Chances not playing fair

For the most part I have no problem with people spending their money on legal activities as they see fit, I do however think that the province should have assistance ready for those that find that they have a problem with gambling and wish to stop or find a way to control it.

What I find interesting about this whole Chances scenario here, is that over three years now they have chosen not to pay taxes owed, as we learned from Moncia Lamb Yorski  last week because they prefer to take care of their in house expenses first.

atowncalledpodunk.blogspot.com/2 … -care.html

Though as they’re a private company they haven’t exactly shared the books with us to see just how onerous a load running a gambling den is in this town.

That and apparently they don’t like the level of taxation levied by the city.

Now I can share their level of concern at the ever growing tax grab by the city, but perhaps paying their tax bill and then challenging it while remaining a good corporate citizen might be a better strategy, hell the city seems to have lawyers on retainer year round now so what’s another court challenge.

Considering the fact that gambling is a licensed activity in BC by the province, allowing one of its gambling partners to avoid tax payment for three years is a strange bit of assistance to struggling northern towns.

Especially since gambling in BC is something like a multi billion dollar industry.

I wonder  how they would like it if the customers chose not to pay up front for gambling, instead running up a tab and then going well you know we think that a quarter is too much for the slots so we’ll just hold off paying our tab until you folks come to your senses.

I pay my taxes every year on time, I grumble about it and wish the city would find a way to be more cost effective and reduce it’s expenses and my tax load, but I understand the pact between taxpayer and city that without the cash things just stop working.

I would expect a company that is raking in money from this city to do the same

Well-said.  None of us like paying taxes, but, we do pay our taxes on time for the most part.  I also would like to see the casino pay their debt to the City.

This is from Game Sense at the BC Lottery Corporations website.

Slot Machines
On average, slots in BC pay out 92% of all money wagered. The payout rate is based on the life of a machine however, not on one playing session. Over the life of a slot machine, or put another way, after millions and millions of spins, the laws of probability will allow a few players to win, cause some to lose, and allow others to walk away even. But in the short term, anything can happen.

Rethinking Ajaye’s original post about the house winning 9/10 times. 

If 10 people play the slots, not everybody will walk out with 92% of what they started with.  Most likely one person will hit a big enough jackpot to walk out a winner.  The other 9 will probably walk out with nothing.

Another interesting comment from the site.  If you walk away from a machine and the person comes behind you and wins on the first spin, don’t feel bad.  The random number generator is creating numbers at 1000/sec even when it is not being used.  So even if you had kept playing it would be highly unlikely that you would have hit the same result.

Almost every activity we participate in has an expense attached to it.  The golfer knows that he will less the green fees when he goes home.  The concert goer knows he will be less the admission charge when he goes home.  The slot player SHOULD know that he will be less the casino take when he goes home. 

Unlike the golfer and the concert goer who know there is no chance of them going home richer, the gambler has this expectation that he can win big.  It might happen, but it ain’t likely. 

I remember going to bingo association meetings with people from BCLC telling us that the Bingo Hall was not making enough money.  We countered with the fact that the town was struggling, but we were told (I would say in a threatening way or the hall might close) that we should be encouraging more people to go to the Bingo Hall.

I found that ironic.  Many of the organizations that relied on bingo, were in some competition with the Bingo Hall.  For example, instead of school PACs telling members to spend extra cash on books or supplies for their children, they were to tell them to play Bingo.  I wondered if charities should be funded through cigarette taxes and if we should then encourage all our members to smoke.

When Chances was making its presentations for a license, most of the charities were on side figuring that we would lose out on money if it didn’t go through.  I am still wondering if the right decision was made.

Thanks dwhite you really shined a light on how it works,i feel bad for those folks who
are hooked and need help even today driveing by chances the lot was full i guess even
the lords day folks need to gamble.

