Item - 2015.HL4.2
Tracking Status
- This item was considered by City Council on July 7, 2015 and was not adopted.
- This item was considered by Board of Health on June 1, 2015 and was adopted with amendments. It will be considered by City Council on July 7, 2015.
- See also EX7.4 - Expanded Gaming at Woodbine Racetrack
HL4.2 - Health Impacts of Expanded Gambling at Woodbine Racetrack
- Decision Type:
- ACTION
- Status:
- Not Adopted
- Wards:
- All
City Council Decision
Item HL4.2 was not adopted at City Council on July 7, 8 and 9, 2015.
City Council Decision Advice and Other Information
City Council considered the following items together:
EX7.4 headed "Expanded Gaming at Woodbine Racetrack"; and
HL4.2 headed "Health Impacts of Expanded Gambling at Woodbine Racetrack"
Background Information (Board)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2015/hl/bgrd/backgroundfile-80215.pdf
Attachment 1: Toronto Public Health Position Statement on Gambling and Health
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2015/hl/bgrd/backgroundfile-80216.pdf
Communications (Board)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2015/hl/comm/communicationfile-52923.pdf
Communications (City Council)
Motions (City Council)
Adoption of Board of Health Item HL4.2 - Recommendation 1:
1. City Council maintain its resolution of May 21, 2013 opposing expanded gambling in Toronto.
Vote (Adopt Item) Jul-08-2015 5:10 PM
| Result: Lost | Majority Required - HL4.2 - adoption of Recommendation 1 only |
|---|---|
| Total members that voted Yes: 19 | Members that voted Yes are Paul Ainslie, Maria Augimeri, Shelley Carroll, Raymond Cho, Joe Cressy, Janet Davis, Sarah Doucette, John Filion, Paula Fletcher, Mary Fragedakis, Mike Layton, Pam McConnell, Joe Mihevc, Denzil Minnan-Wong, Ron Moeser, James Pasternak, Gord Perks, Anthony Perruzza, Kristyn Wong-Tam |
| Total members that voted No: 25 | Members that voted No are Ana Bailão, Michelle Berardinetti, Jon Burnside, John Campbell, Christin Carmichael Greb, Josh Colle, Gary Crawford, Vincent Crisanti, Glenn De Baeremaeker, Justin J. Di Ciano, Frank Di Giorgio, Rob Ford, Mark Grimes, Stephen Holyday, Jim Karygiannis, Norman Kelly, Chin Lee, Giorgio Mammoliti, Mary-Margaret McMahon, Frances Nunziata (Chair), Cesar Palacio, Jaye Robinson, David Shiner, Michael Thompson, John Tory |
| Total members that were Absent: 1 | Members that were absent are Josh Matlow |
Adoption of Board of Health Item HL4.2 - Recommendation 2.b.:
2. If City Council consents to expansion of gambling at the Woodbine Racetrack, that approval be conditional on implementation of the following mitigation measures to be met by Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation and any future private operators:
b. that hours of operation be limited to no more than 18 hours a day.
Recommendation 2.a. was redundant, having already been before City Council as part of Item EX7.4.
