Months of lobbying and fierce debate over the push for a downtown Toronto casino resort will come to a head on May 21.

Mayor Rob Ford has called a special council meeting on that date just to debate the casino issue. Council was to have debated city manager Joe Pennachetti’s casino report next at the regular monthly council meeting next Tuesday and Wednesday.

Ford said Wednesday he wanted a “full day of debate” and May 21 worked for most councillors, including those who oppose a casino. Asked if he can win the casino vote, Ford said: “Absolutely.”

He risks another big loss at council if his colleagues reject the massive downtown casino resort near the downtown waterfront that Ford says will bring thousands of well-paying jobs, new revenue for the city and badly needed convention space.

Council opponents, and grassroots opposition including the No Casino Toronto group, dismiss such promises as hype from the army of lobbyists hired by Nevada-based casino giants and that the social and economic harm would far outweigh any benefits.

Councillors fighting the casino proposal say council and public sentiment is firmly against a downtown casino, so Ford is delaying an inevitable loss.

“Why are they announcing the meeting now?,” said Mike Layton, whose Ward 19 Trinity-Spadina includes the Exhibition Place site touted along with Front St. W. as possible homes to the casino resort.

“But at least we have a date. Folks have been dragging their feet on this for months. Residents have sent me a clear message on how to vote on this and it’s against a downtown casino.”

Councillor Gord Perks accused Ford of abusing his power by pulling an item off the agenda of a regular council meeting, and has written to the city clerk’s office suggesting council put constraints on the rarely used power.

A Star survey of councillors suggests the downtown casino is a long-shot. Expanding gambling at Woodbine race track, which currently has 3,000 slot machines, to include gaming tables has much greater support.

Even Ford’s own executive committee was split on the casino issue, voting 9-4 to push the city manager’s report to council. Several of those who voted with Ford say any support is contingent upon roughly 50 conditions being met, including Toronto receiving a hosting fee of at least $100 million per year.

Councillors could know by May 21 what hosting fee Toronto stands to receive from Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp.

Upon orders from Premier Kathleen Wynne, OLG devised a funding formula equitable to all municipalities that could host casinos. Finance Minister Charles Sousa’s office received the new formula this week.

Layton predicted any formula approved by Wynne will give Toronto nowhere near the $100 million-plus Ford and his allies are demanding.

“Torontonians aren’t saying no because of the money – they’re saying no because of all the problems that a casino brings,” he said.

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OLG says there will be one new casino in the GTA, but it will not force one on an unwilling community.

If Toronto slams the door on a downtown casino, pressure will increase on other communities in the same “gaming zone” — south Mississauga and slices of Markham and Vaughan.

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