Casino Expansion - email your objection before Saturday, April 9th

Please write City Hall (mayorandcouncil@vancouver.ca) before the hearing on Saturday (April 9th) to oppose the expansion of gambling in Vancouver.  Included in the development of BC Place is the relocation and expansion of the Edgewater Casino to over two times its present size. 

Following are some points you might want to make and a couple of sample letters and links.

600 Edgewater casino employees may lose their jobs if the casino is not located to BC Place after its lease expires in 2013, but this does not compare with the 4.6 % of the population that are problem gamblers (20,000 people in the lower mainland) and 8% of the population that are at-risk gamblers (60,000 people in the lower mainland) which is a total of 80,000 problem/at-risk gamblers by the BC Lottery Corporation’s own accounts.   These numbers do not even include the disproportionate impact of gambling on low income households and youth.  The 600 casino jobs at stake pale in comparison to these numbers.  

The BC Place development is being presented as a package deal with an expanded casino.  We need to ask our councilors to look at the BC Place development without a casino or, as a compromise, with the same sized casino that will be relocating there.  

Paragon, the owner of the casion, gives $200,000 to a social responsibility fund now, and that will increase to $300,000 if the casino is expanded (3.1x the size, 2.5x the number of slot machines, and 2x the number of gaming tables).  Divide $300,000 by the number of problem/at-risk gamblers (80,000) and the social responsibility fund provides only $3.75 per problem/at-risk gambler.

The city’s own report acknowledges that casinos create opportunities for crime.  Richmond has experienced an increase in crime associated with the River Rock casino (e.g. http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=e0ba1ddf-e42e... ). 

The construction and electrical unions are supporting the development because of the jobs that will be created; however, the unions will support any development at BC Place without or without a casino.   This is important to note, otherwise it might be assumed they are pro-casino, when they are simply pro-development.  The unions are inflating the apparent yes vote when they would support any kind of development.

The planning department has not researched the impact of this particular project (i.e. the impact of casino expansion), only the general concept of an entertainment zone.

Here are a  couple of links to hearing summaries:

http://www.vancouverobserver.com/blogs/politicaljunkie/2011/03/07/l...

http://www.vancouversun.com/health/Competing+rallies+carve+territor...

The BC government’s summary of the project: http://www2.news.gov.bc.ca/news_releases_2009-2013/2011PSSG0028-000...

BC Lottery Corporation’s fact sheet: http://www.bclc.com/documents/Fact-Sheet-Relocating-Edgewater-Casin...

Here is a sample letter (emphasis added here):

Dear Mayor Robertson and Councilors,

Re:  Expansion of Edgewater Casino

We are writing to oppose the expansion of the Edgewater Casino. 

Whereas easy access to a casino increases problem gambling,[i] and your own estimates of peoblem gambling are 4.6% of the population,[ii] a significant expansion of the Edgewater Casino (from 660 to 1,500 slots, and from 75 tables to 150) will likely result in an increase in problem gambling to over 4.6% with percentages being higher among locals that frequent the casino.  Problem gambling is higher among youth, so the negative consequences of gambling may increase over time even without an expansion of gambling.

Your own report notes that there will be an increase in crime such as gang activity, fraud, money laundering, loan sharking, and other crime and that increased policing will be required.[iii]  Other studies have documented increased robberies,[iv] organized crime,[v] and corruption.[vi] 

Problem gamblers are more likely to have trouble paying their bills, feeding their children, and keeping their homes.  They have higher rates of suicide.  The wives of problem gamblers are more likely to be angry, have mental health issues, and commit suicide.  The children of problem gamblers are more likely to gamble, abuse substances, do poorly in school, be anxious, and commit suicide; sometimes children are left alone while their parents gamble.[vii]

No amount of revenue will fix these problems. It is council’s job to strengthen not weaken communities.  Increasing revenues is a means not the end....

[i] Goodman, Robert, June 13, 2007, testifying before Philadelphia Council’s Rules Committee.  Retrieved February 21, 2011, from http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5340854873840831873#

[ii]City of Vancouver Policy Report, January 4, 2011.  CD-1 Rezoning – 777 Pacific Boulevard (BC Place Hotel/Entertainment Complex), p. 15.  Retrieved February 21, 2011, from http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/cclerk/20110118/documents/p4.pdf

[iii] Ibid, p. 10

[iv]Williamson, C. Bennett and F. Stephen Bridges. Legalized Gambling and Crime in Canada. Psychological Reports, 2004 (95) p.747-753.  Retrieved February 27, 2011, from http://uwf.edu/hlsd/PR%20Gambling%20Canada.pdf

[v]Criminal Intelligence Service Canada, 2000.  Annual Report on Organized Crime in Canada . Retrieved February 27, 2011, from http://www.cisc.gc.ca/annual_reports/documents/2000_annual_report.pdf

[vi] Cosgrove, James F. and Thomas R. Klassen, 2009. Casino State: Legalized Gambling in Canada. Universtiy of Toronto Press.  Retrieved February 27, 2011, from http://books.google.ca/books?id=XB9ETTEpOi8C&printsec=frontcove...

[vii] Appleyard, Thomas, Gary Hoskins, and Brenda Teasell, January 1, 2004.  Problem Gambling and Child Welfare, Oacas Journal.  Retrieved February 28, 2011, from http://www.responsiblegambling.org/articles/Problem_Gambling_and_Ch...

Here is another more personal sample letter:

Dear Mayor Robertson and City Councilors:

I am writing to voice my concerns for the proposed BC Place development with an expansion of the Edgewater casino....

You've heard all of the statistics and so instead I will provide you with two stories that my family has encountered. The first one is of a relative who had borrowed over $150,000 from loan sharks to feed his gambling addiction. After not being able to pay his debts the lender sent representatives to his work to beat him up and to remind him of his obligations. This resulted in him fleeing the country for 10 years, leaving his wife and three children to fend for themselves on social assistance and losing their home. 

The other is a story of a 11 year old boy in my daughter's grade 5 class (2004/2005) losing both of his parents when his father set their house on fire due to an argument with his wife over gambling debts.  The two kids escaped with their grandparents before the house exploded.  The family moved back to Asia and the burnt house remained sealed for several years as a reminder to the neighbours of the tragedy of gambling. Our grade 5 teacher was on stress leave for the rest of the year.  

...Please consider carefully before you make your decision. There is no turning back if we expand gaming in Vancouver without considering the social and human costs.