PLEASE fill out the Proposed New Casino Market Survey. The Market survey forms may be e-mailed, faxed, mailed, or delivered in person. Forms must be received no later than Noon on Monday November 19, 2012. Send them to Ron Gill, City of Surrey Planner, email rgill@shaw.ca, Fax: 604-591-2507, or mail or drop-off at 14245 56th Avenue, Surrey BC, V3X 3A2. Please quote file no 7912-0299-00 on all documents and correspondence! The Casino Market survey results will be forwarded to the Mayor, City Council, the Land Use Committee, and others.
While both the Poll and the Survey data will be reported to City Hall. It is the Casino Market Survey which will carry the most clout with City Planners.
Get a copy of the Casino Market Survey here:
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B2xA-hA_y9fJVm9SU3BMRGZVUE0
NoCasinoSurrey 
There are enough casino’s, we don’t need to enable anymore people that are struggling with addictions!!
It’s much more than a Casino and S.Surrey needs a place like this. The sky is falling! The sky is falling!
The sky has fallen Chris. We send $Billions every year to Toronto and Vegas through gambling. A tiny portion of that is given to the BC goverment as a token to keep voters happy. That money that is ripped out of our economy and sent outside of BC is crippling to the economy. Money that could be spent here paying salaries and buying services to keep the BC economy afloat. The high unemployment rates, the reduces pensions from our government, the high taxes, all of these are made far worse by the flood of dollars out of our borders. It’s Economics 101.
Why ruin our peaceful rural community with this kind of Monstosity. More parks are needed as Surrey has always been know as the City of Parks up until now
It’s still known as The City of Parks. South Surrey is a world class city. This is a perfect fit.
Walmart kind of jobs no less. Mostly low paid. Nothing paid in wages to afford a house/accommodation in the lower mainland.
I think it is a good opportunity. It will provide employment opportunity for local residents. Not only will it provide employment, it will also boost the local economy by keeping gambling Money in the comunity.
I know there are concerns about problem gambling, this being said, BCLC has measures in place and has many rules and regulations that have to abided by. There is plenty of help out there for those who are willing to seek it.
There is also the theatre portion. There will be a new Theatre with 800+ seats that can bring brand new shows and more people in from around the lower mainland. Those people who do not live in Vancouver have a place to go see shows without having to cross the bridges and pay the new bridge tolls.
There is also the new hotel prospect. Having a new hotel is never a bad thing, and this also brings more people into the community spending money on local buisnesses,
Did you know they wil have 4 restaurants? That is great.
Also a casino provides safe entertainment for people who have no families to go to on Holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving. Has anyone ever thought about that? I’ve been to a Casino on Christmas day. The amount of people who come into a casino and are there because they have no family to celebrate with and know they have a place to go with a Christmas dinner or Thanksgiving dinner. Some might be really surprised that this is the case.
If you look at this in perspective, I think this would be benificial rather than not.
Sad that people have nowhere to go for company except a Casino to loose their hard earned money. The shows as I recall from the other two Casino theatres are not up to world class standards. They bring many show people that should have retired years ago.
Fair enough, it is somewhat sad, that being said. It is still a place for them to go.
I’m not sure which casino’s you are talking about, but I know the Theater at Cascades only holds 370 and that does not make enough to have any shows that are not Tributes. A theatre with 800 seats will bring bigger shows. Which I’m very excited for.
Hi Derek, given that you work for Gateway Casinos, I am not surprised by your comment. I am happy to hear that you are loyal enough to them that you would speak up for them. That does say good things about them as an employer. You might consider being more proud of that fact and mention it when you post. If you beleive in them, and you clearly do, let people know that you are so happy working there that you want to support them. I think that is cool.
I don’t see any reason why not having a casino in that area. At least that will bring more job to the citizens and more tax paid to the city. What a win win…….
I agree!
Great Idea!!!
Hi Gloria, given that you work for Gateway, I am not surprised by your comment. I am happy to hear that you are loyal enough to them that you would speak up for them. That does say good thing about them as an employer. You might consider being proud of that fact and mention it, rather than hiding it.
