A public input meeting for Kitchener residents to give their thoughts on bringing a casino to town ended up with nearly unanimous opposition.
Nearly all those who spoke at the Tuesday night meeting said they had no interest in a local casino.
“(Casinos) take money out of communities – they give them hopes and dreams with very little in return,” said Richard Christy, a former Kitchener mayor.
The only resident to speak in favour of a casino was Bingeman’s proprietor Mark Bingeman, who has expressed interested in seeing a casino located near his amusement park.
Also in favour were Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation representatives who made their own presentation to councillors earlier in the night, touting the benefits of a casino to the local economy.
“It also brings great value in the way of employment, jobs that exist, construction jobs that exist as a result of it,” OLG spokesperson Larry Flynn told CTV.
On the opposite side was Dr. Liana Nolan, Waterloo Region’s chief medical officer of health. She told councillors that the lack of a local casino has resulted in one of the lowest rates of problem gamblers in the province.
“Problem gambling will increase in the Region of Waterloo with a casino, because of increased access,” she said.
Woolwich Township has already declared its interest in hosting a casino. The City of Waterloo is undergoing its own public consultation process.
