It seemed like a no-brainer to one councillor, given the city is in desperate times financially.
“They’re buying tickets and we’re not getting anything out of it,” Coun. Frances Nunziata said earlier this fall, as council voted in favour of having staff study introducing a municipal lottery as a potential revenue tool.
The prospect of unlocking a gambling gold mine in times of governmental financial crisis is a time-honoured Canadian tradition. Instead of the golden beaches and free-flowing cocktails of lottery ads, picture funded transit and housing projects.
Still, based on a recent city report, the odds of a windfall are longer than you might think if you look at where Toronto already dabbles in gambling: the Great Canadian Casino Resort, formerly known as Woodbine Casino.
