rich 1.0 Action Network https://actionnetwork.org <link href='https://actionnetwork.org/css/style-embed-v3.css' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css' /><script src='https://actionnetwork.org/widgets/v6/letter/tell-vancouver-city-council-reject-parq-casino-gambling-expansion?format=js&source=widget'></script><div id='can-letter-area-tell-vancouver-city-council-reject-parq-casino-gambling-expansion' style='width: 100%'><!-- this div is the target for our HTML insertion --></div> UNITE HERE Local 40 https://actionnetwork.org/groups/unite-here-local-40 https://can2-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/letters/photos/000/435/168/normal/Slot_-_stiffed_image.jpg Vancouverites have already said no to downtown casino expansion. Will City Council ignore the will of the people and reverse that decision for minimal public benefit? The BC Lottery Corporation (BCLC), on behalf of Parq Casino, is asking Council to approve a 50% increase in slot machines - that's 300 more machines – despite public opposition and a gambling expansion moratorium put in place to mitigate social and economic harms. The proposal is being referred to Council under: CD-1 (519) Text Amendment & Gaming Control Act for 39-65 Smithe Street; a public hearing will be scheduled soon. What’s wrong with this proposal? Public opposition to a mega casino in downtown Vancouver was clear. Parq's financial situation is a question mark. Unlike competing casinos, Parq's slot revenues have dropped 19% since its peak in 2018, and total revenues lag pre-Covid levels. Parq has experienced its share of financial woes and taken on more debt. Are the real estate owners who bought the casino complex looking for a way to cash out?   BCLC warns the casino market is facing saturation, with an aging customer base, declining disposable income, and increasing competition from online gambling. With eight casinos in the Metro Vancouver area, why does BCLC want to cannibalize the market further? BCLC may be overstating what Parq can deliver. BCLC says added slots could generate an extra $1 million for the city in host city revenue. That is questionable. Before Cascades Casino Delta opened with 500 slot machines in 2022, BCLC projected the City of Delta could earn up to $3 million a year in host city revenue. Since then, the casino has reduced operating hours, and the city is budgeting $1.2 million from the casino in 2026, down $300,000 from last year.   300 extra slot machines is A LOT, and Vancouver will bear the social costs. Approximately 5% of players with gambling problems generate about one-third of gambling revenue in BC. Parq is asking for a major increase in slots but offering a modest increase in community benefits, leaving the city to deal with the costs of addiction, policing and other social costs. Will Vancouver settle for crumbs? Write a message to City Council now! This proposal is a bad bet for Vancouver. Tell Council to reject the proposed expansion of gambling at Parq Casino. https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-vancouver-city-council-reject-parq-casino-gambling-expansion