Published: February 12, 2009 6:00 PM Richard Rolke - Vernon Morning Star
A Vernon politician has reopened the contentious issue of gambling. Coun. Jack Gilroy has put his colleagues on notice that on Feb. 23, he wants them to debate an existing bylaw which only allows 300 machines to exist in the community. He would like that increased to 400. “The extra machines won’t hurt problem gamblers,” he said, challenging the reason some wanted the limit. “We could close the casino and the problem gamblers will go to Kamloops or Kelowna.” Last fall, the previous council decided to set a limit of 300 slot machines in the community, although the B.C. Lottery Corporation and Lake City Casinos wanted 400 for the new casino being constructed on Anderson Way. City officials have previously stated that even with the bylaw limiting slot machines to 300, Lake City Casinos can still have 400 because the devices were shown in designs submitted to the city.However, that would make the operation legally non-conforming under bylaw, something BCLC is not used to being in for the slot machines it owns.
Gilroy insists that BCLC and Lake City Casinos followed all of the rules and they should not be penalized by the city. “They had a business plan when they came to us. They built the building for 400 machines,” he said. Gilroy also points out that the city receives a portion of casino revenue and an additional 100 machines could generate $300,000 in revenue for necessary public services. “We sure could use it for tax relief for our citizens,” he said. Coun. Shawn Lee isn’t convinced that going from 300 to 400 slot machines will encourage problem gambling. “The horse is already out of the barn,” he said, adding that the city shouldn’t have accepted building designs that indicated 400 machines if they weren’t going to be allowed. “If the city made an agreement, the city should live up to that agreement.”
Opposition to revisiting the bylaw is coming from Coun. Bob Spiers.“I don’t see any reason why we should do that,” he said. “It (300 machines) is in the bylaw, it protects the city and it doesn’t prevent the casino from going ahead.” Some former members of council wanted a limit on slot machines as a way of getting Lake City Casinos to provide assistance for a social responsibility fund.However, Lake City Casinos refused to provide financial assistance for such a fund.
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