701 replies to this topic

[spanky123]

^I go to the Casino all the time when on vacation, no matter where..

My "gambling" budget has nothing to do with my eating, drinking, entertainment or shopping budget. I am a average Joe... guess I just know how to stick to a budget?

So what if it doesn't bring in "millions", it would provide a different entertainment venue, that many downtown residents would enjoy.

 

So our CRA auditor spends his vacation time seeking out casinos to gamble at? :-)

 

Have you ever been to Elements or Chances? There is no entertainment going on there. There are rows of very sad looking retirees blowing their pension money on slot machines.

[Nparker]

There are rows of very sad looking retirees VOLUNTARILY blowing their pension money on slot machines.

[spanky123]

Don't the RCMP patrol all First Nation lands (who don't have their own police force), and don't you get a traffic ticket for violating any Provincial traffic laws while transiting a reserve on a public road?

 

I had a friend of mine who was a gaming consultant to First Nations a number of years back. One of her clients was threatening to open a casino and then go all 'Oka' on the police if they tried to intervene. The response was quite simple and that was to go ahead and open a casino. The problem was that nobody was going to finance it, nobody would supply or service any equipment, and no operator would get involved because if they did, they would never do business with the Government again and any existing license they had related to gaming would get yanked. Apparently running a casino isn't that simple and playing amateur hour just insures that you lose your shirt to the crooks.

 

There are things on FN lands that are illegal and the police do nothing about it. Native smokes and the soon to be Native tokes are prime examples. 

Edited by spanky123, 06 July 2018 - 09:42 AM.

[spanky123]

There are rows of very sad looking retirees VOLUNTARILY blowing their pension money on slot machines.

 

Never said that they were forced to be there, just that the image of crowds laughing it up and being enthralled by the joy of the experience is a fallacy.

Edited by spanky123, 06 July 2018 - 09:45 AM.

[Dr. Barillas]

I hope the new one has a great buffet.

[spanky123]

I hope the new one has a great buffet.

 

Elements has a great buffett, lots of soft food that is easy on the dentures.

[Cassidy]

Never said that they were forced to be there, just that the image of crowds laughing it up and being enthralled by the joy of the experience is a fallacy.

I don't believe it's a fallacy at all.

 

Go stand at the edge of a hot craps table that has a full slate of active players ... at which point you'll realize that those images of crowds having a good time that show up in ads ... those images aren't even remotely loud enough, boisterous enough, or happy enough when compared to the real thing!

A smokin' hot Craps table is about as much fun as an individual can have while standing on two feet.

 

The ancient visual of an old lady at a now antique handle-pull, three wheel slot machine, with her right hand colored black from pulling the metal handle for 12 hours straight and holding a plastic beer cup full of dirty nickels... that old visual was never particularly representative of slot machine play, and would now rightfully be declared "fake-news".

 

But again, with the exception of a very small percentage of casino patrons who would fit the moniker of "degenerate gambler" ... most folks go to casinos to have a good time with friends or family, and indeed do have a good time.

The onsite food, drink, and entertainment all just add to the experience.

Edited by Cassidy, 06 July 2018 - 10:14 AM.

[sdwright.vic]

So our CRA auditor spends his vacation time seeking out casinos to gamble at? :-)

Have you ever been to Elements or Chances? There is no entertainment going on there. There are rows of very sad looking retirees blowing their pension money on slot machines.

Dude... I lived in NYC for 10 years. I don't pay attention to others in public places, only those in my party.

As for seeking at casinos, no. But when my gambling budget its converted to pesos it sure the hell last a lot longer!

Some people blowing of money is others entertainment.

Look we are spending all this time allowing a council member say "oh, dear! What if?!?" Yet he runs around molly cuddling a section of society because they are down on there luck?

[spanky123]

I don't believe it's a fallacy at all.

 

Go stand at the edge of a hot craps table that has a full slate of active players ... at which point you'll realize that those images of crowds having a good time that show up in ads ... those images aren't even remotely loud enough, boisterous enough, or happy enough when compared to the real thing!

A smokin' hot Craps table is about as much fun as an individual can have while standing on two feet.

 

The ancient visual of an old lady at a now antique handle-pull, three wheel slot machine, with her right hand colored black from pulling the metal handle for 12 hours straight and holding a plastic beer cup full of dirty nickels... that old visual was never particularly representative of slot machine play, and would now rightfully be declared "fake-news".

 

But again, with the exception of a very small percentage of casino patrons who would fit the moniker of "degenerate gambler" ... most folks go to casinos to have a good time with friends or family, and indeed do have a good time.

The onsite food, drink, and entertainment all just add to the experience.

 

Obviously then you have never been to Chances or Elements! They each have a sad snack bar and Elements has a buffet that seems to be closed more than it is open. The only entertainment is at Elements and they have 3 evenings booked over the summer with cover bands. 

 

Vegas, Reno or AC I would agree with you on.

[Cassidy]

Obviously then you have never been to Chances or Elements! They each have a sad snack bar and Elements has a buffet that seems to be closed more than it is open. The only entertainment is at Elements and they have 3 evenings booked over the summer with cover bands. 

 

Vegas, Reno or AC I would agree with you on.

I hear 'ya ... I've never understood the attraction of Bingo to begin with ... but I do know that despite the sullen and depressing optics presented at most Bingo Halls, there are an awful lot of folks that LOVES their Bingo!

 

Even worse though, there are those tables and chairs in most malls, at the lottery ticket booth, where folks sit and watch their hourly on-line bingo ticket numbers pop up on the screen above the lottery ticket sellers head ... which to my eyes is the saddest of all the gambling scenes in B.C. as they're usually eating some pretty sad mall food while they're watching.

