Non-profits and gambling expansion : the British Columbia experience

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the historical influence of charitable and non-profit organizations in bringing about changes to the federal laws and provincial policies that have regulated gambling. The primary research questions that this study addresses include the following: Is there a discernable pattern in the perspectives held by non-profit organizations with respect to gambling policies and issues? Have some types of non-profit organizations been more active in lobbying federal or provincial governments for special considerations in charity gambling policy decisions? What preferences for particular forms of gambling (bingo, raffles, charity casinos) have non-profit organizations demonstrated? To what extent, if any, have provincial governments and Crown corporations justified gambling expansion as serving the interests of non-profit organizations? What relationships have emerged between regulators and the regulated (i.e., between provincial gaming regulatory authorities and non-profit/charitable organizations)? How have these relationships evolved? To what extent have non-profit organizations opposed gambling expansion, and for what reasons?