Casino gaming appetite beginning to wane (Canada)

(source: Black Press Aug 04 2006 )

Casino gaming appetite beginning to wane

By Jeff Nagel Black Press Aug 04 2006

Public support for gaming in B.C. is dropping while casino-fueled revenues continue to steadily climb.

Those are among the findings in the B.C. Lottery Corporation’s annual report for 2005-06.

It says public support of gaming has dropped from 58 per cent two years earlier to 51 per cent. The corporation’s target is 75 per cent support.

The report blames media coverage of casino gambling and increased casino advertising from operators both inside and outside the province.

“These two factors correspond to an increase in public perception that there is too much gaming in British Columbia and too many casinos,” it says.

Without strong public acceptance and support, the report says, the corporation may fail to reach its business and revenue targets.

B.C. casinos raked in more than $1 billion from customers for the first year ever.

Slot machine revenue led the way with $763 million, combined with $322 million from table games for a total of $1.08 billion – up 21 per cent from $892 million the previous year.

The biggest single take was $215 million at Great Canadian Casinos’ River Rock Casino in Richmond, where table games actually outperformed slots.

Number two in the region was Burnaby’s Gateway Casino Burnaby with $152 million in combined revenue, followed by Great Canadian’s Boulevard Casino in Coquitlam with $129 million.

The report projects a continued rise in casino gambling, which is forecast to hit $1.225 billion by 2008.

It was also the first year in B.C.’s history that casino gambling outstripped lotteries. The lottery branch trailed with $967 million in revenue for the year. Bingo raised $208 million.

The corporation aims to “transform and reinvent lotteries to a growth business” and continue to increase revenues through casinos and by transforming bingo halls to community gaming centres.

Another key strategy is to increase Internet gaming revenues through the corporation’s eLottery program.

The provincial government raked in $922 million in net income from gaming last year.

Of that, $65 million was passed along to host municipalities, $138 million went to charitable and community groups, and the remaining $700 million went to either general government revenue or health funding.

The report notes that with just over 6,300 slot machines and no video lottery terminals, B.C. has the fewest electronic gaming devices per capita of any province.

The average B.C. resident spent $428 last year on gaming (after winnings), compared to $720 for the average Alberta resident, and a national average of $516.

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Lower Mainland revenues 2005-06

Richmond

– River Rock Casino – $215 million (up 14 %)

Burnaby

– Gateway – $152 million (up 15 %)

Coquitam

– Boulevard Casino – $129 million (up 8 %)

Langley

– Cascades Casino – $89 million (new)

Surrey

– Fraser Downs Casino – $47 million (up 20 %)

New Westminster

– Gateway Casino Royal Towers – $13.5 million (down 54 %)

– Royal City Star Casino – $27 million (down 23 %)

Vancouver casinos

– (Total for Edgewater Casino, Gateway Mandarin Centre and Great Canadian Holiday Inn) Total – $98 million (up 48 %)

Date Posted: 04-Aug-2006