The Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues was pleased to hear Solicitor General Frank announce that further study is needed before any changes are made to Alberta casino operations.
The federation, along with a host of other Edmonton non-profit organizations, were concerned that the province was going to bring in a new set of rules that would see funds from Edmonton casinos dispersed to groups outside of our city.
These concerns were validated when the province finally released its study of casino operations. Prepared by three government MLAs (including Edmonton-Calder MLA Doug Elniski), the report recommended that groups in a region around Edmonton be eligible to host casino nights at Edmonton casinos. It also said that revenues from electronic games (VLTs) in Edmonton casinos be distributed to non-profits groups in the region around Edmonton.
While the report didn’t define the Edmonton region, it is likely that it would include groups currently using the St. Albert casino where electronic proceeds are much lower than those earned at Edmonton casinos ($17,085 - $51,081 per event). It might also include groups using the Camrose casino, where electronic proceeds are also $17,085 per event.
The net effect of these recommendation would be to significantly reduce the revenue realized by Edmonton non-profit organizations. This would include the EFCL and most of its member leagues.
Recognizing the impact of this decision, Minister Oberle announced on Oct. 12 that the province would conduct further studies before making any changes to casino operations in Alberta.
Upon hearing the news, the EFCL quickly fired off a letter to Minister Oberle, with copies to all Edmonton MLAs.
“The loss of casino funding would be devastating to many leagues, to the point that it would bring much of their programming and capital construction projects to a halt,” EFCL president David Gibbens said in the letter.
“We echo your concern that the ramifications of changing the casino boundaries needs further study before any changes are made.”
Gibbens went on to note in the letter that significant funds are already dispersed from Edmonton casinos to points throughout Alberta via provincial organizations that are based in Edmonton and host casinos in Edmonton. In addition, Gibbens said social issues faced by groups in a large city like Edmonton are much more complex and challenging than the issues facing groups in smaller centres, which increases the demands placed on non-profit organizations in Edmonton.
Finally, Gibbens also noted that the casino review didn’t take into consideration problems associated with hosting a casino in your municipality, such as problem gambling and crimes committed by gamblers attempting to finance their habit. These issues, which have to be dealt with by the local municipality and local non-profit groups, suggest that a review of casino operations should look at the costs as well as the revenues associated with having a casino in your community, Gibbens said.
Gibbens concluded the letter by noting that the federation was ready to take part in any further consultations the department might want to hold on casino operations in our province.