Gambling is a major employer in Canada, as it is in Sault Ste. Marie.

A year-long study released by the Canadian Gaming Association says gaming is the country's largest and most economically significant employment industry.

HLT Advisory Inc. Determined gambling employs more than 135,000 Canadians directly and 267,000 in jobs supported by the industry. Those 267,000 jobs represent a payroll of $11.6 billion.

In Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario Lottery and Gaming data show that as of July 2007, 909 people were employed in the gaming industry locally: 566 at corporate headquarters on Foster Drive and 343 at Casino Sault Ste. Marie. That's an annual payroll of $48 million, said OLG spokesperson Don Pister.

"Gaming has grown significantly over the past decade to become an essential pillar of the entertainment industry in Canada," said Bill Rutsey, president and CEO of the Canadian Gaming Association, which represents the industry's leading operators, manufacturers, supplies and other stakeholders.

"Our mandate is to give the public a better understanding of gaming and this study shows just how big gaming is and its economic impact," Rutsey said in a telephone interview with The Sault Star.

But critics dismissed the findings as "one-sided," saying most of the money comes from problem gamblers.

"We know that a lot of money changes hands and there's a fair bit of employment and economic revenue from gambling, but the real question is: 'Does that offset the social costs, problem gambling first and foremost?' " said Robert Williams, a professor at University of Lethbridge in Alberta and a prominent researcher on problem gambling.

"Is it legitimate to be taking that money from a very small segment of vulnerable people to serve the greater good?"

Rutsey said about five per cent of the population is opposed to gaming, "primarily for moral reasons."

The HLT study will provide information so people can make rational judgments, he said.

Rutsey is "a little surprised" by the impact when supported jobs are factored into the equation.

"Gaming is a major employer in the country," he said, noting that over the past 10 years gaming has increased 127 per cent across Canada, mostly with the growth of casinos and casino-style gaming.

While Rutsey expects industry growth to slow, broadening the attraction base in areas that have casino properties would provide an 'opportunity' for growth, he said.

Nevada receives about 60 per cent of its revenue from non-gaming sources with the creation of other entertainment venues, hotels, restaurants and retail outlets complementing the gaming industry, he said.

Current provincial government policy allows no more property development for casinos, he said. Instead, the government has said it will work on maximizing the potential of its present gaming facilities.

Ontario has the most gaming industry jobs in Canada, at 102,236.

Other study findings:

ø gaming contributes $15.3 billion to the economy directly, with 57 per cent of that revenue going to support government programs and services and charities.

ø 43%, or $6.6 billion, goes toward sustaining operations and is used to purchase goods and services;

ø there has been almost $10 billion in industry investment in capital construction, 49 per cent of that occurring in Ontario;

ø gaming is the second-largest economic contributor to the hospitality sector, second only to full-service restaurants;

ø the industry generates about $721 million in non-gaming revenue, such as food, beverage and entertainment;

ø the industry spends $74.3 million on promotion of responsible gaming, including gambling treatment, research and awareness, more than any other jurisdiction in the world. A further $16 million is spent on responsible gambling initiatives.
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