Alberta gaming regulator approves Camrose Casino relocation to Edmonton | CBC News

Alberta’s gaming, liquor and cannabis regulator will allow the Camrose Casino to move to south Edmonton, two years after refusing a previous relocation attempt.

The casino had applied to Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis to move from Camrose, 70 kilometres southeast of Edmonton, to a site at 420 Parsons Road S.W.

The proposal was for an 88,000 square-foot facility with 498 slot machines, 25 table games and eight poker tables. The AGLC said in a media statement Thursday that its board has approved the application.

After the AGLC board rejected a bid to move the Camrose Casino in 2022, the ownership group appealed. But an AGLC hearing panel upheld the refusal, citing a lack of public support and “significant cannibalization” of gaming revenues that would hurt existing casino operators.

The panel found at the time that a relocation would generate “limited” new gaming revenue.

On Thursday, the AGLC said the move will generate “significant additional revenue” for the provincial government, and that contributing to provincial revenue is part of the regulator’s responsibility.

“In balancing all the options, the decision to approve the application will support continuous business operations, provide jobs for Albertans and will significantly improve returns for rural charities with minimal impact to charities assigned to the Edmonton pool,” the AGLC said.

A spokesperson for the regulator said the proposal that’s now approved is not the same as the previous application, pointing to changes to the ownership group and the proposed games for the site.

The AGLC referred further questions to the casino operator, but Camrose Casino president Jason Pechet declined to comment when contacted by CBC News.

The move from Camrose to Edmonton is not a done deal, the AGLC noted.

Further steps include securing municipal land-use permits, zoning and development approvals, and building the new facility.

‘Our resources are being diminished’

Edmonton non-profit groups have raised concerns about how moving the casino would affect the pooling system for charitable gaming, which is a significant source of funds for local organizations.

The system sees charities and non-profits share casino proceeds after volunteering to manage a casino event, with groups assigned to a casino within their designated region — usually, the region where the organization is located.

But some charities outside Alberta’s major centres say they face lengthy waits for their turn at a casino event, and they’re left dividing up a smaller revenue pool. According to AGLC statistics, as of May 2024, the wait for an event at the Camrose Casino is the longest in the province, at 41 months, while organizations in Edmonton wait an average of 23 months.

Despite moving into Edmonton, the Camrose Casino will stay in the rural pool for charitable gaming events, which means Edmonton organizations will be excluded from revenues.

Laura Cunningham-Shpeley, executive director of the Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues, said that will hurt local groups.

“It feels like we’re getting further behind as non-profits in the city. We’re asked to do more, and our resources are being diminished.”

Gemma Dunn, executive director of the Edmonton Chamber of Voluntary Organizations, said in a statement that the organization is “at a loss” to explain the decision.

Dunn said Alberta’s entire non-profit sector is under strain, but organizations in urban centres face a different level of demand and complexity compared to rural charities.

The Ace Blackfoot Casino, within Calgary’s city boundaries, is also designated for rural charities in southern Alberta, according to the AGLC. But events there are reserved for rural organizations without an existing casino.

When the AGLC hearing panel upheld the previous decision not to let the Camrose Casino move, it found “balance among charities is an issue that would need to be addressed by way of policy reform and not by way of a casino relocation.”

City council opposition

Edmonton city council also weighed in this summer, agreeing in a 10-3 vote to voice opposition to the AGLC.

Mayor Amarjeet Sohi wrote a letter expressing concern that without further gaming policy changes, putting the Camrose Casino in Edmonton would mean a five per cent decline in gaming revenues for city charities.

Scott Cyr, the MLA for Bonnyville-Cold Lake-St. Paul, issued a letter in return shortly after, calling council’s position “embarrassing.”

“Relocating the Camrose Casino was an eminently reasonable request, given that Edmonton is where the North’s gaming dollars naturally flow,” Cyr said.

“Yet now, when Northern Alberta seeks a modest adjustment to ensure equitable distribution of charitable gaming revenue, Edmonton responds with resistance and self-interest.”

On Thursday, Ward Karhiio Coun. Keren Tang issued a statement saying when it comes to the casino relocation, “Frustration doesn’t even begin to describe it.”

She represents the south Edmonton area that’s the proposed new home for the casino. But the councillor said community issues still haven’t been addressed, two years after the idea came up.

“At the end of the day, a new business is moving into Ward Karhiio, likely with significant impact to the surrounding area,” she said.

“While it is not the outcome many in the community were hoping for, I will be exploring resources and possible new steps.”