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Ronna Goldberg: the driver behind annual All Seniors Care Seniors Games
Ronna GoldbergBy MYRON LOVE
The residents of the Shaftesbury Retirement Home recently participated – along with their compatriots across Canada – in the 11th annual All Seniors Care (ASC) Seniors Games. Games organizer Ronna Goldberg reports that – in total – over 4,000 seniors – living in ASC’s 31 assisted living facilities in five Canadian provinces took part in the games that are held in the first week of February.
“Every year, we choose a different theme,” says Goldberg who is the ASC national event planner and community engagement person. “This year, the theme was tradition.”
(She observes that every retirement residence has its own personality reflecting the make-up of its residents.)
Each residence, she continues, created its own song based on the music from “My Favourite Things” from “The Sound of Music”. Thus, at the Shaftesbury with its large Jewish population, she points out, there was a lot of emphasis on Chanukah and Purim.
The week of activities, she reports, began with a non-competitive “Walk and Roll” exercise – modeled on the Boston Marathon. Residents walk or roll in their wheelchairs through the halls of their facilities. Other activities throughout the week included bocce and the similar petanque atout, Wi bowling, ladder golf, shuffle board and billiards.
On Friday, the last day of the competition, the focus, Goldberg notes, is on cognitive skills with participants trying their hand at Jeopardy, bridge or cribbage.
Each seniors games begins with an opening ceremony and ends with a closing ceremony at which the theme song is sung and – for the closing – in addition to the awards given out, representatives of all three levels of government are invited – generally the local representatives in each of the areas in Canada where the residences are located. Each residence also receives letters from the Prime Minister’s Office and from the Governor-General.
“It is really great to see the faces of our seniors,” Goldberg says. “They are so excited to be able to show that they can still function competitively. There is a lot of laughter and a great sense of camaraderie. It leaves me kvelling.”
Goldberg has been organizing the games and other activities for ASC for the past 12 years. Some readers however may recognize her name though from her previous incarnation as the proprietor of “Mindscape” on Corydon. Goldberg opened “Mindscape” shortly after coming to Winnipeg in the 1980s. Originally from Chicago, she met her future (and former) husband – who was from Winnipeg – on a kibbutz – and came here to begin her married life.
Initially, she worked for a time for the Folk Arts Council and the Winnipeg Jewish Community Council (as the Federation was then known).
“When I first moved to Winnipeg, this was still a conservative city in terms of business,” she recalls. “There were no evening hours and businesses were closed on Sundays.”
Her first idea for a business venture was to open a clothing store. “My husband suggested that I take a year to study the market and find a niche,” she says. “Mindscape specialized in cards and paper products. When I opened, I started with beautiful cards and paper products. I soon learned that customers wanted clever, funny or goofy rather than beautiful.”
Goldberg closed “Mindscape” in 2008 after 25 years in business. While contemplating the next stage in her life, a former customer who was the executive director at the Shaftesbury asked her for help planning programs at the facility.
“I had had some experience planning corporate events while operating Mindscape,” she says. “So I went pt the Shaftesbury and was soon asked to be the event planner for the entire organization.”
While the Seniors Games may generate the most publicity, Goldberg also organizes a number of other regular activities for the ASC residents throughout the year – and several of them involve outreach. For example, just before Christmas, residents at all the ASC facilities are encouraged to make Christmas cards and put together packages to send to Canadian soldiers stationed abroad as well as homeless veterans being housed at Cockrell House, a place in Victoria that provides safe transitional housing and social services to help ex-military personnel integrate back into society in a healthy way.
The ASC residents also provide cookies for the homeless in their communities at Christmas and chocolates and cards for the homeless and the bedridden for Valentine’s Day. “It makes the recipients feel that somebody cares,” Goldberg notes. “We also provide enough cookies so that the homeless recipient can share with others for Christmas.”
Coming up will be Earth Day activities on April 22nd. “We will be having silent auctions and other activities with nature themes to raise money for planting trees in each province where he have residences,” she explains. “A few months ago, we had a ‘Toonies for Trees’ campaign and we will be adding those dollars to the money we raise on Earth Day.
“Our programs help our residents to feel that they are still able to make a difference in the world,” she observes. “When I was in business, my focus was in selling my products. Now, my goal is to create wonderful experiences for the residents. I am working harder now than ever to create activities that everyone will enjoy.”
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Volatility, Hit Frequency, and RTP: Why the Number Casinos Advertise Is the Least Useful One
The return to player percentage looks clean as a casino data point. It gives players a neat number, usually around 94% to 97% for many online slots, and that number feels easy to compare. A 96.5% game appears better than a 95.2% game. The problem starts when players treat RTP as a forecast for their next 50 spins or one evening.
You may find the RTP listed on slot pages on a leading online casino in Ontario, but the number only tells part of the story. Two games can share the same RTP and create different sessions: one may return small wins often, while the other may drain a balance before one bonus round changes everything.
The RTP Trap
Return to player (RTP) measures the theoretical share of total wagers a game returns across a very large number of rounds. In plain terms, a 96% RTP slot returns about $96 for every $100 wagered in the long run. That does not mean one player who deposits $100 should expect $96 back.
The trap sits in the word “theoretical.” RTP comes from the game’s math model. It works across huge samples, not personal sessions. A player can finish far above that percentage, far below it, or with nothing left after a short run of poor results.
Is it useless then? No, RTP can still help. It gives a baseline cost of play. Lower-RTP games cost more on average than higher-RTP games. Still, once a game passes a reasonable threshold, the next question matters more: how does it distribute that return?
