In British Columbia, a great deal of revenue from gambling venues and the new online casino are used to fund social programs. The revenue is gathered into grants, which are spent on education, health and other areas the benefit the country at large. In order to determine how this money can be better spent, BC Gaming is undertaking a cross-country tour to gather opinions from residents of the province.
Premier Christie Clarke states that the goal of the tour is to obtain feedback from citizens across the province. They will be able to provide their opinions on how eligibility should be determined as well as the application process for those seeking grants.
The amount of money allocated to grants has been on the decline for the past few years, so the government has decided to be careful with how the grants are doled out. During the 2008-2009 fiscal year, $156 million was spent on grants. Last year, the number dropped to $135 million. This year, it will drop to $120 million, despite gambling revenue being $1 billion.
As such, it is only fair that residents are able to voice their opinion on how the money is spent. There are over 6000 charities that depend on the money from gambling grants in order to operate and benefit individuals across the country.
