B.C. Premier Christy Clark has launched a major review of the province's gaming grants program that distributes gambling revenue to community groups.
The review will be conducted by Skip Triplett, the former president of Kwantlen Polytechnic University. It will examine the existing legislation, funding, eligibility and application process governing gaming grants, and look at a multi-year funding model and the future government role in the program.
The program uses about $135 million per year from government-controlled gambling revenue to provide grants to community groups and non profits.
It was cut back by former Liberal premier Gordon Campbell in order to bring down the provincial deficit, but funding was recently increased by Clark after she became premier.
Clark says the review will look at all aspects of how the program is run.
"How can we improve the program for everyone who depends on it in the province? Who is it that should have access to funding? What can we do with it to make it better? How are we accountable for the money that gets out there? And what is government's role in gaming?" said Clark on Monday morning.
Triplett will have until October 31 to hear from the public and stakeholders and submit his report to the government.
The B.C. government generates more than $1 billion revenue per year from gambling. According to the government, in the 2010/2011 fiscal year:
Programs eligible for community gaming grants include:
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