OLG quarterly payment to Windsor drops 60 per cent because of Caesars strike

The first quarterly OLGpayment to the City of Windsor dropped by about 60 per cent because of the two-month strike at Caesars Windsor.

For the first quarter, April to June this year, the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation paid the city $1,210,030 for hostingCaesarsWindsor.

"Typically Windsor is one of the better performing sites," said RuiBrum, spokesperson for the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, pointing to the "excellent amenities" the casino offers its customers.

However, the first quarter begins April and ends in June, which was whencasino workers voted down a tentative agreement which sent them into a strike.

The casino reopened June 7.

This year's first quarter payment was less than half of what the city received for the same period last year, which was about $3.5 million.

'Aggressive approach'

The strike at the Windsor casino helped boost some business at rival Gateway Casinos in Dresden and Point Edward, Ont.

But Brum isn't worried that Caesarshas lost its customer base permanently after the strike.

"CaesarsWindsor has taken a very aggressive approach to regain its customer share in the marketplace," he said. The casino has engaged in some outreach efforts to pull customers back and also reach out to a new customer base.

He emphasized that the casino's unique shows help bring people to the venue.

"It has been very, very successful in bringing people into Windsor precisely because they have fantastic amenities for customers. So we'd expect that to continue."