For Immediate Release:
August 11, 2010
Queen’s Park – Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Toby Barrett says the McGuinty government’s idea to roll out online gambling is a revenue grab on the backs of low-income Ontarians.
“We have a government who has plunged our province into a $20 billion record deficit and their answer is to use $400 million from people who can least afford it,” Barrett said. “And after two consecutive scandals at the Ontario Lottery Gaming Commission, who in their right mind would trust McGuinty and gang to manage online gambling?”
Barrett said it is estimated that $400 million is currently being gambled away by Ontarians on websites and now the government wants in on the action.
“We have government for a reason. We have police for a reason,” Barrett said. “If we are losing all this money to illegal gambling, then go after the criminals rather than take a slack-jawed approach of ‘if you can´’t beat ’em, join ’em.”
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For more information, please contact MPP Toby Barrett at
(519) 428-0446 or (905)-765-8413, 1-800-903-8629