In 2009 the specialized casino police unit IIGET was disbanded weeks after it warned then Solicitor-General Rich Coleman that organized crime had infiltrated the gambling industry and was actively laundering money and loan sharking in casinos (see Appendix A).

By 2011 cash monitoring had deteriorated so severely that the BC Lottery Corporation was fined almost $700,000 by the federal agency FINTRAC for failure to control suspicious transactions at casinos.

“This is a complete systemic collapse of governance,” says Sandy Garossino, spokesperson for Vancouver Not Vegas. “There’s been no specialized policing presence in casinos for 5 years and organized crime has been brazenly active the whole time. BCLC has completely failed to control casino criminal activity.”

Vancouver Not Vegas renews its calls for former BCLC CEO Michael Graydon to be deemed unsuitable for employment with Paragon Gaming.  “Did Graydon know about this report when he jumped without warning from BCLC?” asks Garossino. “For at least 5 years Graydon knew organized crime was active in BC casinos, and completely failed to rein them in. Now he’s going to head a casino of his own?”

During the casino fight in 2011, 18 senior organized crime policing specialists submitted a letter which warned Vancouver City Council about rampant criminal activity of gangs and organized crime in casinos.
_______

Text media requests to:
Sandy Garossino 778-231-5230

See also:
Former Commander IIGET comments on casino oversight:
https://www.publiceyeonline.com/archives/004373.html
https://www.publiceyeonline.com/archives/004427.html
https://www.publiceyeonline.com/archives/004907.html

Appendix A:

Excerpted quotes from 2009 IIGET report on criminal activity in casinos (p 22):

“Canadian casinos are extremely vulnerable to money-laundering because they deal in cash and handle tens of millions of dollars every day.

Many investigations… have shown that members of organized crime use casinos for criminal purposes (e.g. loan sharking and money laundering) and that some of these criminal elements have successfully infiltrated the industry.

Since 2003 FINTRAC has sent several disclosure reports to the RCMP on suspicious transactions involving casinos… Anecdotally, police managers have suggested… nothing is being done to investigate these situations.”

(emphasis added)

Please sign our petition. In light of the recent Kendall Report on the rise in severe gambling addiction, we ask the City of Vancouver to refer the Edgewater Casino’s permit application back from the Development Permit Board (Dec. 16 meeting) to City Council for further review and a discussion about harm reduction. For more information, click “Read the petition.”

[emailpetition id=”1″]
[signaturelist id=”1″]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  Vancouver Not Vegas Issues Court Challenge to PavCo and Paragon BC Place Casino Plan

Details of lease agreement unclear for both City and Province

May 2, 2013, Vancouver:  Vancouver Not Vegas announced today that it will proceed with the action it filed in November 2011 in the BC Supreme Court challenging City Council’s approval of relocation of the Edgewater Casino to BC Place.

The decision to proceed with the action results from PavCo’s announcement that it has signed an agreement to lease with Paragon Gaming Corporation allowing construction of a casino on the BC Place site. There has been no public disclosure or public hearing concerning the terms of the Edgewater Casino proposal contrary to the BC Gaming Control Act Regulation.

Sandy Garossino, co-founder of Vancouver Not Vegas, says “this project has all the earmarks of a financial fiasco. Incredibly, the public knows even less about the Edgewater Casino proposal today than it did in 2010. Once again PavCo has announced a done deal to the public, only this time without even the courtesy of telling us what we are committed to.”

PavCo was going to lease the land to Paragon for $6 million per year.  In September 2012, the Vancouver Sun reported that PavCo expects to reduce the rent to $3 million a year.  The current proposal does not reflect the highest and best use of the site.  Nor does it provide any indication of any return to the City.

Coalition spokesman, Ian Pitfield, says “no disclosure has ever been made to the public detailing what’s proposed now, nor has any community input been sought as required by the Gaming Act and the Regulation. Nobody knows what’s planned for the site, whether the City will lose money on it, how much public money will go into building it, or whether and how much the taxpayer will subsidize leases on public land.”

No date has been fixed for the hearing of the action.

For background on the original petition, click here.

Media contact:
Ian Pitfield at 604-828-5494
ihp@pitfield.com

– 30 –

We are pleased to announce that a number of new supporters have joined other eminent people from diverse backgrounds to endorse the Coalition in its opposition to what would be Western Canada’s largest gambling casino.

These people and the many others who have supported the Coalition have asked themselves whether this casino is a reflection of the kind of Vancouver that they want for themselves and for future generationsTheir answer is a resounding no.

