Ontario: Niagara Falls has received $186.5M for hosting two casinos since 2013

Ontario: Niagara Falls has received $186.5M for hosting two casinos since 2013

Article brief provided by Niagara Falls Review
  • Ray Spiteri, Niagara Falls Review
November 21, 2022 3:00 PM
  • Ray Spiteri, Niagara Falls Review

Nine years into its renegotiated agreement with Ontario Lottery and Gaming, the City of Niagara Falls has received $186.5 million in casino-hosting revenue.

Story continues below

During that time, the municipality has allocated $177.6 million towards five council-adopted priority areas — nearly half of which, $83.9 million, or 47.3 per cent — for debt avoidance/capital investment.

For example, $403,000 was allocated between 2013 and 2014 towards the Niagara Falls Lions Legacy Pathway section of Millennium Recreational Trail, $221,155 towards replacing a street sweeper, and $80,000 towards boat-ramp improvements in Chippawa.

Other areas to benefit from casino-hosting funding between April 1, 2013, to Sept. 30, 2022, which the city receives on a quarterly basis and is based on a percentage of gaming, includes property tax relief ($52.8 million, or 29.7 per cent), policing around the casino district ($33.2 million, or 18.7 per cent), economic-development initiatives ($4.3 million, or 2.4 per cent), and support for the future new hospital ($3.2 million, or 1.9 per cent).