ON - Ombudsman report on gambling url
The report ‘A game of Trust: Investigation into the Ontario Lottery
and Gaming Corporation’ s Protection of the Public From Fraud and Theft
can be viewed on line at:
ED: I read this report last night and am gob-smacked at how much money (public funds in Ontario) have been spent either paying out ’suspicious insider lottery winners’ or doing a pr job on the public. Given how cash-deprived health and social services are in Ontario it is amazing how this can go on. Be prepared for a spike in blood pressure if you read the report.
I do not think that the OPP is right the body to be investigating this issue due to the conflicted role of OLG’s Michael Sharland (former OPP until last week). As the feds. do get their cut of gambling revenues from the provinces each year perhaps it should be done by the RCMP - not that the RCMP don’t have their ‘issues’.
I also do not think that the Alcohol and Gaming Corporation of Ontario (AGCO), where former OLG CEO Duncan Brown worked, is the right ‘independent’ body to be regulating the lottery in Ontario. If the Ombudsman (Andre Marin) examined AGCO ‘corporate’ culture I expect it is much the same as OLC - it is an old boys network in my opinion (as many of the crown corps. are). And as much as Duncan Brown may feel hard done by he did get a 720K + benefits severance package (again public funds). I don’t believe he should be the only ‘fall-guy’ but know that the former Conservative government contributed to the existing corporate culture at OLG.
This report is making waves across Canada (though I haven’t seen any coverage of this from a ‘western’ Canadian angle). However the Atlantic Lottery Corp. is taking action, Quebec is too. It ain’t over yet.