The latest individuals to offer their endorsement of the goals of Vancouver, Not Vegas! include:

Milton Wong, Chancellor Emeritus, Simon Fraser University, Order of Canada, Order of BC.
Peter Busby, Order of Canada, Founder and Chair, Canada Green Building Council.
Ken Lum, Artist.
Lynne Stopkewich, Filmmaker.
Colleen Hardwick (Nystedt) Urban Geographer, Film Producer.
Richard Lipsey, Professor  Emeritus, Simon Fraser University Economics Dept., Order of Canada.
George Bowering, former Poet Laureate of Canada, Order of Canada, Order of BC.
Val and Richard Bradshaw, Mr. Bradshaw is the former CEO of Phllips Hager & North Investment Management Ltd.
Karen Flavelle, President and CEO, Purdy’s Chocolates.
Donna Bridgeman, CA, (ret’d) GrowthWorks Capital
Penny Gurstein, University of British Columbia School of Community & Regional Planning.
Colin Miles,  Regional Director, Canadian Music Centre (Ret’d)   See his excellent comments here:   Video: Colin Miles tells it like it is
Earl Moulton, Retired Commander of Saskatchewan RCMP, Chair, Vision Quest Recovery Society (addiction recovery)
Stan Douglas, Artist
Ian Wallace, Artist
Rodney Graham, Artist
Chris Mathers, Retired corporal, RCMP, undercover officer specializing in gangs, money laundering; former President, KPMG Corporate Intelligence Inc. chrismathers.com

Vancouver City Council is holding public hearings about the proposed expansion of the Edgewater casino. The consultations take place tomorrow, April 9, from 10 am to 6 pm Saturday, April 9, at City Hall.

Hearings will continue Sunday if necessary, from 1 pm to 6 pm, and again on the evening of April 12.

For more information:

Ann Gibbon
604 263 0634
778 999 0064
info@anngibboncommunications.com

Full list of names continues below

Civic & BC political leaders
May Brown, Order of BC
Peter Ladner, Former City Councillor
George Puil, Former City Councillor
Darlene Marzari, Former City Councillor/BC MLA for Point Grey
Hon. Pat Carney
Gordon Gibson, Order of BC
Marguerite Ford, Order of BC, Former City Councillor
Setty Pendakur, Former City Councillor
Stuart Mackinnon, Park Board Commissioner, Green Party of Vancouver
Jonathan Baker, Former City Councillor
Dianne Ledingham, Former Vancouver Park Board Commissioner
Tim Louis, Former City Councillor

Community builders & Philanthropists
Milton Wong, Chancellor Emeritus SFU, Order of Canada, Order of BC
Jean Swanson, Award-winning anti-poverty activist
Mo Dhaliwal, Chair, Van. Int’l Bhangra Celebration
Fred Mah
Michael Clague, Order of Canada
Bill Chu
Herb Barbolet, Sustainable development expert, Founder, Farm Folk/City Folk

Architects, planners, urbanists & city builders
Bing Thom, Order of Canada
Peter Busby, Order of Canada, Founder and Chair, Canada Green Building Council
Cornelia Oberlander, Order of Canada
Penny Gurstein, UBC School of Community & Regional Planning
Colleen Hardwick (Nystedt), Urban geographer, film producer
Richard Balfour, Architect
Ned Jacobs, urbanist
Mark Osburn, Architect
Anthony Perl, Dir. SFU Urban Studies Program
Nick Milkovich, Architect

Academics & policy
Yosef Wosk, Order of BC
Jack Blaney, Order of Canada, Pres. Emeritus SFU
Michael Stevenson, President Emeritus, SFU
Dr. Marlene Moretti, CIHR Sr Research Chair, SFU
Doug McArthur, SFU Public Policy
Ann Cowan, ED SFU Harbour Centre/Morris J. Wosk Centre
Seth Klein, BC Director, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives

Medical, health & addictions
Dr. John Blatherwick, Order of Canada, Former Chief Medical Health Officer of Vancouver 1984 – 2007
Dr. Tom Perry, MD, Former cabinet minister
Dr. Stephen Drance, Order of Canada
Candace Plattor, Addiction therapist
Virginia Giles, Order of BC

