Some Chances limited

By Jeremy Deutsch - Kamloops This Week - May 02, 2008

It wasn’t quite what Chances Gaming was looking for — but it will have to do. At a public meeting Tuesday night, city council gave approval for Chances to add 25 slot machines at its Halston Drive location on the North Shore. Chances was looking for a rezoning amendment that would allow for an unlimited amount of slots but council opted for 25 instead. This would now bring the total number of slot machines up to 75. But that decision didn’t come without some debate. Mayor Terry Lake said he opposed an unlimited number because he felt it would take away the community’s input on the issue. Coun. Pat Wallace was in favour of unlimited slots and said on one hand, the city wants the jobs from the B.C. Lottery Corporation, but then it tells them how to do their job. If council had taken a vote on the unlimited slots, it likely would have been defeated by a narrow vote of 5-4, with councillors John O’Fee, Arjun Singh, John De Cicco, Jim Harker and Mayor Lake opposing the application. But, before taking a vote, council agreed on allowing 25 new slots instead.

Coun. Singh voted against both motions, saying he would prefer to have a modest amount of gaming in the community. Singh added he does support gaming but doesn’t believe the city has adequately looked at the social impacts gaming has on the community. Dennis Coates, representing Chances, argued the increased slots would offset a loss in bingo revenue since new smoking regulations were introduced last month. He estimates the loss of bingo revenue to be 25 per cent. While Chances had asked for an unrestricted amount of slots, Coates told council it only had plans to put in 25. In fact, that would only come about after the lottery corporation studied the local market to determine if there was interest for more slot machines. Coates said he was frustrated by council’s decision. He was hoping for no slot restrictions so Chances wouldn’t have to go in front of council every time they want a small increase. “City council is in charge so I guess you have to work with them,” he said.The city’s social planning council was also against the application believing there is an increased social cost to gambling.