the pockets of the people who can least afford to lose it.

Gambling is (in my mind) neither good nor bad.....I recognize that, in differing hands, it could be either. What is not clear to me, however, is how Slots are good and Blackjack is bad....how a keno-based lottery is good but Keno itself is abhorent....how Proline is good but a $10 bet on Kentucky v North Carolina is bad....how playing cards at the Airport is bad but playing cards at Niagara is good......etc etc.

To me either shut down all gambling at Woodbine or let 'em all in....it is the only morally supportable position for me.
 
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One could easily argue that the more forms of gambling that are available (and the more places it is available), the worse it is, in terms of its negative effects. There is no doubt that VTC machines, for example, are more addictive, than the complicated game of craps (and the fact that they can be located in bars everywhere, does not help).
 
Part of the "Slots" only facilities at race tracks is that slots machines could be run by idiots (Casino notwithstanding) while you need skilled dealers to run the tables. So they only are feasible at a few larger locations. Plus there'd be less community opposition to slots than a full fledged casino.

I generally agree that if we are going to allow these slots all over the province, why not add tables to Woodbine. Niagara is Niagara. The only place that will suffer is Casino Rama and the Chinese tourbus operators.

The thing that really gets me are the "mini-holiday" ads by the OLGC telling people how to get to the slots scattered around Ontario from Fort Erie to Sudbury, Elora to Ottawa. "Mini-holiday" my @$$. Go to a movie and a dinner if you want to have a movie out. It'd be more fun, better for the economy, and you only gamble as to whether the movie will be a stinker or not.
 
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One could easily argue that the more forms of gambling that are available (and the more places it is available), the worse it is, in terms of its negative effects. There is no doubt that VTC machines, for example, are more addictive, than the complicated game of craps (and the fact that they can be located in bars everywhere, does not help).

That was, partly, the point I was making.....in attempting to control/regulate/limit gambling our government is giving us bigger access to the most adictive and dangerous forms of gambling.....they are the coke dealer who only sells crack!! (extreme analogy but you probably "get it").
 
Just an idea !

i say screw this gambling casino stuff and boring horse racing stuff zzzzzzzzzzz.........

-let's make better use of the land , some ideas
-keep all shops , hotels , outdoor rink , concert hall , the whole entertainment complex idea etc....
-build soccer staduim or hockey arena , or multi use sports centre
( maybe 2nd NHL team )
-build a huge national research centre , office buildings etc.... , something that will provide tons of $50K- +$100K jobs , even some kind of factory like Toyota or Honda , aerospace etc.................



, i went to Woodbine one time and found it extremely annoying the slots and the horse racing was so boring , how many people do you know that actually list horse racing as an interest , hardly anyone
 

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