The LCBO made some remarkable news last week: 2025 will be the first year in a decade that Ontario’s government liquor stores will turn over less than $2 billion to provincial coffers .

Most of the analysis so far is that this is due to expanding the sale of beer, wine and ready-to-drink beverages to convenience, grocery and big-box stores.

The real answer is much more complex than that and includes regulatory changes, fewer people drinking or drinking less, and the issue few want to talk about – bad management.

The LCBO still has a monopoly on the retail of liquor in Ontario, and until late last year with the expansion of beer and wine sales had a near monopoly on wine sales as well. Still, despite this, the amount that the LCBO has been handing over to the province as part of their

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