Government in B.C. has a serious gambling addiction.
That’s corrosive for segments of the population that chronically wager their families’ finances on the promise of easy money. It’s also damaging to the integrity of government finances when it becomes increasingly reliant on a revenue source that’s financially destructive for some members of the public.
Consider that revenue from commercial gambling in B.C. hit $2.7 billion in 2013-14. Profit to the provincial government from that total was north of $1 billion. Down at various city halls, the gambling revenue numbers are also significant. As pointed out recently in Business in Vancouver, the City of Richmond has reaped $172 million from casino revenue royalties since 1999.
A February provincial government press release, meanwhile, touted the distribution of $24.5 million in “gaming” grants to benefit people in need. That’s good news for gambling-grant recipients. But the bad news for the growing number of people getting involved in gambling is that government reliance on gambling revenue is subtly accelerating promotion of “gaming” on many fronts, especially in sporting events, both live and in virtual formats. According to the 2014 B.C. Problem Gambling Prevalence Study for the Ministry of Finance’s gaming policy and enforcement branch, gamblers’ participation increased in nine out of 12 gambling categories compared with a similar study done in 2008.
While the province’s gambling industry has recently formed the BC Gaming Industry Association to polish its public image and lobby for expanded venues and gambling opportunities, far too little is being invested in addressing the negative social fallout from the spread of gambling, especially within younger demographics via the Internet.
As revenue from energy, commodities and other foundational sectors of B.C.’s economy continues to shrink, government temptation to increase revenue from sources such as gambling continues to grow.
That’s a potential expansion of an addiction that neither government nor gamblers in this province can afford to ignore.
