Niagara Falls mayor pushing for free drinks at Ontario casinos

CTV Toronto: Tough times for Ontario casinos Toronto mayor wants the law to change to allow casinos to serve free alcohol. Paul Bliss explains why.

With the number of visitors to Ontario casinos plummeting, the mayor of Niagara Falls is asking the province's finance minister to change regulations to allow free alcohol in casinos.

The request comes in response to a dip of nearly 2.8 million patrons to Ontario casinos over the last four years. Gaming revenue has also plunged approximately $101 million over that same time period.

In 2010 Ontario casinos had a total number of approximately 16,717,000 patrons. That number has since dipped to approximately 13,943,000 in 2014.

"Since 9-11 the passport restriction has really put a dent in our business," Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. (OLG) spokesperson, Tony Bitonti, told CTV Toronto.

U.S. citizens now need a passport to cross the Canadian border, which has really hampered Ontario casinos. A lot of casinos have also opened up on the U.S. side of the border and many of them offer free drinks.

"Offering free beverages is a little bit of a bonus," Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati told CTV Toronto. "So if the person is going to be losing some money, at least they can justify it by… 'At least I didn’t have to buy my drinks while I was there.'"

Caesars Windsor Hotel and Casino has been attempting to stay competitive with U.S. businesses by booking high-profile performers for its nearly 5,000-seat coliseum.

With a report from CTV Toronto's Paul Bliss