With millions of Canadians doing some form of gambling every year, the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) wants people to know that there's actually a positive side to this spending, with B.C. alone being responsible for generating $1.5 billion in net income for the provincial government.
This money goes toward a variety of resources, including funding education, community gaming grants, the Provincial Health Special Account, First Nations groups, and many other public programs and services.
While this is only a portion of the $15.44 billion that Canadian gambling generated in 2023, it is also coming at a time when the gambling industry is struggling to return to pre-pandemic revenue numbers and recorded one of its lowest revenue years in the past decade.
Locally, Chances Abbotsford saw a total of $1.49 million contributed to various initiatives in 2024.
A large portion of this money went to supporting local community events, including the Sumas First Nation Powwow, the Taste of Abby Fall Festival, and the Symphony in the Park.
The Neighbourhood Spirits Grants program received $15,000 of this money, which helped fund small-scale projects throughout Abbotsford.
Outside of Chances Abbotsford, the community also received more than half a million dollars from the province's community gaming grants, with the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of the Fraser Valley getting $225,000, Abbotsford Hospice and Grief Support Society getting $180,000, and the Abbotsford Youth Commission getting $105,000.
BCLC shared that more than $15 million in provincial gambling revenue has been shared with the City of Abbotsford since 2009.
Pat Davis, BCLC president and CEO, explained that the group's dedication to supporting community programs and keeping gambling revenue within the province is of the most importance to the BCLC.
"Across B.C. and Canada, we’ve seen incredible groundswell around the importance of buying and supporting local, and that’s no different for British Columbians who choose gambling for their entertainment," Davis said.