I live in Surrey; therefore, I am as entitled to my opinion regarding this project as any other Surrey Resident.
Great Gloria but do you live close to where this proposed Casino/Resort is? The residents of where this proposed Casino/Resort live close by don’t want it or work for Gateway.
I am sure you would not want this in your back yard.
Gloria,
Yes, you are entitled to your opinion whether you live in Surrey or Maple Ridge. I was suggesting that your comment would probably be even better if your pointed out that you worked for Gateway and felt that they are a good employer. Dispite what you may think, I am happy to hear from both sides on this topic and welcome constructive debate on both sides. I am happy that you enjoy working there. Why not express that joy as part of the discussion? If I was Gateway, I would want that message told. It’s your choice. I do not wish you or the other employees of Gateway any harm. Have a great day either way.
Very excited that for once Surrey is being considered for something. Currently we head to Richmond/Vancouver and spend our money to have any fun, not to mention the $120 cab ride home from down town at the end of the night. Surrey needs a place where we can go and unwind at the end of a long work week! WE NEED THIS!
Hi Anita, given that you work for Gateway Casinos, I am not surprised by your comment. I am happy to hear that you are loyal enough to them that you would speak up for them. That does say good things about them as an employer. You might consider being more proud of that fact and mention it when you post. If you beleive in them, and you clearly do, let people know that you are so happy working there that you want to support them. I think that is cool.
This casino will drive the development of more businesses in an otherwise dead area. Stop fear mongering over this development. i welcome the tourists that this facility will attract (and their dollars they will spend at local shops)
Dead area??? Maybe that’s what you think of quiet family oriented neighbourhoods. Try raising a family in the heart of the city, I moved from a city neighbourhood. I left a “city” neighbourhood in Surrey for what draws many to South Surrey; the beach, nature and above all else family- oriented neighbourhoods that provide sanctuary from commercial developments and entertainment complexes.
Locate the Casino by 176 St., Cloverdale, by Surrey City Hall or further North by a skytrain Station. Tourists who visit South Surrey/White Rock visit our community for what we are already, which is different from areas further North. We have development: developing retail at Grandview Corners; businesses at Morgan Creek; The Bell Centre for Performing Arts and the Surrey Arts Centre are close by.
Our neighbours chose to raise their families here because the location is quiet, near beaches and schools. Yes the two schools in our neighbourhood are within walking distance from the proposed Casino. Not too happy about that!
We’re still waiting for schools, recreation centres, pools… for our families. Take the Casino somewhere else!
What a bunch of ridiculous bull pucky that casinos are causing people to have addictions. If you want to stop addictions, start closing down the local pubs and off sales stores. Then you will help those is Alcohol addiction. Start banning cigarettes from retail stores, then you’ll help those with nicotine addiction. Start charging $10/ltr for fuel and you will help those have addictions to speed/driving. Addiction is not the result of the environment, it’s the result of a internal issue of the person. Every human being on this planet has addictions, whether they chose to acknowledge it or not. Banning or preventing something doesn’t stop someone from becoming a victim to their weakness, you just make it so they find other ways to get that ‘fix’ and many times that ends up being illegal or dangerous.
I think this casino in South Surrey is a great idea. It will make a formal place for people to go and enjoy themselves. There is many programs that casinos offer to help people ‘HELP THEMSELVES’ if they find they have ‘issues’. With a large site such as the one proposed many functions can be held such as weddings and business meetings or conventions while allowing the visiting people a place to go for entertainment. Any article I have read about this development has not indicated yet if they are going to have a theatre like Red Robertson?? which make a great venue for people in the local are to catch live shows.
People need to learn what the site offers before they think its a bad thing. No one wanted to build hospitals near them in case ‘sickness’ got loose into the general public.but now the 2nd highest density population resides around hospitals. Casinos are often safer than most shopping malls or even driving down your street. Security has strict protocals and rules they must abide by, the business itself has it own rules as well as having 2 government bodies watching over them to ensure they follow the agreed upon rules.
