Bingo-hall brouhaha threatens to embroil city hall
By:Frances Bula, Vancouver Sun . Published: Thursday, May 22, 2008
Original Article here
Vancouver is about to enter the bingo-hall wars that have swept the rest of the province.
The city's only bingo hall has asked to move to a new site and become a "community gaming centre" with slot machines and a liquor licence, a model that the B.C. Lottery Corp. developed and is encouraging for the province's 32 bingo halls.
So far 12 have switched over already, four others have recently been approved by their local councils, at least one proposal has been turned down in Coquitlam, and Vancouver is now going to have to decide what it will do.
Decisions have been very contentious in many communities, since any suggestion of gaming expansion brings out strong opponents. But members of charitable organizations that get a part of the profits from bingo usually show up in high numbers to argue that they will be seriously hurt if the conversion isn't allowed.
"It has become so ingrained in a lot of these charities," said Coun. Jordan Bateman, the only council member in Langley who voted last November against allowing its bingo hall to convert. "They're sliding down a slippery slope."
Surrey council, in a rare close vote of 5-4, voted last month in favour of allowing its existing bingo hall to proceed to an application for rezoning, in part because the company that runs it also promised to put in $25 million worth of renovations to the dilapidated mall where the bingo hall currently operates. While it's still not a sure thing, it has passed the first hurdle, to the dismay of councillors like Marvin Hunt.
"The more slot machines get into the neighbourhood, the more we're going to see problems with gambling."
All indications are that Vancouver's Planet Bingo will not get a warm reception for its proposal, with councillors from both sides of the fence saying they are wary of the idea for several reasons.
"I am very concerned with that expansion of gambling," said Vision Vancouver Coun. Raymond Louie. Louie said the city reluctantly approved the idea of having more slot machines at the Gateway Casino on the understanding that when it moved into new premises at some future date, it would make room for the bingo operators. That way, the bingo wouldn't be forced to put in slots itself as a way of trying to guarantee its financial future.
Non-Partisan Association Coun. Peter Ladner also said that he is not inclined to support the proposal, although he said he needs to hear from all of the proponents and opponents. But he said the site that Planet Bingo has asked about is on industrial land, at the corner of Clark and Great Northern Way near the terminus of the Millennium Line.
"That is part of the False Creek Flats where I would like to see a high-tech village and a lot of other people would too, not bingo."
He also said an expansion of slots right into a residential neighbourhood -- the other side of Clark Drive is residential -- concerns him.
Greg Walker, B.C. Lottery Corp.'s vice-president of public affairs, said the statistics on bingo halls that have converted to community gaming centres show that bingo revenues decline at first, but rebound within three to six months. That's crucial for the charities involved, since they do not get any of the revenues from the added slot machines, only from the bingo operations that they always had access to.
fbula@png.canwest.com
Original Article here
Vancouver is about to enter the bingo-hall wars that have swept the rest of the province.
The city's only bingo hall has asked to move to a new site and become a "community gaming centre" with slot machines and a liquor licence, a model that the B.C. Lottery Corp. developed and is encouraging for the province's 32 bingo halls.
So far 12 have switched over already, four others have recently been approved by their local councils, at least one proposal has been turned down in Coquitlam, and Vancouver is now going to have to decide what it will do.
Decisions have been very contentious in many communities, since any suggestion of gaming expansion brings out strong opponents. But members of charitable organizations that get a part of the profits from bingo usually show up in high numbers to argue that they will be seriously hurt if the conversion isn't allowed.
"It has become so ingrained in a lot of these charities," said Coun. Jordan Bateman, the only council member in Langley who voted last November against allowing its bingo hall to convert. "They're sliding down a slippery slope."
Surrey council, in a rare close vote of 5-4, voted last month in favour of allowing its existing bingo hall to proceed to an application for rezoning, in part because the company that runs it also promised to put in $25 million worth of renovations to the dilapidated mall where the bingo hall currently operates. While it's still not a sure thing, it has passed the first hurdle, to the dismay of councillors like Marvin Hunt.
"The more slot machines get into the neighbourhood, the more we're going to see problems with gambling."
All indications are that Vancouver's Planet Bingo will not get a warm reception for its proposal, with councillors from both sides of the fence saying they are wary of the idea for several reasons.
"I am very concerned with that expansion of gambling," said Vision Vancouver Coun. Raymond Louie. Louie said the city reluctantly approved the idea of having more slot machines at the Gateway Casino on the understanding that when it moved into new premises at some future date, it would make room for the bingo operators. That way, the bingo wouldn't be forced to put in slots itself as a way of trying to guarantee its financial future.
Non-Partisan Association Coun. Peter Ladner also said that he is not inclined to support the proposal, although he said he needs to hear from all of the proponents and opponents. But he said the site that Planet Bingo has asked about is on industrial land, at the corner of Clark and Great Northern Way near the terminus of the Millennium Line.
"That is part of the False Creek Flats where I would like to see a high-tech village and a lot of other people would too, not bingo."
He also said an expansion of slots right into a residential neighbourhood -- the other side of Clark Drive is residential -- concerns him.
Greg Walker, B.C. Lottery Corp.'s vice-president of public affairs, said the statistics on bingo halls that have converted to community gaming centres show that bingo revenues decline at first, but rebound within three to six months. That's crucial for the charities involved, since they do not get any of the revenues from the added slot machines, only from the bingo operations that they always had access to.
fbula@png.canwest.com
May 30, 2008
May 30, 2008
May 30, 2008
May 30, 2008
May 30, 2008
May 30, 2008
May 30, 2008
May 26, 2008
May 26, 2008
May 26, 2008
May 22, 2008
May 22, 2008
May 22, 2008
Online Bingo | Denmark Bingo | German Bingo | Greek Bingo | Netherlands Bingo | Spanish Bingo | Free Bingo