Casino news from http://www.langleytimes.com/
Langley City, one of the Lower Mainland's smallest municipalities, hit the jackpot when it landed a casino, convention centre and hotel.
Cascade Gateway Casino opened its doors to the public in May 2005 and it has been raking in profits ever since. The B.C. Lottery Corporation has just released its annual report, showing Cascades Gateway Langley Holdings Ltd. took in $88.9 million in revenue during its first fiscal year of operation.
The 530 slot machines took in $66.2 million alone.
Morning, noon and night, dozens, if not hundreds, of people make their way to the Cascades Casino to place their fate, and money, in the hands of Lady Luck.
For example, at 10:15 a.m. on a Tuesday, when many people are at work, about 80 men and women of all ages could be seen hunkered down at their favourite slot machine or huddled around the baccarat or black jack tables at Langley City's casino.
Gary (not his real name), who is in his 40s, drives in from the Valley regularly to play the slots. He knows his limits, 'so, it's still fun.' He doesn't take the whole thing too seriously, but he's seen others who do.
"Some people will sit at the same slot machine and feed it hundreds of dollars and they don't win," he said.
By sundown, the casino scene will have changed dramatically. Almost every slot machine will be occupied and the tables buzzing with customers well into the morning hours. The 700 parking spots outside are routinely full on weekends. Cascades is doing so well that a three-level parkade is being built on the northwest corner of the property to accommodate the crowds.
The City, which houses a small population of around 24,000 people is now flush with cash revenues dealt to it by the casino.
Under provincial rules, each casino in B.C. has to give back 10 per cent of its net profits to the host municipality. The City received $5 million this fiscal year, which was $1.5 million more than anticipated.
One hundred per cent of initial gaming revenue was used to retire the City's $3.8 million purchase debt of the Square One lands that the casino, convention centre and hotel now stand on.
Gaming revenues will help the City be debt free by 2009 and have already helped reduce property tax increases. In the meantime, City council is capable of disbursing $150,000 in community grants to Langley charities, up 1,260 per cent from $11,000 before the casino existed. The 204 Street also received a much-needed gaming windfall to keep the project going.
Despite its financial benefits, the casino wasn't always that welcome, even from the City's present mayor Peter Fassbender.
Fassbender, a councillor at the time of July 2003 decision, was the only vote against the casino.
"Whether or not I agreed with it, once council made that decision I got on with the job," he said. "The economic benefits are easy to quantify. The social costs with gambling as part of our culture is much more difficult to quantify.
"I agree with the argument that individuals make choices to gamble, nobody forces them to. But I also recognize gambling offers the lure of the big win and all that easy money. That can capture a certain aspect of society susceptible to that."
Former gambling addicts spoke out at public hearings about how opening up a casino can lead to marriage break-ups, financial ruin and theft.
"I just heard of a married woman with a family stealing from her employer to pay for her gambling addiction. It grieves me when I hear that," said Fassbender this week.
City fire crews have seen evidence of how someone's need to play the slots can supersede their own health.
"A large portion of our calls to the casino are for medical reasons," said fire chief Jim McGregor. "Our calls are for people who collapse, sometimes because of diabetes. They either lose track of time, they're behind in their medication or are not eating.
"Sometimes our calls are for people with circulation problems who are sitting in one place too long." Most of those calls are for the elderly, he noted.
The BCLC conducted a survey of 3,000 adults in B.C. recently, and found that 73 per cent of those who play lottery, bingo or go to casinos are 35 years or older. More women than men gamble.
Many who opposed the casino in 2003, threatened that gaming would bring prostitution and crime.
Not true, said Langley RCMP.
"We haven't had an increase in calls since the casino opened. In fact, it's been helpful to have them there," said police spokesperson Cpl. Diane Blain.
"They have 24-hour security that work with us. They are our eyes and ears and have called us when they see something going on in the downtown or if they have spotted someone intoxicated about to drive."
There has been no increase in prostitution in the City because of the casino either, Fassbender and Blain said.
However, the mayor doesn't think the province is doing enough in prevention and education, especially addressing young people about the dangers of getting hooked on gambling, especially on-line gaming.
"Gambling is here to stay, so as the government looks to grow it to Internet gaming, they have an equal responsible to spend money on education, prevention and creating an independent body to look at gaming issues," said Fassbender.
"This should be a provincial responsibility, not municipal."
Since the B.C. Liberal government took leadership of the province in 2001, gaming has expanded, from an increase in scratch-n-wins, to computer gaming at pubs like Racetrax, to an increase in casinos and the number of tables and slots allowed in each. Even bingo halls are now allowed slot machines.
The increase of gaming hasn't gone over well with the public.
Out of the 3,000 interviewed, 51 per cent of the overall public support gaming.
That approval has declined five per cent since last year, with people citing that there is 'too much gaming, too many casinos' as the reason.
While gaming has expanded in B.C., it only ranks eighth in the country.
Gateway Casinos president Dave Gadhia is out of the country and was unavailable for comment about Cascades Casino.
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