Judges, lawyers, law enforcement, criminology
Ian Pitfield, Retired judge
Cameron Ward
Jack Giles, QC
Sgt. Bob Cooper, retired VPD, gang specialist
Peter Ditchfield, former Deputy Chief of Organized Crime Agency of BC
Katherine Wellburn, insolvency lawyer, former Registrar in Bankruptcy
Earl Moulton, Retired Commander of Saskatchewan RCMP, Chair, Vision Quest Recovery Society
S/Sgt Peter Montague (Ret’d) RCMP
Michael Walker, Lawyer (commercial real estate/hospitality)
Dr. Colin Campbell, Criminologist
Prof. Neil Boyd, SFU School of Criminology
Assistant Commissioner Earl Moulton – RCMP Commanding Officer Saskatchewan
(Ret’d) Chair of Vision Quest Recovery Society (Addiction recovery services, BC)
Detective Ian Pope, Organized Crime Agency of B.C., formerly VPD, (Ret’d)
Sergeant Ivan Chu, New Westminster Police Service (Ret’d)
Superintendent GlennWoods, Officer in Charge of Behavioural Sciences, RCMP (Ret’d)
Staff Sergeant Otto Bertagnolli, RCMP Drug Section (Ret’d)
Staff Sergeant Scot Filer, RCMP Major Crime Section (Ret’d)
Staff Sergeant Peter Montague, RCMP Commercial Crime Section (Ret’d)
Corporal Howard Parks, RCMP Money Laundering Expert (Ret’d)
Corporal Chris Mathers, RCMP Money Laundering Expert (Ret’d)
Sergeant Pat Powell, RCMP Threat Assessment Expert (Ret’d)
Inspector Keith Davidson, RCMP Major Crime Section (Ret’d)
Staff Sergeant Bob Hartl, RCMP Security Engineering Expert (Ret’d)
Dr Teal Maedel, RCMP Operational Psychologist (Major Crime Section)
Staff Sergeant Robert Stenhouse, RCMP Drug Section (Ret’d)
Staff Sergeant Sid Slater, RCMP Major Crime Section (Ret’d)
Staff Sergeant Tibi Roman, RCMP Border Integrity (serving)

Creative leaders
Ken Lum, Artist
Alma Lee, Order of Canada
George Bowering, former Poet Laureate of Canada, OC, OBC
Shane Koyczan, poet
Rodney Graham, Artist
Brian Jungen
Lynne Stopkewich, film director
Colin Miles, City Opera
Stan Douglas, Artist
Ian Wallace
Dan Mangan, musician
Michael Turner, Writer
Catriona Jeffries
Alda Pereira, Designer
Hank Bull, artist/founder, Western Front
Judith Marcuse
Mark Leiren-Young
Ken Pickering

Economists, Business & public leaders, businesses
Richard Lipsey, Order of Canada, Prof. Emeritus of Economics, SFU, world-renowned economist
Val and Richard Bradshaw; Mr. Bradshaw is former CEO of Phllips Hager & North Investment Management Ltd.
Patrick Reid, Order of Canada
Donna Bridgeman, CA, (ret’d) GrowthWorks Capital
Karen Flavelle, President and CEO, Purdy’s Chocolates
Arran & Ratana Stephens, Nature’s Path
Alix Brown, past owner, Dexter Properties
Jab Sidhoo
David Allison, Braun Allison
Lea Watson, Owner, Canterbury Tales, 4th Ave/Commercial Drive
Bikes On The Drive
Attic Treasures, Commercial Drive
Bioethique

Commentators & press
David Berner
Alex G. Tsakumis

Clergy & religious leaders
Rev. James Ip, Chair, Vancouver Chinese Evangelical Ministerial Fellowship (Assn of approx 120 Canadian Chinese churches in Metro Vancouver
Rev. Dr. Ted Ng, Lead Pastor, Faith Community Christian Church
Christ Church Cathedral:
The Very Reverend Dr. Peter Elliott, Dean,
The Venerable Dr. Ellen Clark-King, Associate
The Reverend Alisdair Smith, Deacon
The Reverend Chris Dierkes, Curate,
The Reverend Dixie Black, Deacon
St. Andrew’s Wesley United Church:
Rev. Gary Paterson, Senior Minister
Jennifer Cunnings, Minister of Children, Families and Seniors
Tim Scorer, Minister of Adult Formation
Michael Dobbin, Director of Development
Central Presbyterian Church:
Rev. Jim Smith, Minister
First Baptist Church:
Rev. Darrell W. Johnson, Senior Minister
Rev. Dr. John Cuddeford, Minister
Andrea Tisher, Dir. of Music & Worship
Rev. Bob Swann, Minister of Mission & Justice
Judy Lang, Ass. Minister for Congregational Care
Pastor Janet G. Porcino, Minister of Discipleship
Luz Figueroa, Director of Children and Family Ministries
Rev. Abraham Han, Minister of Urban & Community Life
St. Paul’s Anglican Church:
The Rev. Markus Duenzkofer, Incumbent

UPDATE: Thanks to the many people who came out on Wednesday night despite hockey traffic and difficult parking. Bing Thom, Peter Ladner and Sandy Garossino gave great speeches, the crowd was fired up, and there is a high level of community commitment to fight this casino plan until it is stopped.

