BCACG's Memorandum of Agreement available online

Minister Rich Coleman, who has not yet responded to the Straight's interview request, was quoted in today's Globe and Mail stating that the B.C. Association of Charitable Gaming's signed agreement with the province regarding gaming was not an MOA. "It was actually a letter of understanding, it wasn’t an agreement. It was back in 1999," he is quoted as saying.

The document in question is available online.

Clearly marked as a Memorandum of Agreement on Gaming Policy, it states that the province "reaffirms its commitment to the existing charitable guarantee of a minimum $125 million annually, indexed annually at the rate of Vancouver CPI, with a formula that ensures charity entitlement to an amount, after accounting for retained bingo revenues, equal to 1/3 of ongoing government net community casino gaming revenue."

In 2009/10, provincial gaming revenues were $1.07 billion, $112.6 million of which went to the charitable and non-profit sector.

The BCACG is campaigning to have city council refuse to review any applications for gaming expansion until the province honours its 1999 memorandum of agreement with the BCACG, or negotiates a new agreement.

The city is currently reviewing an application for a new $450-million entertainment complex attached to B.C. Place. The 680,000-square-foot complex would include a relocated Edgewater Casino and two hotels, and is subject to the city’s approval and rezoning.