I wish to commend the mayor and city council for their prudent approach in dealing with the issue of expanding gaming to include video slots as it assumes a high profile in the community. It is an emotional issue for a lot of people and in particular to the charitable organizations who showed up at the city council chambers in large numbers at the June 15th meeting to let the Council know how much they would like their non profit expanded gaming center in Chilliwack. I am sure they did that with the best of intentions. Council’s approach at the meeting demonstrated that we have a Council that is prepared to look at the bigger picture and the real social, moral and ethical costs of such a venture. That is the mark of a good local government which is interested in the greater good of its citizenry. Full marks and well done, so far.

I urge all the citizens of our community and the charitable organizations in particular to stop and do an honest assessment of what expanding gaming to include video slots in Chilliwack will cost. It is not only about a black and white bottom line of infusion of great amounts of money to be used by charities for our citizens. And it is a dazzling blinding enticing amount of money. But look deeper behind that premise and promise of money. That money came from someone and that someone paid a dear price for it – family, careers, friends and in a number of cases with their lives. Here are some sobering facts from another province’s experience with gaming and video slots and please note the increase in “incidents” from the past to the present.

In a recent Montreal Gazette article (Dec. 06, 2007), Lotto Quebec was forced by the Quebec Court of Appeal to turn over information to a citizen on incidents on Casino premises in Quebec. The most recent statistics, gathered between Sept. 18, 1998, and March 31, 2007, show there were 1,631 emergency calls for ambulances at the province’s three casinos for incidents like falls or unconsciousness. In 2004, the Quebec coroner’s office linked 32 of the 1,172 suicides in the province to problem gambling, compared with 27 of 1,271 in 2003. In 1998, there were only six suicides tied to gambling addiction. And it was alleged that the numbers of incidents reported by the Lotto Quebec were grossly under reported.

One enthusiastic supporter recently wrote that we may have to be willing to “open our pocketbooks to provide for” others if we vote ‘No’ to the gaming centre. Yes, that alternative may become necessary but that is not likely at this time. I believe Diane Janzen recently asked the Derek Sturko, Assistant Deputy Minister with the Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch, the question “If the gaming center did not come to Chilliwack, would the 56 charities lose funding?” The answer was ‘No.’ In summary, it would appear that the baseline of funding as it currently is would continue for our community and for the 56 charities with or without a gaming centre. So the debate is really not about the continuation of funding or services but rather about the degree.

Could we use more money for charitable work? Yes, of course, but at what cost? In the end, I would rather pay for additional services rather then raise money fuelled by someone’s gambling addiction. And I certainly wouldn’t want to raise money in a manner that will possibly cost someone in our community their home, career, family or even his or her life. I watched the June 15 meeting and heard from the BC Lottery Corporation representative about the marvelous support programs that are in place to assist those who have gambling addictions and problems. Wouldn’t the simpler solution be not to introduce a gaming program that is going to leave a wake of destruction and devastation to a percentage of our population, their families and friends? That for me is the real bottom line and the real cost. An expanded gaming centre with video slots is not the way to proceed. There are other ways so lets explore those first. Let’s do what we do so well in Chilliwack and that is to continue to take complete and good care of the citizens of our community.

Dale McGregor,