Gambling News From British Columbia And Alberta

There is gambling news from two provinces in Canada and both are negative in a way.

The first item is from British Columbia. Two years ago a proposed was mooted to allow slot machines on ferries operating in the province in order to generate additional revenue. People traveling between Vancouver Island and the Canadian mainland had hoped that they would get some entertainment while in transit. Unfortunately the proposal has been finally scrapped. For once the reasons were not the usual social ones like gambling addiction or underage gambling. The British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC), which was to be the implementing agency, completed the business analysis and found that the proposal is likely to lose about a quarter million dollars. The cost components include the costs of the equipment, staff to oversee the slot machines, IT services to keep them running and likely sharing of revenue with Washington State as some routes travel through American waters. The expected revenue falls short of these costs. Some social issues were also cited. There was a possibility of children being left unattended while parents played the slots machines and of disputes over winnings. The report stated that these “issues carry the potential to damage the reputation of BC Ferries and BCLC, as well as cause delays in the boarding and disembarking of passengers on the vessel.” The need for augmenting revenues remains and the province is open to examine other suggestions.

The other cancellation of sorts came from Alberta. Earlier this this year, the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission (AGLC) sought to examine the availability of interested and capable vendors for providing an online gaming solution. Spokeswoman for AGLC Michelle Hynes-Dawson stated that this was merely an exercise to see what was available and not to award a contract. However, it raised interest both among online gaming vendors and citizens of Alberta. Again, this expectation was belied. The office of the Provincial Finance Minister Joe Ceci released a statement indicating that at this time online gambling was not the prime focus of the government. The spending bills currently coming to the legislators have to be given priority. The issue has not been given up and would be considered later in the year. But MLA Brian Mason has already raised opposition to the online gambling proposal claiming that it is a “crass attempt” to generate more revenue by exploiting those who have addictions and weaknesses.

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