The BC Lottery Corp has announced it’s willing to bet – literally -that the North Shore is ready for its very own casino.
We haven’t noticed a clamour rising up from citizens about this inexcusable lapse in ways to part with their cash.
But the lottery corporation says otherwise, and having noticed an unusually affluent and untapped market, is planning to go all in. Lottery folks were at pains to point out the distance from other gambling venues may even result in some North Shore residents not bothering to gamble at all. Presumably they’ve managed to fill those empty hours coaching soccer, hiking with friends or spending time with their families - activities that don’t directly put dollars into provincial coffers.
But the lottery corporation is here to fix that.
The province, of course, ranks as one of the biggest gambling addicts out there, having grown reliant on the royal flush of over a $1 billion that the lottery corporation brings in annually.
For the province, the winnings are obvious - it gets most of the financial benefit whenever a casino sets up shop. Local communities get to take on most of the risk.
We’ve already seen a dry run of the discussions involved when the City of North Vancouver debated the pros and cons of allowing slots on the waterfront. The city eventually decided to fold its cards on that idea.
But the lottery corporation is doubling down, and this time all three municipal governments and two First Nations are being asked if they’d like to roll the dice.
Chances are good that sooner or later, someone will say yes.
We’d bet the house on it.
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