Speaking of Doug Ford, here's just another example of how out-of-touch and how callous the man is.
Yesterday, Ford announced he is slashing the tax rate for casinos, specifically in the Niagara region, as part of his Destination Niagara push to develop the already highly-developed area. He is setting the gambling tax rate at 9.75% for the Niagara region (can he actually do that, set different tax rates for different areas?) The current rate is not publicly known (which is also pretty sketchy) but is thought to be upward of 40%. So this is a big deal, and designed to attract other "world class gaming operators" to the area, which already has distinct low-class circus vibes.
Think of that what you will, but this announcement comes at a time when problem gambling, addiction and associated suicides are spiking in Ontario, particularly after the recent expansion of online casinos. Problem gambling and addiction have tripled in the last 8 years, with some 130,000 Ontarians now showing signs of gaming problems. This July, Ontario (along with Alberta) legalized online gambling run by private companies, and that led to a noticeable spike in cases, following another spike in 2022 when Ontario legalized private physical casinos.
And this is the point at which Ford decides to introduce policies to make gambling and casinos even more ubiquitous! Compare this with the UK, which just increased its gambling tax from 20% to 25%, especially on those machines and stakes "more associated with gambling harm".
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