 

But in general terms, one has to accept that these folks have made a choice to be there, a trip to get there, and therefore must posses some sort of desire to be sitting exactly where they're sitting

[tjv]

Don't the RCMP patrol all First Nation lands (who don't have their own police force), and don't you get a traffic ticket for violating any Provincial traffic laws while transiting a reserve on a public road?

yes, the RCMP, our national police force, would do that.  believe it or not there are also federal traffic laws too. 

 

I had a friend try to argue with an RCMP that federal laws speeds on secondary roads are 50 km/h and no such rules exist federally for school zones (at least I think that was the issue).  The RCMP officer replied that is all true, but they are contracted by the municipality to enforce their laws

[lanforod]

If we're going to get a casino, we don't want a Chances or an Elements. We want a River Rock. A hotel casino resort with extra amenities. Can we get a mega resort here, get a adult side (Casino) and a family side (say, a Great Wolf Lodge) with a big convention hotel (eg. Gaylord) in the middle. 

 

Should fit nicely in Rock Bay.

 

Also, screw slot machines, they suck.

[sebberry]

Here's the interview between Joe Perkins and Jeremy Loveday http://www.iheartrad...oplay=1.4004185

[Cassidy]

Jeremy's case against a casino is uninformed.

 

It's largely just the old "I don't personally like casinos" argument, and he offers very little of substance to back the comment up. "We'll see what happens" just doesn't cut it when you're talking about hundreds of new jobs, and a major new revenue stream into the COV's coffers.

 

His comment about local policing, and the additional drain on local policing resources is misplaced, as casinos see Provincial Gambling Inspectors looking after anything gambling related, leaving local police to do absolutely nothing more than they do at a local nightclub, bar, or restaurant when they're obliged to deal with residents making use of the facility.

 

When cities around the world have their local governments vying at great length in order to attract casino business, for Victoria to stick its head in the sand and take the exact opposite approach would be a huge mistake to make from a business and revenue point of view.

I noted in an earlier post that the enforcement levels have to be increased in order to support additional gambling, but that note reflects an installation like the River Rock ... not a little boutique casino located in a hotel.

 

As much as I'd like to see a destination casino built in Victoria, and as much as an installation like that makes sense in what is already a destination tourist town ... I've lived here far too long to ever believe any given municipal council would ever have the guts, or the foresight to move forward on such a facility.

In short, the large, River Rock type facility on Rock Bay (or anywhere else for that matter), will never happen in Victoria.

 

And worth note is the reality that is the exact opposite of Jeremy's claim that casino's are a "black hole" to local businesses ... in reality, because casinos are a destination type of business (even for local residents) they bring people into their local area, people who otherwise wouldn't be anywhere near that area, and as most small, downtown businesses well know, the walk-in traffic is a major component of a successful operation. Jeremy's comment implies that a casino somehow would "suck" that walk-in traffic from the local businesses ... something that couldn't be further from the truth.

The View Royal installation has likely had more than a few casino patrons buy a burger across the street on the way home, or buy gas, or pick up bread and milk. It's ignorant to suggest that a casino will somehow "take away" business from a hat shop, or a clothing store that might be located nearby.

Edited by Cassidy, 06 July 2018 - 05:11 PM.

[Nparker]

Jeremy's...comment about local policing, and the additional drain on local policing resources is misplaced...

Not just misplaced, but entirely hypocritical if he has ever endorsed sheltered housing such as 844 Johnson Street which has certainly created an additional drain on policing resources. 

[jonny]

I have no interest in putting in a lame casino downtown like the one in View Royal. Now, that changes if somebody proposes a destination type urban resort with a nice restaurant, a big new hotel, pools, entertainment venues and a casino.

[tjv]

aren't all of Vancouver's major casinos outside of the City of Vancouver?

 

Hard Rock  Coquitlam

Starlight - New West

River Rock - Richmond

Grand Villa - Burnaby

 

I think there is one in False Creek, but its like Chances with a few table games and slots  The large ones are outside

 

Saanich, Central Saanich, North Saanich should be pushing hard for a new casino

[Cassidy]

The current Elements "warehouse" architectural style is really a total cop-out when compared to something like the River Rock.

 

Despite the millions of bucks, and years of work ... unfortunately Elements is currently just a large, metal industrial warehouse designed to primarily house slot machines, while offering a few table games to entice folks who won't (or don't) play slots.

Add a few frilly bits to the outside of the building, and call it a day.

 

So I agree completely that building a similar warehouse downtown, sticking a few frilly architectural features on the outside, and filling it up with slot machines isn't quite what folks would be looking for in Victoria.

 

As noted above though, I suspect any "new" casino in Victoria will likely be stuck into an existing hotel, or an already constructed (and re-purposed) building ... and that we'll not have to worry about the big, architecturally outstanding destination facility that would really work well in Victoria.

[Cassidy]

aren't all of Vancouver's major casinos outside of the City of Vancouver?

 

Hard Rock  Coquitlam

Starlight - New West

River Rock - Richmond

Grand Villa - Burnaby

 

I think there is one in False Creek, but its like Chances with a few table games and slots  The large ones are outside

 

Saanich, Central Saanich, North Saanich should be pushing hard for a new casino

 

Most, but not all.

 

This is a big boy, $640 million worth of big.

http://www.parqvancouver.com

[PraiseKek]

Any casino downtown should have adequate bike infrastructure to get to it. That disqualifies rock bay unless the bay Street bridge is redone to be over 70% for pedestrian and bike use. Any casino chips will also have to be metal or wooden.