Ontario Metis want cut of gaming revenue

Ontario’s Metis want to negotiate a cut of the Liberal government’s gaming revenue just like the province’s First Nations and make the province the second in Canada to use the proceeds from casinos and lotteries to help Metis businesses।

Tony Belcourt, president of the Metis Nation of Ontario, said there’s no reason Ontario can’t follow the example of Saskatchewan and share gambling revenues with the Metis.
Under a current deal which expires in 2011, some First Nation communities get a cut of the revenue generated by Casino Rama near Orillia, Ont।, which works out to an average of $60 million a year.

After several years of negotiation, Ontario recently offered First Nations $2।5 billion from gaming revenues over the next 20 years for community health care, education and infrastructure. The offer was rejected in a vote of Ontario chiefs.

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