BC is about to have a 10-15% increase in slot machines without one more machine being put into service! That bit of magic is made possible by increasing the operating hours of existing casinos. In Burnaby players can now start playing the slots at 8:00 AM and keep at it for 22 straight hours! The opening hours for the Burnaby casino are changed from 10:00 AM to 4:00 AM to 8:00 AM to 6:00 AM. Other casinos in the Lower Mainland are also seeing the operating hours increase. In Coquitlam and Richmond the casinos will open at 9:00 AM (formerly 10:00 AM) and close at 6:00 AM (former 4:00 AM). Vancouver's smallest casino which is slated for closing early in 2004 when the Richmond casino expands is operating fewer hours - evenings only, but it has no slots.

The political party that lit its hair on fire over expanded gambling is rushing to the bank with gaming proceeds. The BC Lottery Corporation's service plan shows a projected increase in casino revenue of almost 45% between 2002-03 and 2005-06 - that's almost 15% per year! Gordon Campbell screamed about the evils of gambling when he was in Opposition, but like so many other flip-flops, he is taking the opposite position in government.