When will our ship come in?
Mark Pavilons

As a regular lottery player, I'd like to think my hardearned cash is going to a good cause.

The fancy ad campaigns presented to the masses show people doing their "happy dances" after winning the jackpot. The messages are further sweetened with mention of millions upon millions being directed towards hospitals and various charities.

It's all a very rosy picture to be sure.

The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation Act of 1999 dictates that gaming proceeds be directed to hospitals, charities, sport and cultural activities, etc. Non-profits benefit from their fair share through the Ontario Trillium Foundation, charged with dishing out a "guaranteed" $100 million annually.

OLG revenues also go to the horse racing industry, First Nations and to municipalities who host OLG gaming operations.

There are the close to 30,000 jobs created at Ontario's casinos and we all know that jobs are good for everyone.

Millions are also spent on "problem gambling" and programs to help the public with their addiction.

All sounds very generous and quite altruistic. For those who haven't figured it out yet, the lotteries are a tax on those who can't do math.

While I enjoy the weekly anticipation of hitting the big one, I do understand the odds.

I'm more likely to die of flesh-eating disease (1 in 1 million) or being killed by lightning (1 in 56,439). The best analogy is this: you're blindfolded holding a pin and there's one ant running around somewhere on a football field. Your chance of piercing that ant is roughly the same as winning the Lotto 6/49 jackpot.

I wonder how many unlucky stiffs were hurt or killed driving to buy their weekly lottery tickets.

But like an obedient serf, I dutifully purchase my share of tickets, helping to bolster the provincial government's coffers. The more money the government receives, the more good it can do, right? Paradise is just around the corner thanks to lottery players like me!

But not all is bliss in the land of plenty.

The OLG receives an estimated $6 billion in annual revenue. That figure should be remarkable, but many of us don't think about such trivial things.

Well, to put it in perspective, that's more than the GDP of 48 countries and island nations around the world.

From this vast amount, some $2 billion annually is profit. While it's a princely sum, one wonders why $4 billion is being spent on salaries, facilities, utilities, computer stuff, pens, paper, staples and golden handshakes. Boy, many are making a very good living on the backs of honest, hard-working citizens.

I guess we should be thankful for the billions we do receive.

These figures are, of course, from 2004/05. There simply aren't any figures available for the past year and a half. They're sitting on someone's desk at Queen's Park, waiting to be digested by enthusiastic summer readers. Or not.

It would be nice to see something more comprehensive than what appears on OLG's tax-supported Web site. Something like a balance sheet or audited statement. Too much to ask? I know it would take some doing, but surely there are a few dollars around to hire a team of outof work accountants.

Someone suggested that all of our ills could be solved by private lotteries, kind of like the former Irish Sweepstakes. Since the City of Toronto is in such dire straits, maybe Miller and the gang could create their own 50/50 draw - a weekly lottery that pays half to the winner, and half to the city. A couple of months of that, and the city would be back on its feet again, ready to tackle new financial challenges.

Why stop there?

Since it's proven to be a cash cow (I prefer the term Golden Fleece), why doesn't every municipality in the province set up its own game to generate much-needed revenue? We could have weekly events held at the local community centre, similar to the travelling roadshow that was Wintario many years ago. A debonair MC joined by the mayor and councillors could roll the drum and draw the winning numbers, supervised of course by local accounting firms. It could be broadcast on Rogers Cable to every Caledon household and we could turn it into some sort of reality TV show.

Like Dorothy and her three friends, we'd all be skipping merrily along the road paved with gold.

But $6 billion annually is no laughing matter. I think we loyal players deserve to see the goods and review the ledgers and spreadsheets. The public needs to see the figures, down to the last penny, to ensure we're getting a fair deal from our provincially licensed scheme to print money.

Just as publishing the names of winners is "important to demonstrate the integrity of our lottery games," I think publishing a financial statement is equally important.

Balance sheet or not, I will uphold my duty as an Ontario resident, to support my fellow men and women, by purchasing my weekly lottery ticket!