Observations from the meeting:

The stories of political corruption, backroom deals, faulty bidding processes and serious allegations of conflict of interest really angered the crowd;

The term “moratorium on gaming expansion”  received applause whenever it was spoken; this is in fact our next strategy, to demand that City Council sever the gaming expansion section from the Edgewater zoning application in which it is deeply buried, and put gaming expansion in Vancouver to a plebiscite or referendum of some kind;

People want a better vision for Vancouver, one that doesn’t involved addiction, crime, corruption – they want to see a more wholesome international image for our city, and they want better architecture and better urban planning.

Thanks for coming, everyone! Now it’s time to do your part – click the “What Can I Do” tab above, and write to Mayor and Council, and please show up on February 17!

____________

With the exception of the Public Hearings on February 17 at City Hall, this will be the most important event in this fight against the planned downtown mega-casino. PLEASE ATTEND! Prominent Vancouver architect Bing Thom and publisher Peter Ladner will be giving the keynote speeches. Come down early and start the evening off with a dinner in Chinatown or Gastown!

If you plan to attend the public hearings over the casino, or even speak at them, you will find Wednesday’s Forum very informative. The story about the casino is fascinating – come hear it!

To download a PDF of our invitation that you can send out to your networks, click: Vancouver Not Vegas.

PLEASE DOWNLOAD THE LOGO BELOW AND UPLOAD IT TO YOUR FACEBOOK  (and Twitter) as your avatar! Thanks, everyone!

Members of our Vancouver Not Vegas! Coalition speak to Vancouver City Council on February 1, arguing against gaming expansion in the City of Vancouver. The opportunity to speak to Council has come as a result of  Councillor Ellen Woodsworth’s motion caling for further examination of gaming practices in British Columbia before the City of Vancouver proceeds with allowing further gaming expansion within its jurisdiction.

Our coalition is speaking in support of Councillor Woodsworth’s motion.

The following presentation to Council is by Sandy Garossino. Sandy Garossino addressed Council as a former Crown prosecutor with specialized experience in gang prosecutions, and as a mother.

(For presentations by Sean Bickerton, Amir Ali Alibhai and Tom Durrie, click here; Sandy’s presentation is posted separately due to its length.)

February 1, 2011
Sandra Garossino—Submission to Vancouver City Council

No Public Debate of Gambling Expansion

In 10 short years gambling in BC has come a very long way from the smoky bingo halls and church basements where this all started. We are long overdue for a full debate on the role and limits of gambling in the public realm.

How far does the BC Lottery Corporation intend to expand?

The public has no idea, and neither do municipal councils. We are all forced to wait passively for each new application from corporate interests that do not answer to voters.

The time has come for full public consultations and review of provincial oversight of the gaming industry.

Online Petition

As of today the BC Association for Charitable Gaming has amassed more than 1200 signatures of Vancouverites asking Council to support the non-profit entitlement to gaming proceeds–this will be presented in due course.

Gaming Cuts Affect Essential Services

Gaming cuts affect vital public services to aboriginal suicide crisis lines, brain injury survivors, seniors services, therapy for kids with fatal illnesses, soup kitchens, transportation of sick kids to hospital. Society cannot do without these services, and we could never afford to pay public employees to provide them.

Just this last weekend the Kelowna Women’s Resource Centre announced its closure due to gaming cuts. More will follow soon unless the cuts are reversed immediately.

Alberta Gaming Model Better than BC’s

BC’s gaming model is not efficient or competitive. Operating at capital lower cost, with a higher net return to government, Alberta is able to generate a staggering $323 million to charities (or $87 per capita). BC only manages $120 million for charities (or $28 per capita), and a lower net return. See “BC Lottery Corp spending spree while charities reel” in the Vancouver Observer.

Meanwhile, as Pete McMartin’s coverage shows, BC has handed out $400 million to private casino developers in recent years. And capital expenditures are on the rise. The BC Lottery Corporation is set to spend almost $350 million in new capital spending over the next 3 years alone. For a corporation with no bricks and mortar gaming facilities, $350 million in capital costs over three years is strikingly high.

Casino Vulnerability to Crime

The casino business is not a typical corporate operation. It is especially vulnerable to abuse, and iron-clad protections are necessary to protect its integrity.

