Paul Godfrey, chair of the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG), has been fired. And, as a result, all seven members of the OLG Board of Directors have resigned.
Godfrey, who took on the role as chair of the OLG in 2009, has reinvented the organization, helping it become modern and more efficient, according to Finance Minister Charles Sousa. It appears, however, that Godfrey’s “modernization” plan for gaming in Ontario did not suit Premier Kathleen Wynne, though a reason for his dismissal has not been given.
Peter Wallace, the secretary of the cabinet and head of the Ontario public service, will serve as interim chair, helping to develop a new direction for the Ontario gaming strategy.
Sue Leslie, president of the Ontario Horse Racing Industry Association (OHRIA), who met personally with Premier Wynne in April, issued the following statement regarding the departure Paul Godfrey and the OLG Board of Directors:
“Ontario’s horse racing and breeding industry has been reeling since March 2012 when the Government of Ontario announced the cancellation of the Slots at Racetracks Program. Our industry’s concerns were compounded by what we perceived to be process failures on the part of the OLG Board to ensure our industry had a role to play in their modernization plan.
“Under Premier Wynne, our industry has seen the start of a number of positive steps, including the government’s announcement that horse racing will become an integrated partner in the government’s future gaming strategy.
“We have welcomed these changes, and with the departure of the OLG board that designed the province’s modernization strategy, we believe there is a real opportunity for Premier Wynne to develop a new strategy that engages Ontario’s horse racing and breeding sector, brings communities into the decision making process, and creates an approach to gaming modernization that is more palatable to everyone.
“The horse racing industry believes that Premier Wynne has an opportunity to formally pause the OLG’s current modernization process, including the RFPQs underway in Sudbury, Peterborough and Ottawa, to ensure the OLG does not make any decisions regarding gaming zones where racetracks currently exist.
“The horse racing and breeding industry is ready to work with the Premier to develop a program that substantially increases government revenues and ensures the sustainability of horse racing and breeding in Ontario.”
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