Slots Bring Revenues in Bingo Hall
The demarcation line between bingo halls and casinos is disappearing since the B.C. Lottery Corporation allowed slot machines in bingo halls.
Last Fall, slot machines were put in bingo parlours in Dawson Creek, Williams Lake, Kamloops and Kelowna. Local Councils in those areas have given their permission for more slot machines at bingo halls in Fort Nelson, Courtney and Campbell River, which will open later this year.
The expansion of slot machines in Bingo halls and other venues like racetracks have critics up in arms and accusing the B.C. Liberal Government of reneging on its pledge not to allow expanded gambling in their province. The B.C. Lottery Corporation have called these expanded bingo halls 'community gaming centers' and as it develops it becomes hard to tell what separates or what is the difference between the two.
Another example of these 'community gaming centers' is Bingo Kelowna, which set a new level in Bingo gaming when it first opened back in 2002 as the first multi-purpose bingo gaming facility in British Columbia. This bingo halls just recently underwent a complete renovation back in March and now features both paper based and electronic bingo, slot machines, off-track horse betting, varied lottery merchandise and both food and beverage lounges.
The slot machines in bingo establishments are bringing revenues for the bingo hall operators and the government. The Bear Mountain Bingo hall situated in Dawson Creek have already 50 slots in their establishment last fall and they have earned $1.77 million profits by the end of March in comparison to the bingo revenues of the facility which is just at $1.37 million dollars.
Another bingo hall, Signal Point Gaming located at Williams Lake has 103 slot machines in their establishment and they have earned $2.42 million dollars in revenues. Kelowna's Chances has 50 slots in their place which have generated $397,000 dollars while their bingo revenues are at $13 million dollars.
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