Poll shows 53 percent of Vancouver residents oppose mega-casino

Just over half of City of Vancouver residents are opposed to the proposed expansion of Edgewater Casino in downtown Vancouver, according to a poll released today.

The Ipsos Reid poll shows 53 percent of City of Vancouver residents oppose the proposed casino complex, compared to 43 percent who support the development.

More people strongly oppose the project than are in strong support, with 33 percent of City of Vancouver residents surveyed indicating they “oppose strongly” and 14 percent in strong support.

Views on the casino-hotel complex were more divided among Metro Vancouver residents, with 48 percent of residents in favour of the complex and 45 percent opposed.

“It does appear that at least some of the perceptions of the potential social costs are higher in the City of Vancouver, and that’s probably why opposition’s higher within the City of Vancouver than the entire region,” Kyle Braid, vice-president of Ipsos Public Affairs told the Straight by phone.

According to the poll, six-in-10 Metro Vancouver residents say they agree the casino complex will result in “significant social costs” to the region. Two thirds, or 67 percent, of City of Vancouver residents say the project would result in significant social costs.

Six-in-10 City of Vancouver residents thought the project would provide "significant economic benefits" to the region, while 37 percent disagreed with that statement.

The poll also indicated that support for the project is slightly higher among men than among women.

The online poll was conducted between March 17 and 21, 2011 among a representative sample of 900 adult Metro Vancouver residents, including 250 in the City of Vancouver.

Regarding the poll's margin of error, Ipsos Reid states that "a survey with an unweighted probability sample of this size and a 100% response rate would have an estimated margin of error of ±3.3 percentage points, 19 times out of 20." This would translate to an estimated margin of error of ±6.2 percentage points for the City of Vancouver sample.

The City of Vancouver is currently reviewing the Paragon Gaming proposal to relocate Edgewater Casino to an expanded site adjacent to B.C. Place.

The casino-hotel complex would be the largest in Western Canada.

Vancouver city council will resume public hearings on the proposal on April 9.

Comments

4 Comments

Second Nation

Mar 24, 2011 at 2:07pm

14% support this strongly? I wont put my bet on these losers.

Norm Singer

Mar 24, 2011 at 3:32pm

Let the people opposed to it foot the bill for the Stadium and leave us non-problem gamblers alone. We already had to pay a billion for the convention center because of these Prohibitionists. The majority of us can and do gamble responsibly and shouldn't have to foot the bill for these Nimbys and whiners.

glen p robbins

Mar 24, 2011 at 7:54pm

Angus went 50/50 provincially - this Ipsos is closer to what we got in Vancouver. What we didn't publish was the fact that people who live downtown - are less inclined toward the Casino - while those further away or who don't come downtown -- and live on the west side don't care -- in Vancouver this is really as much a not in my back yard as it is dirty sin money.

The public knows we need money - sees government as a little reckless with their money - and doesn't want to be addicted to sin money.

Simi Sara on NW - is an excellent radio talk show host - and she and others did a piece on Clark's cheapskate $15 million to community services and charities. In my opinion its really nervy to arrogant to demand this casino - threaten to close down Edgewater's existing facility if Podmore doesn't get his deal -- and make no promises for $$ for addiction--------shit Christy's daddy was just like mine. She had four kids in her family-I had seven--- My father died of that affliction - 35 years ago -and I still miss him every day--------sin money in the treasury has got to do better for people with addictions and in the community than it is now-

Christy tell you advisors to screw off and step up to the plate.

The People's Champion

glen p robbins

Mar 26, 2011 at 11:32am

4 Mr. Singer - How are the "prohibitionists" linked to Mr. Podmore's convention centre which went from $500 million to $1 billion in cost as a consequence of soft 'easy dealing' by the Campbell government?

Why doesn't Mr. Podmore and Edgewater get on board by supporting a proposal to take all profits from the new casino and earmarking them dollar for dollar for a new Centre for Addictions ($125 million) and for community programs, and NOT into general revenues?

The average social cost of an addicted person (many with good jobs) --in the Province of British Columbia-- alcohol, drugs, smoking, gambling is $3,500 each and every year. There are 300,000 addicted people in the province of British Columbia -that's one billion a year down the shitter--each and every year. This does not include the increased productivity that a person who is treated for addiction contributes - of a similar amount and more each and every year thereafter.

As a society we no longer have the luxury of denying the reality that we must be as pro-active with social costs (not reactive).

Also, such a proposal would certainly mollify many of those who are against the casino and concerned that the profits from the casino would go to general revenue--so to the extent we could call it successful, at least the public would more universally get on board with this --- rather than continue down the road of essentially zero sum social policy encouraged by government over the past decade on all of these type deals