The Town of Gananoque and the Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands each received a third‑quarter payment of $196,842 from the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) in January 2026 under OLG’s Municipality Contribution Agreement for hosting Shorelines Casino Thousand Islands.
According to the Town of Gananoque’s casino revenue allocation policy, the majority of municipal casino‑derived revenues are directed to capital works: 85% is allocated to the town’s capital infrastructure reserve to fund roads, water systems and municipal buildings. That allocation is intended to help offset infrastructure costs that might otherwise be paid from taxation.
The town also directs 5% of casino‑derived revenue to a Community Grants program. Local reporting shows Shorelines‑related donations (for example through the casino’s PROUD committee) have supported organizations such as Royal Canadian Legion Branch 92; the town’s community grants program is used to support local non‑profits and events (the town maintains program guides and application materials on its website).
Local reporting and OLG documentation note that these host‑community payments are an important, non‑tax source of municipal funding for the region. Historical reporting places life‑to‑date host‑community receipts in the tens of millions: sources vary on whether figures are combined or per municipality, and the cumulative totals change over time — for example, a 2026 Recorder & Times article reported cumulative payments of $34,274,437 to each community as of that date.
Shorelines Casino Thousand Islands is operated by Great Canadian Entertainment (formerly Great Canadian Gaming Corporation). OLG’s payments to host communities are made under a standardized, graduated formula in the Municipality Contribution Agreement.
