The latest audit of the Great Canadian Casino in Nanaimo found eight areas where gaming regulations were contravened, but information laws prevent the public from knowing what many of them are. Although the local casino was determined to be in overall compliance with provincial rules on gaming, the 2008-09 Gaming Policy and Enforcement Division audit detailed two infractions: Promotional materials used on slot machines at the local casino did not contain the required "responsible gambling" message and that ATMs were clearly visible from the gaming floor, which is against B.C. Lottery Corporation standards. The report noted that the promotional material was later removed while BCLC said that a small wall was built in January to block the view of an ATM. But six other "operational exceptions," some pertaining to issues such as security and surveillance, were omitted, citing Section 15 of the B.C. Information and Privacy Act, which limits disclosing information that may be harmful to law enforcement.
Although critics of the province's gambling programs admit there may be good reasons for keeping some facts out of the public's hands, they wonder whether the government is truly providing the public with all the information it can on how B.C.'s casinos operate. Nanaimo MLA Leonard Krog thinks there should be a time limit on how long the government can keep certain information from the public. A government spokesperson said some of the omitted information relates to addressing security and surveillance concerns at the casino and could have implications for law enforcement if the details got out.
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