Give it a chance folks. This is not Las Vegas and the mafia doesn’t run the casinos.
Hi Dash,
While your arguments are interesting, the logic that one addictive source in society justifies more, is not sound. One could use the same logic in reverse to say that since we have liquor stores and casinos, the government should also open drive through crack houses and heroin shops. One has to weight the benefits to society versus the impact. Casinos offer entertainment, but the downside is about 4% will become addicted to the point that they can not control their gambling. The rate of addiction for crack is much higher, about 25% so that would not be a good cost/benefit trade off for society. Let’s start with real data so that are discussions are less fuzzy. Here’s goes… (feel free to report their own data)
Gambling addiction is a very well understood research topic. A typical gambler will lose about $25 per visit to the casino: some will win on a given visit, while others will end up losing their homes. Your risk of addiction is 8x higher if you play more than 2 to 3 times per month, or spend more than $1000 per year. I have gambled in Casinos in BC, Reno, and Vegas. (Yes, I do my own research too!) The people programming the slots in BC fortunately do not seem to have read the research studies on how to maximize their own profits, and so gambling addiction rates are lower in BC than in Vegas. Addiction rates here run about 4% of all those who gamble. In Vegas, they optimize the pay-off rate to maximize the effects on the brain psychology and hence addiction. In BC, the casinos are greedier and you lose your $25 in minutes rather than hours. Ironically, this greed means the average gambler is exposed to the effects of gambling addiction less often, and so our BC casinos rip you off faster in the short term, but are less addictive long term. I chalk this up to the Casino’s being run by the government, and thus the Casino Slots are run rather incompetently from a profit perspective (which is a good thing for gamblers!). If you are interested in some real data, I point you to a recent study by the University of Calgary: “Risk of Harm among Gamblers in the General Population as a Function of Level of Participation in Gambling Activities”. Another excellent source of data is a paper published by the American Psychiatric Association in 1994, and a more recent article entitled “A hierarchy of gambling disorders in the community” (Ref Addiction, volume 98, pages 1661–1672) which points out that between 1-2% of the population has a serious gambling addiction and that about 75% of Canadians gamble at least once a year. If you go visit a casino more than 2 to 3 per month, you are high-risk for being in that addicted category now or someday. Addicted gamblers tend to be in denial, just like alcoholics and other addicts, and very few seek treatment. Of those that do, 35% of gamblers will not be able to overcome their addiction and will sink deeper and deeper into debt with many ending their gambling career in bankruptcy and homelessness.
This is real data on Gambling as reported in real studies from Canadian and American Universities. Data is good. It helps us to decide what is real, and what is Casino or governement propaganda. Just saying…
Well said!
Whoever this “Martin Cooper” is he has a warped view of reality. Since when are these ‘Walmart” jobs.The casinos & attached conference centres and hotels pay what the industry pays and no less or more. If South Surrey doesn’t want 700+ plus jobs let them go elsewere. We like them in Langley.
I am a realist and as I have said most of these jobs will be close to minimum wage. Maybe some in the Casino at the tables will have a reasonable wage and tips. The Managers also as Managers expect and will be rewarded with a comfotable salary.
Many will be service workers who do not realise an amazing wage. My question is as I previously stated enough to purchase a house in the lower mainland and also have extra to live a comfortable lifestyle. This is fact not fiction.
If you are happy with it in Langley then lets site it where you need it in Langley. We do not want it here as the 400 plus local residents who came to the Pacific Inn last wednesday night told BCLC and Gateway who were also in attendance.
Just so you are aware, Minimum wage is $10.25, This being said, Starting wages at a Casino Range from $13 to $17 as a base employees Depending on which department you are in. (this is also Factoring in tips) These are just starting wages, If you put your time in you could be making up to $20.00 an hour. This is not a bad things. Then there is the Benefit packages. Casino’s do treat thier employees pretty well , wage/benefits and tips. There are plenty of people who work in the casino industry who own thier own houses and do live compfortably. I cannot agree with your first comment.
