Loto-Quebec withdraws plan to open hundreds of video gaming machines near Bell Centre

Loto-Québec will not open video gaming machines in downtown Montreal, the Crown corporation announced on Tuesday.

The organization had planned to open around 300 video lottery terminals (VLTs) in the former Taverne 1909 restaurant, next to the Bell Centre.

In a press release, the corporation stated that "conditions are not favourable to its success."

This decision comes a day after a La Presse report revealed that Montreal Public Health (DRSP) was opposed to the project.

Although Loto-Québec says it respects the opinion of public health, the state-owned company considers it a "missed opportunity."

The organization claims to have proposed a "responsible" project "to reduce their accessibility and remove 600 VLTs currently located in bars in disadvantaged areas on the island of Montréal," the release stated.

"Loto-Québec understands that the Direction générale de la santé publique saw some aspects of the gaming hall's location as risky: the fact that it would have been right next to the Bell Centre in downtown Montréal, and would have been tied to Groupe CH, a highly visible and beloved brand."

In the opinion on Loto-Québec's project, posted on its website on Monday, the Montreal Public Health Department stated that it recommends "continuing the reduction in the number of sites" for VLTs 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 oversee gambling" in Quebec, in light of current knowledge and the challenges associated with gambling.

"We're convinced that revamping our land-based model would allow us to better meet today's challenges and needs. Not doing anything does not amount to a solution. Neither does reducing supply without providing new options to meet player demand," said Jean-François Bergeron, President and CEO of Loto-Québec, in the release.

"By no means does Loto-Québec's future rest solely on the proposed Bell Centre project, but we are disappointed that the project isn't going through."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Sept. 19, 2023.