Well I do know that the SPCA had a silent auction bake sale today which was to help them make up I guess for money they will not receive from the city council now remember I said I guess. I am trying to stop being called a Cynic by some people and you know who you are. I also believe they made some money for the little fellas.

[quote=“DWhite”]
This is from Game Sense at the BC Lottery Corporations website.

Slot Machines
On average, slots in BC pay out 92% of all money wagered. The payout rate is based on the life of a machine however, not on one playing session. Over the life of a slot machine, or put another way, after millions and millions of spins, the laws of probability will allow a few players to win, cause some to lose, and allow others to walk away even. But in the short term, anything can happen. [/quote]

Thanks DWhite. I thought it might be public info, but was too lazy to look it up. In your post you’re being quite generous to ajaye46. He didn’t say that the house was winning 9/10 times, he said

[quote=“ajaye46”]
then one guy told me the pay out in Rupert is 90% to the house and 10% to the players[/quote]

How often the house wins and the payout are two very different things.

Well, Ajaye is slowly adapting to the real world.

Just give him time. =.=’

We don’t have THAT much time  :unamused:

 The only casino’s that get my money are the ones that have REAL dealers,REAL live tables,and REAL poker tables. I understand there are 3-4 decks being used to deal but the odds are more in your favour then 1 armed bandits, and video poker. Texas hold’em in house hosted tourney’s are fun, with set buy in’s. Roulette is fun playing the inside or outside of the table(you know the odds). But to throw your money down the belly of a machine run by a program is insane. You are better off to use the OTB to do horse races then that crap, or follow some sports and do pro-line and oddset. Football season is here and the CFL is fun to predict and will cost next to nothing. NFL and NHL is even more exciting. I mean if you want to gamble give youself a chance and play within your means.

You are right i have a friend who was a partner with Calvin Arie of BO dog .com he
made alto of money by designing the software for BO dog,betting on sports you need to
know your sports like football and hockey which team is weak and which player is hurt
i don’t watch that much sports i like golf and wwe wrestling since i was a kid,i did good
in re listate by buying my home when i was 21 and alittle in a company called microsoft
in 1985,the market is hard to figure out you really have to study it.

Wow… way to ruin the optimism; Ajaye just turned into a nutter again. :imp: :smiley:

Sportsaction is a fun game if you no your sports.

What’s the over/under of this topic remaining on track?

I like to gamble … I know my limit others who gamble may not know their limit … this is then an addiction not a past time. There are strategies in place for those with addictions I think though the Govt has sucked a whole lot of money from the charities with some fancy foot work. If you look at 20 years ago how much $ local sport and charities received vs how much $ it generated for the Govt the split to the local level is way way less.  Money grab for the Govt of the day.  At whose cost … US THE TAXPAYERS! 

Who cares about the people losing their shirts gambling - that’s self inflicted. WHERE’S OUR PROPERTY TAXES!

They do just as much bad as they do good. They employ how many people? But don’t pay the property taxes they owe Prince Rupert. They have a high staff-turnover rate. I don’t mind if they cause some headache with people who can’t control their gambling but as Rupertites we’re losing out on the revenue for our infrastructre at the same time.

I wonder how many other businesses are doing the same thing?

It is taking a toll on our small business sector,talking to captain Shields at salvation
army the food bank and soup kitchen is getting bigger.The fishing and crabing is
hurting this year so winter will be a hard one for many folks.

That’s Capt. Gary Sheils.

I was against the idea of this casino in our town right from the very start, for many of the same reasons mentioned here already, they victimize those people least able to afford it. I have not spent a nickel in there on gambling and I never will, although I have had a meal and a beer in the restaurant.To expect an owner of a casino to have any kind of social concience is unrealistic at best. The citizens of this town should picket the place and boycott them completey until they PAY THEIR FUCKING TAXES. 

Umm just a thought but it is in the city bylaws that a new business has up to 3 years to defer their property taxes.  If I was a business person I think I would take advantage of this wouldn’t you?