The fall in US visitors is being blamed for full-time employees at the two casinos in Niagara being offered a financial compensation package for voluntary resignation. This follows the freeze on wages announced last week. Workers have until 16 May to decide whether to take the offer, which will provide three weeks pay for every year worked in the casinos but caps the offer to 26 weeks.

The casino operators want to change the 65% full-time workers to a higher percentage of part-time staff. High fuel prices have deterred the American gamblers and casino profits are expected to fall this summer. Casino Niagara and Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort are owned by the Ontario government but operations are conducted and managed by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG).

OLG operates 23 gaming facilities with a daily average of over 66,000 patrons (third quarter of fiscal 2007/2008 to December 2007). Gaming revenue for the period was over $500 million and the resort casinos at Niagara, Windsor and Rama contributed just under $340 million. The Ontario Government receives 20% of gross gaming revenue from resort casinos and 100% of net profits from Casino Windsor, Casino Niagara and Niagara Fallsview. Casino patronage was around 55,000 per day. (E-05.06.08)

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