Loto-Québec will not open a gaming hall in downtown Montreal, the state-owned company announced Tuesday. The organization’s plan was to open the establishment with hundreds of slot machines in the premises of the former Taverne 1909 restaurant, adjacent to the Bell Centre.
The state-owned company indicated, in a press release, that “the conditions are not met to ensure the success of the approach”.
This decision comes the day after the publication of an article in La Presse, which revealed that the Regional Public Health Directorate (DRSP) of Montreal was opposed to the project. The establishment would have included 350 slot machines, in a busy area of the metropolis.
Even if Loto-Québec says it respects the opinion of the DRSP, the state company considers that this is a “missed appointment”.
The organization claims to have proposed a “responsible” project, which “planned to reduce accessibility to gambling by removing 600 video lottery terminals (ALV) installed in bars located in disadvantaged areas of the island of Montreal” , we can read in a press release released by Loto-Québec on Tuesday.
“Loto-Québec understands that certain elements linked to the location of the gaming hall further amplify the risks in the eyes of Public Health: its location in downtown Montreal, in a premises adjacent to the Bell Centre, and its association with Groupe CH , a brand as well-known as it is appreciated,” the organization also affirmed in the same document.
In the notice on Loto-Québec’s project, posted Monday on its website, Montreal Public Health indicates that it instead recommends “continuing to reduce the number of ALV sites” by ceasing to grant permits for the operation of this type of device.
The DRSP also calls for the establishment of an “independent body to supervise games of chance and money” in Quebec, in light of current knowledge and the challenges associated with gambling.
“We are convinced that we must review the model of our land offering so that it better responds to current challenges and needs. Doing nothing is not a solution. Reducing our offer without offering an alternative to meet player demand is not an option either,” said Jean-François Bergeron, president and CEO of Loto-Québec, in a press release.
“The destiny of Loto-Québec is far from resting solely on the Bell Center project, although we are disappointed that it will not come to fruition,” he added.