We know that organized crime is a multi-billion dollar industry. Vancouver is Ground Zero in a gang war that has spun completely out of control.  Our kids are being woken in their beds by gunfire at Christmastime.   After her 2009 murder, loan shark Betty Yan’s kids were expelled from their prominent west side Vancouver school, leaving parents to explain why their children’s friends had to suddenly leave school. Right on Jericho Beach in 2006, we dug up the body of another loan shark, Lilly Li.

At the 2009 trial of her murderer, Li’s loan shark employer described how he staffed the River Rock Casino 24 hours a day, 7 days a week–and that his staff maintained minimum daily floats of $20-30,000. That’s the float. There is no way an operation like that can exist without the knowledge of management. Please see this news report on  loan sharks.

And who are the clients of loan sharks?  Our own citizens, whose addiction and despair is unseen, due to fear and shame. They have families and children, too, who are also our citizens in need of our help and protection.  But instead of protecting them, we profit from their misery and risk. There is no way to know how much money the BC Lottery Corporation earns from the existence of loan sharks in casinos.

There used to be a special RCMP unit dedicated to gambling crime, called the IIGET.  Its heavily redacted report to government in January 2009, cites a number of serious risk factors;

a) extreme vulnerability of casinos to money laundering;
b) potential influence of organized crime figures at casinos, and possible infiltration of the casino industry;
c) conflict of interest and perception of corruption undermining the integrity of the gaming industry;
d) ZERO investigation of suspicious money transactions flagged by FINTRAC (Financial Reports Analysis Centre of Canada https://www.fintrac.gc.ca/fintrac-canafe/antimltf-eng.asp).

Please see the RCMP report on money-laundering

Weeks after its report (which sought additional funding for investigations and enforcement) was issued, the provincial government disbanded the IIGET (citing budgetary reasons). BC now has no specialized policing of gambling venues. Since then, the situation worsened, and in 2010 the BCLC was fined $670,000 by the federal government–the first fine of its kind in Canada. Finally, there was the shocking CBC report last month documenting millions of dollars in suspicious transactions–this is AFTER being fined for non-compliance by FINTRAC.

Published news accounts indicate it is common practice for casino clients to carry half a million dollars around in small bills in plastic bags.

It’s true. Carrying hundreds of thousands of dollars in plastic bags is common. If your business is drug dealing, gun-running, human trafficking, or extortion. Or terrorism–for which Metro Vancouver also has an unfortunate predilection.

Questions have to be asked–what kind of law enforcement is this? What was in the redacted portions of the IIGET report, particularly those relating to conflict of interest and potential corruption? What was the real reason for disbanding IIGET?

The warning signs are clear. We are playing with fire, and this thing is going to blow up in our faces if we do not exercise the utmost caution.

Flawed Process

We must stop burying gambling expansion applications deep inside land re-zoning applications.

Casino owners must apply to municipal council to license every single slot machine and gaming table they own. These applications should be publicly announced and considered separately on their own merits.

In the case of the Edgewater Casino, however, the gambling expansion application is only found buried in the fine print of PavCo’s land rezoning application. This fundamentally misrepresents the true aim and purpose of the whole exercise, which is to introduce a giant casino to Vancouver.

This is a clear attempt to evade open public review of casinos.

Gambling expansion is a major civic issue that calls on government to actively engage with the public and generate a healthy vigorous debate on this vital issue.

It is worth noting that Paragon Gaming, the owners of Edgewater Casino, recently lost a competitive bid to develop a casino in Missouri, in a 5-0 vote. Why were they not able to attract a single vote of support? Are they the best candidate for Vancouver?

All debate should have taken place BEFORE PavCo signed a 70 year lease with anyone.

Gambling proponents have endless capacity to finance sophisticated PR campaigns. Giving 5 minutes to private citizens in a rushed municipal hearing is no way for the democratic process to work–and eventually we will all pay for this flawed process.

The public needs Vancouver City Council to show leadership today. Please review this process and find a more open and democratic approach to this serious issue.

Twitter: @vancityvegas
Vancouver Not Vegas! Coalition Website
Facebook page – Vancouver Not Vegas

Today several members of our Vancouver Not Vegas! Coalition are speaking to Vancouver City Council on the topic of general gaming expansion in the City of Vancouver. The opportunity to speak to Council has come as a result of a motion by Councillor Ellen Woodsworth, calling for further examination of gaming practices in British Columbia before the City of Vancouver proceeds with allowing further gaming expansion within its jurisdiction.

