Gas law reduces lotto sales

Derek Spalding , Daily News

New pay-at-the-pump regulations in B.C. may prevent gas and grabs, but store owners are seeing a slight reduction in lottery sales. The provincial regulations introduced in February force drivers to pay for their gas before fuelling up. The changes initially deterred customers from entering the store to buy snacks and other merchandise, but sales have returned to normal as customers enter their third week of pay-at-the-pump. Lotto sales, however, are still low at some locations. Safeway Canada predicted a drop in lottery sales and pulled their B.C. Lotto kiosks from 12 gas stations in December. A company spokesman said staff privacy issues were also a concern after new lottery regulations were introduced in 2007. Selling lottery tickets would no longer make the company money if customers paid at the pump, according to Scott Gibney, manager of communications for Safeway Canada in B.C. Customers are less likely to "make the walk" once they've paid, he said. Spokespeople for the B.C. Lottery Corporation said "there is no doubt that some retailers have expressed concern over the stringent new procedures, even choosing to discontinue selling lottery products," but sales have remained at normal levels. Lottery regulation changes also introduced intensive training for clerks, which can get expensive with a high staff-turnover rate. Mid-Island Co-op managers do not plan to remove lottery kiosks from their stores, but they have discussed the option, according to Stan Shoemaker, petroleum operations manager."I don't think (BCLC) realizes the cost to us," he said. "We hire a lot of people. The certification for all new staff is time-consuming. We have to pay for those training hours."

The number of outlets with B.C. Lotto services decreased since the changes were introduced at the end of June 2007. There were 2,935 retail locations and 1,244 hospitality locations offering gambling through the BCLC at that time. Near the end of January, there were 2,872 retail locations and 1,172 hospitality locations.