The OLG Scandal

Conrad Black and his four co-accused are now on trail for supposedly bilking his company of $80 million dollars (although it may be more of a case of tax evasion than outright theft) , while here in Ontario the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation has been swindled out of possibly $100 million or more and the OLG has done nothing about it. Even though the police have now been called in after an expose by a TV show and a report from the Ontario ombudsman, chances are slim that charges will be laid because the OLG ignored any evidence of these crimes and has kept little in the line of documentation.

The head of the OLG has resigned but I'm sure he, like the two disgraced heads of Ontario Hydro before him, will receive a large severance package for a job poorly done.

Lotteries and games of chance have been called a tax on the stupid but everyone likes to indulge in the fantasy of instant riches at least once in awhile. But it seems that the chances of winning were much less as this fraud was carried out.

I remember when the only real lottery available was the Irish Sweepstakes and even it was illegal and other lottery type games were called "the numbers racket" and run by criminal elements. But of course the government recognized another way to suck money from the public and got involved in gambling. Who knew that the illegal operations would turn out to be the more honest ones?

I only occasionally buy lottery ticket but will no longer do so. If you still want to try for a major win, I would suggest buying tickets on the local Rotary Home draw or The Heart and Stroke or similar lotteries. The draws are held less often and thought the tickets are more expensive and the prizes may be smaller , they are still substantial and the odds of winning are far better with the proceeds going to support good causes. And they have proven to be more honest than anything the OLG is involved in.