Measures are in place to help problem gamblers, the B.C. Lottery Corporation assures.
One of the issues raised by opponents of Gateway’s proposed hotel/casino complex in Ladner is that it will help feed gambling addiction.
A Delta staff report on the application notes BCLC's mission is "to conduct and manage gaming in a socially responsible manner for the benefit of British Columbians".
The province and BCLC's 2014 Problem Gambling Prevalence Study showed that 3.3 percent of all adult British Columbians exhibited moderate to severe problem gambling behaviours.
BCLC advised Delta that the focus is on player health, and that there are four pillars to this strategy: promote positive play, promote informed decision making, reduce problem gambling prevalence and facilitate effective referral to treatment and support.
One of the ways that BCLC offers assistance to gamblers is through the extensive GameSense program.
BCLC also notes that casino products are equipped with responsible gambling features, such as software that provides reminders to players about length of time of play or amount wagered.
BCLC also offers referral of players to resources for treatment and support. Problem gambling counseling is free in B.C.
Among other measures, the province and BCLC also invested in the UBC Centre for Gambling Research.
In a letter to Mayor Lois Jackson before Delta was chosen by BCLC as a preferred host community, Fraser Health chief medical health officer Victoria Lee and executive medical director Arlene King conveyed concerns, pointing to information available on problem gambling and access to gambling venues. They noted a study a couple of years earlier found the number of problem gamblers might have declined since 2008, but the proportion of severe gamblers remains a concern.
They noted most estimates of severe problem gambling are at around one per cent of the population.
"In its most severe form, problem gambling leads to significant social, physical and emotional health problems, family rupture, legal troubles, crime and even suicide," they wrote.
The medical officials, warning problem gambling like many other health problems is not distributed equally in the population, said most recent data from the Lower Mainland and elsewhere confirms that most gamblers gamble close to home. For example, 85.9 per cent of patrons at the Edgewater Casino in Vancouver come from less than 20 kilometres away, although it is impossible to know in advance what proportion of patrons will come from a local area should a new gambling facility be approved.
"Although the direct and indirect economic benefits to a community are well documented, the costs are not. Given the myriad of health and social health problems associated with problem gambling, these are difficult to quantify but also require careful consideration," they added.
The public hearing for the proposed Delta Cascades Casino takes place Tuesday, May 1 at the Ladner Community Centre starting at 6 p.m.