Our coalition is speaking in support of Councillor Woodsworth’s motion.

For presentations by Amir Alibhai, Sean Bickerton and Tom Durrie, read on. For a longer presentation by Sandy Garossino, click here.

Amir Ali Alibhai

January 31, 2011
Dear Mayor and Council:

The Alliance for Arts and Culture encourages Mayor and Council to adopt the
motion, moved by Councillors Woodsworth and Cadman regarding Casino
Development in our City. We have also been asked to speak on behalf of the
BC Association for Charitable Gaming (BCACG), which has submitted a written
submission. Together our organizations represent over 6,500 member
organizations and individuals. Motion B.6 addresses growing concerns in
this City and Province that Gaming has been expanded in an unchecked manner
and operates in a non-transparent and potentially conflicted way. The huge
revenues generated through this aggressive expansion have been attained on
the backs of charities, non-profits, municipalities and communities across
this province. In spite of this increase in revenues, the amount of funds
provided to charities and non-profits has decreased! We estimate that the
recent loss of funds to Metro Vancouver arts and cultural organizations will
be about $4 Million annually!

For years, charities and non-profits, including those in the arts and
cultural sector have been trotted out in front of municipal councils to
support expansion of Gaming activities. This was done with the understanding
that a significant percentage of revenues would be returned to communities
through a promised share to charities and non-profits. Alas this has not
been the case and, in fact, the amount of money that is allocated to civil
society organizations from these growing revenues has decreased.

In 2010, 10.7% of Gaming Revenues were allocated to charities and
non-profits, which is a far cry from the 33%, which the Province promised to
the sector in its 1999 agreement with the BCACG. On the same day in 1999,
the Province signed an agreement with the UBCM to allocate 16.5% of revenues
from Destination Casinos to municipalities. There is little doubt that this
legal agreement has also been broken.

Our members can no longer support the expansion of Gaming in BC until
agreements are re-made and are binding, until the transparency of Gaming
activity in this province is addressed., and until the concerns of the
public regarding the social, economic, and health impacts of expansion in
their communities are heard and considered carefully.

We refer Council to the MOAs and useful information regarding the expansion
of Gaming in the links below.

a) BCACG
https://www.llbc.leg.bc.ca/public/pubdocs/bcdocs/336215/game_append4.htm

b) UBCM
https://www.llbc.leg.bc.ca/public/pubdocs/bcdocs/336215/game_append3.htm

https://bcacg.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/BCACG-Petition-and-Brief-of-Mate
rial-BC-Gaming-Legislation.pdf

Sincerely,
Amir Ali Alibhai
Executive Director, Alliance for Arts & Culture
and on behalf of Susan Marsden,
Executive Director, BC Association for Charitable Gaming

________________________________

Sean Bickerton

Dear Mr. Mayor, Councillors and Dr. Ballem:

I apologize I cannot be there in person this evening to deliver these remarks. I was there this morning, but the change to this evening makes it impossible for me to be there tonight.

My name is Sean Bickerton. I am chair of my strata at Paris Place, co-chair of the Keefer Community Group, a member of the steering committee of the False Creek Residents Association and a member of the Vancouver Not Vegas! Coalition.

It is in this capacity and on my own behalf that I am supporting Ellen Woodsworth’s motion B6 on Casino Development. I remember when the gambling it addresses was first legalized in this province and it was on the solemn promise that 1/3 of the revenue would go back to local community charities, sports, arts and education.

Instead, they’ve cut the charities off completely while handing out more than four hundred million dollars to private casino owners over the past ten years!

How can we then consider such a massive expansion of gambling in our city after the compact that made legalized gambling possible in the first place has been completely abrogated?

The broader community I represent fully supports honoring the original arrangement wherein 1/3 of lottery funds supported needed charities helping local communities.

While we realize that issue itself may fall outside of the normal purview of this government, you are more than entitled to ask questions of the senior level of government now asking you to endorse placing the largest casino in Western Canada right in the heart of our stunningly beautiful, richly cultured, creative city.

I feel Councillor Woodsworth’s motion is particularly germane when you are being asked to approve a rezoning, development application, gambling license expansion and gambling license move all in one vote.

For all of these reasons, expansion should be put on hold until Councillor Woodsworth’s questions are answered.

I appreciate your consideration,
Sean Bickerton

________________________________

Tom Durrie

February 1, 2011
Vancouver City Council
Standing Committee of Council on City Services and Budgets

Mr. Chariman, Mr. Mayor, Councillors, ladies and gentlemen.