Vote (Adopt Item) Jul-08-2015 5:13 PM
| Result: Lost | Majority Required - HL4.2 - adoption of Recommendation 2b only |
|---|---|
| Total members that voted Yes: 19 | Members that voted Yes are Paul Ainslie, Maria Augimeri, Shelley Carroll, Raymond Cho, Joe Cressy, Janet Davis, Sarah Doucette, John Filion, Paula Fletcher, Mary Fragedakis, Mike Layton, Pam McConnell, Mary-Margaret McMahon, Joe Mihevc, Denzil Minnan-Wong, Ron Moeser, Gord Perks, Anthony Perruzza, Kristyn Wong-Tam |
| Total members that voted No: 25 | Members that voted No are Ana Bailão, Michelle Berardinetti, Jon Burnside, John Campbell, Christin Carmichael Greb, Josh Colle, Gary Crawford, Vincent Crisanti, Glenn De Baeremaeker, Justin J. Di Ciano, Frank Di Giorgio, Rob Ford, Mark Grimes, Stephen Holyday, Jim Karygiannis, Norman Kelly, Chin Lee, Giorgio Mammoliti, Frances Nunziata (Chair), Cesar Palacio, James Pasternak, Jaye Robinson, David Shiner, Michael Thompson, John Tory |
| Total members that were Absent: 1 | Members that were absent are Josh Matlow |
HL4.2 - Health Impacts of Expanded Gambling at Woodbine Racetrack
- Decision Type:
- ACTION
- Status:
- Amended
- Wards:
- All
Board Recommendations
The Board of Health recommends that:
1. City Council maintain its resolution of May 21, 2013 opposing expanded gambling in Toronto;
2. If City Council consents to expansion of gambling at the Woodbine Racetrack, that approval be conditional on implementation of the following mitigation measures to be met by OLG and any future private operators:
a. Require the facility to maintain all existing and planned Responsible Gambling measures; and
b. That hours of operation be limited to no more than 18 hours a day.
Decision Advice and Other Information
The Board of Health forwarded the report (May 15, 2015) from the Medical Officer of Health to the Executive Committee for information when it considers the issue of Expanded Gambling at Woodbine Racetrack.
Origin
Summary
At its meeting of March 31 to April 2, 2015, City Council authorized the City Manager to conduct a public consultation and prepare a report for the June 30, 2015 meeting of Executive Committee on the merits and potential risks of expanded gambling at Woodbine Racetrack (Woodbine). Council also requested the Medical Officer of Health (MOH) to report to the Board of Health (BOH) on any public health impacts of expanding gambling at Woodbine.
In 2013, Council considered a report from the City Manager on the financial, economic development, social and planning implications of a new gambling site in downtown Toronto or from expanded gambling at Woodbine. Toronto Public Health (TPH) prepared a number of reports to the BOH in advance of Council's deliberation on the matter that explored the issue from a public health perspective. These reports concluded that the most important public health impact of gambling expansion is its association with increases in problem gambling and related negative impacts on individuals, families and communities. The BOH recommended to Council that based on health evidence, gambling should not be expanded in the City of Toronto. The BOH also endorsed the TPH Position Statement on Gambling and Health, which outlined ten measures to mitigate harm should gambling expansion be approved. In May 2013, City Council opposed both the creation of a new downtown casino and expanded gambling at Woodbine.
In 2013, the Ontario Lottery & Gaming Corporation (OLG) indicated that, while changes to some mitigation approaches to gaming operation in Ontario were planned or underway, many of the recommended measures were not feasible or consistent with existing practices. In 2015, TPH reviewed the Responsible Gambling (RG) practices currently in place at the Woodbine slots facility. OLG has implemented some promising RG practices and plans to evaluate their impact.
Evidence from the gambling research indicates that the best approach to preventing problem gambling in Toronto is to prevent expansion of gambling access. However, should gambling expansion be approved, TPH has recommended that requiring any future private operator at Woodbine to maintain existing RG measures and reducing hours of operation should be implemented as a condition of City Council’s approval.
Background Information
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2015/hl/bgrd/backgroundfile-80215.pdf
Attachment 1: Toronto Public Health Position Statement on Gambling and Health
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2015/hl/bgrd/backgroundfile-80216.pdf
Communications
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2015/hl/comm/communicationfile-52923.pdf
Speakers
Jason Applebaum, Principal, Responsible Gambling Services
Councillor Vincent Crisanti
Motions
That the Board of Health refer item HL4.2 to the Executive Committee on June 30, 2015, with the request that the Executive Committee direct the Acting City Manager to report directly to Council with additional information on how the limitation of the hours of operation to 18 hours a day, as proposed by the Medical Officer of Health in his report of May 15, 2015, would affect the operations of the casino, the scope of prospective operators and the economic viability of the proposal, including the financial impacts to the City.
That the Board of Health forward this report to the Executive Committee for information when it considers the issue of Expanded Gambling at Woodbine Racetrack.