Victoria councillor seeks assurances future casino won’t launder money

Victoria needs assurances that a casino won’t be laundering dirty money before it considers applications to allow one in Victoria, says Coun. Jeremy Loveday.

“When I think of the things that could benefit our downtown, having a casino that could potentially bring money laundering and organized crime isn’t one of them,” Loveday said.

Loveday is seeking council support to have the mayor write the B.C. Lottery Corp. and the B.C. attorney general for an update of the province’s investigations into money laundering in Lower Mainland casinos “to seek assurances that issues of organized crime and money laundering will not occur in any potential new casinos in the city of Victoria.”

He is recommending any land use application for a casino be sent to Victoria police for comment, similar to the process used for liquor licence applications.

“It’s imperative we get this information and seek assurances that the systemic failures that have occurred in other casinos in B.C. have been fixed or that they will be fixed by the time a casino is opened in downtown Victoria, if the council of the day decides that that’s what they would like to see happen,” Loveday said.

A report prepared by Peter German, a former RCMP deputy commissioner, released this summer, found that for many years there were Lower Mainland casinos serving as “laundromats” cleaning the proceeds of organized crime. The province responded by promising sweeping oversight reforms of the casino industry.

While an application is yet to be made, Victoria was selected by the B.C. Lottery Corp. in 2016 as a host municipality for a new casino.

Before a gaming licence can be issued, the city is required under the Gaming Control Act to consider “adequate community input” from residents and notify potentially affected local governments.