Now the 400+ people who came to the pacific inn, How many people actually live in South Surrey? 400 + people is nothing in the grand sceme of things.
Sorry I’m a realist as well.
Derek:
You are clearly an employee of Gateway and are proud of the working there. I think that is great. They are clearly a good employer to create such loyalty in their employees.
However, those 400+ people that you call “nothing” in the grand scheme of things are the people who live and work and raise families in the community which Gateway is trying to pave over and destroy. I hope you are not trying to tell me that Gateway and their employees think “nothing” of the community if they stand in the way of making a buck or two (or in your case $20/hr and up to $100M/year for Gateway). If that is so, Thank-you for clarifying Gateway’s position in our minds. We will sleep easier knowing that the people of the community mean Nothing to you or to Gateway.
Go for it!!!
Lynn
It’s about time we had a Mini Vegas theme here
with more employement and some actual entertainment.
How about living close to the proposed casino–the noise, emergency sirens, 24/7 lights, the traffic,theft,complete change of infrastructure,interfering with nature,devalueing homes around the area. There are good young families and elderly retirees living within sound and sight of this monster complex, that will be heart broken and may even put their homes up for sale in order to get their peace ( which they have now )
All the people who are for the casino–would you like to live right across the road from this casino?? Casino’s are, unfortunately, part of our society–but not in this location. There is Industrial land available at 192 and 32nd., without a house to be seen in the area. Gateway could build their complex in that region, with a ten story parkade and noone would know the difference!!!!!
Gateway is all about GREED–they want to be highly identified, by the highway, with a massive signpost and ALL at the EXPENSE of the local residents. We are so upset!!!!
Living Close to a casino (which I do) Does not change things much. Maybe the 24/hour lights, Traffic I don’ think will change too much either, theft? A casino is probably the safest place to be living around with all the camera’s they have on site. Casino’s work closely with local police to help prevent crimes in the area( mainly within site of cameras)
now in regards to the elderly retirees, A lareg portion of them come to casino’s on a regular basis, having a casino in south surrey will allow those who take busses out to the langley casinos and the outerlying areas, will be able to have somewhere to go close to home.
I would not consider Gaetway greedy, in fact by providing employment for the approximate 1,200 construction employees as well as up 500-700 full time positions at the casino itself. Gateway will be putting over $100 Million dolars into this project to keep Gambeling money in province and local. This being said how is it that you think it is all at the expense of teh local residents.
i think that having a casino in the south surrey area is a wonderful idea. my grandparents who are now retired and enjoy gambling on their spare time would benefit from having the casino nearby to where they live. because at the moment they would travel across the border to gamble or drive all the way to Cascades in langley.
Hi Joyce, given that you work for Gateway Casinos, I am not surprised by your comment. I am happy to hear that you are loyal enough to them that you would speak up for them. That does say good things about them as an employer. You might consider being more proud of that fact and mention it when you post. If you beleive in them, and you clearly do, let people know that you are so happy working there that you want to support them. I think that is cool.
The amenities provided by this complex will be a great addition to South Surrey. The convention center, theater and restaurants will be a great change to having to go to downtown Vancouver. An evening of gambling never hurt anyone either!
@Cara: No argument, the amenities are great. I wish they didn’t come with a Casino, but they will. Oh, and the location is bad: its a rural location with a Coho Salmon spawning creek and nesting eagles, but the location is chosen to pull in people coming across the boarder from the States. If we ignore social and community impacts, its a great fit. If you can limit your gambling to about once a month or less, the stats say you are unlikely to become addicted. So gamble responsibly and enjoy.
I think it is a great idea people shouldn’t have to travel into other areas to have fun and take part in responsible gambling i don’t want to travel out of my comfort area and deal with heavy traffic on friday saturday nights and the senior citizens in the areas can come enjoy good food and hospitality and have some fun in their neighborhood
Hi Mathew, given that you work for Gateway, I am not surprised by your comment. I am happy to hear that you are loyal enough to them that you would speak up for them. That does say good thing about them as an employer. You might consider being proud of that fact and mention it, rather than hiding it.