First let me say how much I appreciate and value to opportunity to speak to you on matters that are of personal concern to me. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that I strongly support the motion currently before you.

Before coming here, I decided to satisfy my curiosity about how we arrived at the situation we are facing today with regard gambling revenues. It’s a very interesting history, starting with the Criminal Code of 1892.prohibiting all forms and gambling as offences against religion and morals. Early on though, things like raffles and games of chance were allowed at agricultural fairs and exhibitions. Since then, there has been a step by step relaxation of restrictions on gambling, with the major change in federal policy happening in 1969, when the Criminal Code was amended to permit gambling. I’m sure the public saw this change as merely an expansion of activities like church basement bingos and PTA raffles, a harmless way of making a little money for a good cause. And it’s true that charities and non-profits have been especially active in influencing these changes. In other words, charities and non-profits provided the justification—or should I say leverage—for changes in government gambling policies.

Amendment to the Criminal Code gave the provinces more and more control of various forms of gambling with the understanding that charities were receiving their share. In fact, they were becoming increasingly dependent upon this source of revenue.

In the mid-1980s, the British Columbia government moved to curtail the expansion of gambling in response to police concerns about the involvement of organized crime. That was more than 20 years ago! However, a backlash by the non-profit sector—they didn’t want to lose their money—caused the government to reconsider. A number of new regulations were introduced including one that said that non-profit organizations would receive 50% of casino winnings. I wonder what ever happened to that!
In short, this history has been a slow process of government raking a larger and larger share out of the hands of charities and into general revenues. Small changes taking place over a period of time are not always noticed. It’s rather like looking at yourself in the mirror one morning and noticing that you’re not as young as you used to be.

Through the 1990s various government studies and commissions looked at how proceeds from gambling were to be distributed, and made some regulations, including the establishment of the Provincial Charity Trust, a kind of community chest funding model. Without going into details, a challenge resulted in the Supreme Court of British Columbia ruling that the provincial government had no authority to appropriate a share of gambling revenues intended for charitable or religious organizations. So much for that! I’m sure you’re aware of the agreement of 1999 guaranteeing one third of gambling proceeds to charities. I understand that the government has seen fit to reduce this to something around 10%, while, at the same time, placing the Lottery Corporation and the Enforcement Branch conveniently under one ministry.

The original purpose of allowing gambling has been reversed, and much of this has been quietly slipped under the door without the awareness or consent of the public. I think this is changing as people see the results of funding shortfalls being experienced by community charities, sports, and arts groups. This motion is a step toward restoring public confidence in how gambling is regulated. What with a provincial election coming who-knows-when, and a civic election coming you-know-when, I hope you will think of your legacy, especially now, by letting the people who elected you know that you’re on their side.

Thank you,
Tom Durrie

February is THE month for letting City Hall know how you feel about the Edgewater mega-casino in Vancouver. 

The public hearings begin at City Hall on February 17. It is imperative that citizens show up to events – particularly the two events in darker red below – and write letters!

February 1, City Hall. Please come! Citizens can speak to Councillor Ellen Woodsworth’s motion to suspend the Edgewater rezoning/expansion application until the BC government lives up to its obligations to fund charities. PLEASE SHOW UP! Even if it’s only to sit in the gallery. The agenda for Feb.1 is here. The motion is last in the morning session so it will be late-ish. You can watch online to see how quickly the morning’s agenda is going.

February 8, City Hall’s information meeting. Location TBA, watch this space. City staff will present their Edgewater plans, and it’s likely that BC gov’t people, David Podmore of PavCo (BC Pavilion Co., the crown corp dealing with the stadium and other BC gov’t owned lands), Paragon and BC Lottery Corp people will be there, along with the CAW Union (Canadian Auto Workers union would have the contract for the casino jobs). It’s worth having citizens show up as well, to make their feelings known.

February 9, Public Forum , 7 pm WE NEED ALL CONCERNED VANCOUVER CITIZENS TO SHOW UP. The press will be there, and this will send a message to City Hall that Vancouverites have opinions about this casino plan. Event is organized by the Vancouver Not Vegas! Coalition (that’s us) at the Chinese Cultural Centre 50 E. Pender Street (two blocks W. of Main) Chinatown, Vancouver Stadium-Chinatown Skytrain Station February 10, Vancouver Board of Trade This is a registration-only event hosted by David Podmore of PavCo and Scott Menke of Paragon Gaming The Board of Trade is pro-casino. As is Tourism Vancouver, Concord, etc. They will all be in attendance.

