Lindsay Chung - Comox Valley Record Published: April 08, 2010 6:00 PM
The British Columbia Lottery Corporation has determined Chances Courtenay could probably use another 25 slot machines. Whether or not the community gaming centre removes some bingo to make way for more slots will be up to Courtenay council as the host municipal government, which would need to change a bylaw stating the facility can only have 100 slot machines. Playtime is applying to amend the bylaw to remove the 100-machine limit and allow the number of slot machines to be determined by demand.“Through (British Columbia Lottery Corporation)’s studies and through our own market studies and player interviews, we have people who wait to play certain machines,” Arthur Villa, co-ordinator of business development for Playtime, said Wednesday during a public information night, which is one step in the process to make any changes. “Obviously, we aren’t meeting our customers’ needs, and we want to do that.”
More than 700 people — mostly players and neighbours — have signed a petition stating they support amending the bylaw to remove the limit. This area is growing, and Chances is not meeting demand, noted Villa. “This area will continue to grow; to have an arbitrary limit on something to me doesn’t seem appropriate,” he said. “You wouldn’t go to a laundromat and say, ‘You can only have eight machines.’”The British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) is responsible for gaming in B.C., and it determines market need under the Gaming Control Act, contracting with a service provider like Playtime Community Gaming Centres Inc. BCLC regularly and systemically conducts assessments to look at the marketplace and what kind of services are needed. “We look at the Island on a regional basis and say ‘what is the gaming need, what do consumers want in the form of gaming on the Island?’” said Greg Walker, manager of public affairs for BCLC.
When Chances opened, the bylaw stated there could be no more than 100 slot machines, but BCLC has now found the market could use more machines. “We now know based on consumer demand of slot machines in Courtenay that there could be more slot machines,” said Walker. “We’re basically tinkering. Our best guess said we could probably put in 100 slots in 2008, but now we could put in more.” There has been a trend toward less bingo, noted Walker. “It’s a sad reality that bingo is not as popular as it once was, but it is a reality,” he said. “What we’ve done with community gaming centres is said, ‘Let’s widen the entertainment we’re offering in these facilities.’ We needed to expand the player base. Younger people didn’t want to play bingo; they wanted more.” BCLC manages and conducts casinos, community gaming centres like Chances Courtenay and lotteries. The corporation owns the slot machines, and host municipal governments receive 10 per cent of the net slot revenue. Playtime will now prepare a report about the public information night and send it to city staff, who will create a report to bring to council.
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