Charity organizations which host fund-raising events at Edmonton-based casinos will be stripped from the opportunity to choose a venue themselves in order to make sure that some of them are not always held at locations which are not so convenient.
Earlier this week, the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC) revealed the change in a special e-mail sent to the user groups. As revealed by the regulatory body, the change is set to make the process fairer for the various user groups which apply for casino licenses at the five gambling venues situated in Edmonton, Alberta.
The provinceās gambling watchdog explained that some of the casino facilities in the region are considered more disadvantaged in comparison to others due to the fact that their locations are sometimes less convenient and there is limited parking space. The AGLC has been aimed at ensuring fair conditions to all groups which organize fund-raising initiatives at local casinos, so the locations would be rotated through all organizations in the interest of fairness. As explained in the e-mail of Alberta gambling regulator, in most cases, charity organizations would hardly be affected by any changes at all.
Heather Holmen, a spokeswoman for AGLC, explained that the rotation principle is being chosen by the Commission to make the process of organizing such events as fair as possible. She said that the Commission does not have easily accessible statistics to monitor which casinos in Edmonton are more preferred as locations for such fund-raising events.
Volunteer Recruitment for Fund-Raising Nights Could Be Harder
Previously, the charity organizations were given the right to reach the gambling venue which they preferred in order for a certain event to be planned in the in the assigned period of time.
As mentioned above, the AGLC has claimed that there will hardly be any major changes in the way charities have organized their fund-raising nights so far. However, one of the coordinators of those events, DĆ³nal OāBeirne, disagrees. Mr. OāBeirne who has help five different user groups in Edmonton organize such events claims that the latest change would probably affect coordination of fund-raising nights, as it is expected to make it harder for organizations to recruit volunteers at some locations which are less preferred than others.
The Edmonton Sun reported that he revealed that some volunteers have already shared their concerns about the Grand Villa Casino which is situated in the downtown Ice District. Mr. OāBeirne explained that currently, this is the only casino facility in town which offered limited parking, which made it a less-desired destination. Apart from the parking option, he also said he was concerned about safety and volunteer facilities in the casino, which have made it more difficult for volunteers to be recruited at the location.
On its turn, the owner of the Grand Villa Casino ā Gateway Casinos ā revealed that it has added more than 75 free parking spots behind the venue. The companyās spokeswoman Tanya Gabara shared that the casino has been working to improve parking availability and spaces for volunteers since its very opening and it was not involved in the rule change initiated by the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission.