February 17, Public Hearing on Edgewater Casino expansion and rezoning Sign up to speak at this! Or just come – we must fill the gallery. Sign-up info to come. City Hall Cambie Street & 12th Avenue, Vancouver

WHAT CAN YOU DO? 1. If we are going to defeat this casino, you must come out to these events! We need numbers. And sign up to speak at City Council on the 17th. 2. Crucial: everyone must write a letter. It takes less than 5 mins; we’ve done the work for you. 3.  Sign the BCACG’s petition. It seems that City Council may be looking for a way to avoid this casino, and only enormous public involvement will give them the power to say no to this plan. Vancouverites should be able to decide what sort of city they want.

UPDATE: Councillor Woodsworth’s motion to Vancouver City Council was passed! The motion essentially calls for a postponement of gaming expansion in Vancouver until there’s been proper inquiry into gambling irregularities and cuts to charities, all of which have an impact on the City of Vancouver. The motion was finally presented to City Council at about 11 pm on Tuesday, January 18 in the Vancouver City Council chambers. After members of our coalition and others spoke in support of the motion, Coun. Woodsworth’s motion passed nearly unanimously.

**Please note that Woodsworth’s motion was amended slightly before being passed; the finalized motion is below.**

Note: When this motion was first introduced into Council in mid-January, many councillors did speak out against gambling or asked pointed questions. Some felt this marks a genuine change of heart in Vision and beyond; others claim it was merely political theatre on the part of Council, aimed at PavCo and Paragon Gaming as a way of extracting more concessions from them. Time will tell but two things are clear; strong public citizen opposition will be necessary if we are going to defeat this casino expansion; and that with that strong opposition, we can defeat this casino expansion.

ON NOTICE

Subject: Casino development
For Council Meeting of January 18, 2011
MOVER: Councillor Ellen Woodsworth
SECONDER: Councillor David Cadman

WHEREAS

1. The proposed expansion of Edgewater Casino on the North East Shore of False Creek in Downtown Vancouver would be the largest casino in British Columbia;

2. Recent news has revealed a concerning link between casinos and organized crime and money laundering;

Citizens across Vancouver are concerned about increasing organized crime activity and the accompanying increases in enforcement costs;
Recent reports also show record subsidies paid to casinos while non-profits, charities, and arts organizations are being funded at levels lower than during the 1990s;

The fact the Gaming Policy Enforcement Branch and the British Columbia Lottery Corporation is being directed by the same ministry represents a serious potential conflict in gaming priorities and raises serious concerns about how gaming will be regulated and promoted in Vancouver;
Public confidence in the lottery public system needs to be restored prior to any decision on the expansion of gaming in the City of Vancouver

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED
A. THAT the City of Vancouver support calls to have the Gaming Policy Enforcement Branch and the British Columbia Lottery Corporation separated into different ministries.

B. THAT the City of Vancouver call for a review of public gaming in the province of British Columbia in order to restore public confidence in the integrity of the gaming system.

C. THAT Vancouver Council support the BC Association of Charitable Gaming’s call for the Auditor General to investigate, and review the BC government’s obligations to charities for gaming revenues.

D. THAT the City of Vancouver affirms both the inherent and contractual rights and interests of charities and non-profits to gaming proceeds.

E. (In essence) THAT the City of Vancouver request endorsement of this motion by the Union of British Columbia Municipalities.

* * * * *

Below is a sample letter from our coalition in support of Councillor Woodsworth’s motion.

Dear Mayor and Councillors,

I write with respect to the Edgewater Casino relocation and development application, and Councillor Woodsworth’s motion for Council to support a review of and changes to BC provincial gaming policy prior to approving any gaming expansion in Vancouver.

Although gambling was legalized in Canada in 1969, expressly to benefit sports, arts, and community groups, the massive expansion of gambling since 2000 has been disastrous for charities and non-profits, who now find themselves funded at levels lower than when the first slot machine was introduced in 1997.

And as recent news reports indicate, things have spun out of control with the BC Lottery Corp and the Gaming Enforcement Branch. Given the proximity of casinos to organized crime, and the gang wars that are shaking our communities, this is a time for caution.

Once expansion of gambling is approved, there is no turning back. We will have it here in Vancouver for posterity.

This is a matter of public trust.

As a citizen of Vancouver I ask you, my elected representative, to support our community organizations, and to oppose any expansion of gambling in Vancouver at this time.

Please don’t let a Las Vegas-style mega-casino be the most visible permanent mark you leave as a public servant of our city.

Vote NO to the Edgewater expansion, and YES to Councillor Woodsworth’s motion.

Signed,