Hit Frequency: The Number That Shapes Session Feel
Hit frequency tells you how often a game produces a winning outcome. This often misleads players because any win can count. A spin that returns $0.10 on a $1 bet may still count as a hit, even though the player lost $0.90 in real terms.
A game can feel active because symbols connect often, sounds play, and the screen keeps celebrating small returns. The balance may still fall. In many modern slots, “win” does not always mean profit on the spin.
Hit frequency answers one practical question: how much silence can you tolerate? Some players dislike long dry spells. Others accept quieter sessions because they chase bonus rounds or larger payouts.
The educational site Get Gambling Facts gives a useful distinction: RTP concerns the percentage of money returned over time, while hit frequency concerns how often a machine stops on a winning combination.
Volatility: The Risk Label Players Need More Often
Volatility, also called variance, describes how unevenly a game pays. Low-volatility games tend to return smaller amounts more often. High-volatility games hold more value in rare events: bonus rounds, premium symbols, multipliers, or jackpots.
Here is where RTP becomes less useful on its own:
- A 96% low-volatility slot may give modest returns and longer play from the same balance.
- A 96% high-volatility slot may burn through funds quickly unless the player hits a strong feature.
- A progressive jackpot game may look exciting, but it often places more value on rare top prizes.
The same RTP can hide very different risk profiles. Players who ignore volatility often blame the casino or the game when the session follows its math design.
Why the Same RTP Can Feel So Different
Picture two slots with 96% RTP. Slot A pays small wins on many spins, has a modest top prize, and rarely creates dramatic balance swings. Slot B pays less often but offers a large max win and volatile bonus rounds. The advertised return matches, but the experience does not.
Slot A may suit a player who wants a slower bankroll drop and more regular feedback. Slot B suits someone who accepts sharper losses in exchange for a shot at a heavier payout.
A Better Way to Read a Slot Page
Most slot pages give players more clues than they notice. The trick is to read the details together rather than chase the highest percentage.
Start with RTP. If two games look similar, the higher number has better long-term value. Then check volatility. If the game uses terms such as high, very high, or extreme variance, lower your bet size or expect shorter sessions. Next, look at the paytable. A huge max win usually means the game saves a lot of its value for rare outcomes.
A sensible pre-play check looks like this:
- RTP: What is the average long-term return?
- Volatility: How rough can the session become?
- Hit frequency: How often will the game show any wins?
- Paytable: Where does most value sit?
To Conclude
Casinos advertise RTP because it looks objective, tidy, and easy to rank. Players should read it, but they should not give it more authority than it deserves. For long sessions, volatility may matter more than a small RTP difference. For comfort, hit frequency may explain the feel better than the payback rate.
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The Popularity of Simpler Slot Games in 2026: Review From Casino Online CrazyTower Experts
Online casinos now fill their libraries with numerous video slots that have dozens of functions, long bonus rounds, complex mechanics, and so on. Interestingly, despite this huge range of modern options, many Canadian visitors at sites like Casino Online CrazyTower here https://crazytower.com/ca/ no longer want complicated gameplay that requires constant attention and long explanations.
Simpler slots now attract a wider audience because they save time and create faster sessions. So, let’s figure out why this change happened and reasons for the popularity of simpler machines.
Why Many Players Are Returning to Basic Gameplay
Modern websites like Casino Online CrazyTower pushed complex video slots for years, but many people now prefer classic formats again. Simple gameplay has fewer interruptions and is simpler in terms of budgeting, which is important when you gamble for fun.
These are a few potential reasons explain why simpler slots became popular again in 2026:
- Faster rounds. Symbols appear quickly, and rounds continue without long animations or extended bonus sequences.
- Easier controls. Most classic slots have simple menus and familiar layouts that don’t confuse new visitors.
- Smaller feature lists. Simple slots usually have standard wilds, scatters, and multipliers instead of dozens of random mechanics.
- Better session flow. People spend more time on gameplay instead of reading explanations about symbols and special functions.
- Lower visual pressure. Simpler slots use calmer designs and shorter effects that don’t overload attention.
Classic gameplay also suits mobile devices better because shorter rounds work well on smaller screens. Plus, many visitors now prefer games that start instantly and explain their mechanics within seconds.
Features That Make Simpler Slots Appealing
Simple machines at Casino Online CrazyTower and similar websites continue to attract attention because they have a high gameplay speed. Many classic titles also replicate older casino machines that people already know from physical casinos.
However, these aren’t the only factors that attract gamblers. So, check out this list:
- Short bonus rounds. Free spins and multipliers finish quickly instead of interrupting gameplay for several minutes.
- Common and standard paylines. Traditional layouts help people understand payouts without long explanations.
- Faster loading times. Simpler graphics reduce waiting time on phones, tablets, and older computers.
- Stable gameplay pace. Long cutscenes and constant pop-up notifications don’t interrupt the session.
- Traditional themes. Fruit symbols, bars, sevens, and classic casino designs still attract large audiences.
- Smaller menus. Important information appears immediately without complicated tabs or hidden sections.
Modern video slots often contain too many mechanics in a single game. Developers now combine expanding reels, random modifiers, mission systems, tournaments, and multiple bonus levels in one title. Many visitors lose interest because gameplay turns repetitive and overloaded with constant interruptions.
Compare this to a session when you get results immediately and aren’t interrupted. These still have free spins and even mini risk games, but not as loaded as innovative titles.
Conclusion
Simple slots usually create better replay value because people understand the mechanics immediately. Common and standard gameplay doesn’t cause frustration and allows faster decisions during casino sessions.
Many classic slots also function better during short breaks because rounds finish quickly without long bonus interruptions. That’s why simpler slots became popular again at many casinos, including Casino Online CrazyTower and such.
