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A Metroland Conunmty Newspaper Vol. 140 No; 34 Tuesday, July 13, 1999 40 Pages 750 (GsT included) iMohawk slot.machines almost ready Editorial Leftors Community Page Sports Class«ifioed Real Estate M T h. Champion 6 One-armed bandits are expected to bu in opera- tion witbin the next couple of weeks as Mohawk, Raceway goes Vegas-ityle, saya a manager witb 6n7 the Ontaio Lottery Corporation (OLC). Ini the firal sucb gaming partneisbip butween the OLC and the Ontario Jockey Club (OiC), the 750 aloI machines "I open aI the Campbellville race track by the end of the month, said marketing S manager Joe Fardell. 8 The 30,000-square-foot slot machine area, which Mr. Fardeil said is bright and colourful and 2 AA) resembles a Las Vegas casino, will bu die largest 0M facility operated by the OLC to date. "It's state of the art," he said. "If you've been 10 2 5 a Las Vegas casino, that's what it's like." 3n2 I size, however, ît's comparatively modest, but Mr. Fardell said he thinka that will appeal 10 patrons. *«It's not huge. You're not going 10 getl bat in il." The OLC currently operates one-armed bandits Ri *1 2 at privately-owned race tracks in Sarnia and 111 111 Widsorandbasplans 10 bring them 10 the OJC- operated tracks Woodbine and Fort Enie. ___________ The officiai opening date in Milton will be announced about 10 <laya in advance, Mr. Fardeli said Fniday. To accommodate the slots, the Oic has impIe- mented a $22 ifllion renovation that includes a new front entrance and floor in the slot machine area, said Nick Eaves, vice-president of marketing and gaming. The upgrades also feature a newly-renovated area for simulcast horse wagering. Seven day simulcasts Outside, new signs have been installed and improvements have been made 10 the parking lot. At press lime yesterday, the renovations were t0 be completed today, Mr. Eaves said. "We're really plea-sed," hie said. "The sIot machine area and the simulcast ares really go well together, and we've reslly softened up the outside of the building." Seeing race track slot machines as a vehicle with which 10 attract more patrons to horse wagering, the OJC partnered with the OLC in the venture. The Oic funded the renovations, but won't ben- efit from siot machine revenue. Simulcast wager- ing, however, will be open seven days a week year-round, except on Christmas Eve and SIot machine operation is expected 10 mun from 1l a.m. to 2 a.m. daily. I a proposed agreement between the provincial government and the municipality, the Town of Milton will receive 5 per cent of the revenue from the tirst 450 alot machines and 2 per cent fromn the remaining 300. With those numbers, the projected revenue for the municipahity will be more than $1 million, said Town treasurer Jim McQueen. The figures are pretty much "solid," he said, although the agreement is still under negotiation and bas yet to bu signed. Once a deal is officially reached and revenue estimates are confirmed, Mr. McQueen said he will work on a report 10 recommend how the money should bu allocated. He said local community groups are interested in receiving grants and the Region of Halton could have ils hands out if il bas 10 increase services such as policing as a result of the casino operation. Mr. Eaves bas said bu heard projections that the slot machines will attract as many as 2,000 patrons daily, but Mr. Fardell said an attendance figure is bard 10 predict. I INSIDE