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As one of Vernon’s casino proposals moves ahead, another appears to have been forgotten. Greg Walker of the B.C. Lottery
Corporation said that plans to move the Lake City Casino into an expanded facility are proceeding. However, he said that the lottery corporation currently has no plans to move slot machines into Fairweather Bingo in South Vernon. “We indicated to the city council that we had some concerns on the process,” Walker said of the bingo hall proposal. “There have been no further developments since that time.” In October 2005, council approved a rezoning proposal to allow slot machines at the bingo hall. However, in August 2006 the lottery corporation sent a letter to the city saying the process followed was invalid. One month later, Fairweather Bingo owner Terry Segarty said that a new business plan would be complete within six weeks and turned in to the lottery corporation. Walker said last week that no such plan has been submitted to the corporation. Segarty did not return several phone messages that were left last week. Lake City Casino’s plans to move to a 25,000-square-foot space on Anderson Way are further along in the process, Walker said. The new casino would be twice the size of the existing facility and include up to 400 slot machines, a pub-style restaurant as well as a stage for live entertainment. Steve Kumpf, regional vice-president of Lake City Casinos said that the casino’s plans depend on further discussions with the property developer. The casino will occupy the bottom floor of a three-storey building, he said. “He is waiting for us to get the final OK on the footprint,” Kumpf said. If approved, Kumpf said the new casino would likely not be completed until sometime in 2008. Walker said that the casino proposal should be finished soon and will likely be forwarded to the City of Vernon as early as January. The city currently earns more than $1.5 million in revenue sharing from the casino but could double that money with a larger casino. Walker said the casino expansion is part of a larger province-wide expansion of gaming facilities. He said the lottery corporation is attempting to make casinos a more appealing entertainment option.“What the corporation has been doing with all the service providers in the province is trying to expand the concept of what is offered at our facilities,” he said. “Entertainment value has to double because it is more a competitive world out there.”
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