Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. Contributes to Harrah's Fund

In the largest donation by a third party to date, the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. (OLGC) has donated C$250,000 (US$211,700) to the Harrah's Employee Recovery Fund, Harrah's Entertainment, Inc.

The OLGC, a crown agency of the Government of the Canadian province of Ontario, made the donation as part of a C$1 million (US$855,000) contribution to Hurricane Katrina relief efforts in the United States. The OLGC is the owner of Casino Windsor, which is operated by Harrah's.

"The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation's donation to the Harrah's Employee Recovery Fund is greatly appreciated," said Tim Wilmott, Harrah's chief operating officer and chairman of the Harrah's Foundation, which oversees the Employee Recovery Fund. "The OLGC's contribution to the recovery fund will certainly help Harrah's employees in their time of great need."

The Harrah's Employee Recovery Fund was seeded with a $1 million allocation by the Harrah's Foundation. To date, $2.18 million has been contributed to the fund, including nearly $500,000 from Harrah's employees.

The fund has also received numerous monetary donations from outside vendors, including:

* Brady Industries, $100,000;

* CIGNA, which has committed $25,000; and,

* A substantial contribution from International Game Technology (IGT).

In addition, Harrah's has received contributions of goods and services from many vendors in its hurricane recovery efforts, including PR Newswire and the Bernard Hodes Group.

"The lives of nearly 8,000 Harrah's employees were disrupted by this devastating storm," Wilmott said. "Thanks to the generosity of our business partners, our employees and members of the public, we can help supply the assistance our displaced employees need to begin the recovery process."