Proposals for two new casinos in Surrey need to be considered very warily by Surrey council.

The first point that needs to be considered is how vital the casinos would be to the overall success of two major development projects. Bob Cheema is proposing a hotel and convention centre just off Highway 99 at 8 Avenue in South Surrey, while Ralph Berezan is proposing a casino as part of an multi-building highrise project near the King George SkyTrain station.

Both of these projects have many positive features and could be good for Surrey. Redevelopment and highrises in the Whalley area are the key to the area becoming Surrey City Centre, as has long been envisioned.

A hotel and convention centre near the U.S. border could serve as a major economic driver for the region, and a location adjacent to Highway 99 is a very logical one. Curiously enough, there is little in the way of space for large gatherings in South Surrey and there is definitely a need.

Both developers are well-known in Surrey and bring a good understanding of the community with them. Their proposals certainly deserve a very close look.

Council should think about the social effects of gambling, a point numerous council members have brought up over the past decade when gambling was discussed in Surrey.

Gambling is popular with many people and is a legal and legitimate social activity. But it is not for everyone. Some people become addicts and it is important that these people be kept away from gambling establishments.

Another point that council should take into consideration is at least examining if there is a saturation point. Gambling losses have grown in recent years, with B.C. residents losing $436 per capita in 2008 to various types of gambling, including slot machines, lottery tickets and bingo.

Surrey residents can currently gamble at the Fraser Downs race track, where a casino has been added. Many Surrey residents also travel to Langley City, New Westminster, Coquitlam, Burnaby and Richmond to gamble at larger facilities. If a facility on the scale of River Rock in Richmond was built in Surrey, it would encourage more of them to stay closer to home – but River Rock is much more than a casino. It attracts top-notch entertainers and is also an destination entertainment complex. How many such facilities can successfully operate in the Lower Mainland?

Gambling has grown enormously since the NDP government first started to expand it in the mid-1990s. The B.C. Liberals vowed to contain its growth, but in fact gambling has grown enormously under their watch. As both governments found out, gaming is a cash cow for the province, and to a lesser degree, the municipalities that host casinos.

Surrey was slow to embrace gambling, and took an active stance against it for years. That’s why large casinos are in other communities.

Gambling brings in lots of revenue for governments, and it has led to the building of some much-needed convention centres, hotels and entertainment complexes. However, it cannot keep expanding indefinitely.

Any suggestion of gambling expansion in Surrey must take all these factors into consideration.

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