August 10, 2022
Alberta Gaming, Liquor & Cannabis
Senior Manager, Inspections Gaming
50 Corriveau Avenue
St. Albert, AB T8N 3T5
Email: [email protected]
RE: Public Notice of proposed relocation of Camrose Casino, currently located at 3201-48 Avenue, Camrose to the proposed relocation address to 420 Parson Road SW, Edmonton.
Please accept this letter as an official submission stating to AGLC the position of being opposed to the proposed relocation of Camrose Casino to the address location indicated above.
Camrose Regional Exhibition & Agricultural Society respectfully requests the AGLC Board to carefully consider the areas of concerns as indicated below and vote against approving the proposed relocation of Camrose Casino and stopping any further progression from Step 2 (Community Support). Camrose Regional Exhibition & Agricultural Society is a major creditor of Mayfield Investments Ltd. that has been trying to recoup funds lent to them in
approximately 2006 to build the Camrose Casino.
- Camrose Regional Exhibition & Agricultural Society (CRE) was one of the primary funders of the Camrose Casino lending funds to Mayfield Investment Ltd. (Mayfield). In 2015 a settlement agreement was reached between CRE and Mayfield that outlined repayment to CRE for the original loaned funds. Commencing in April 2020, Mayfield defaulted in its payment obligations to CRE. Mayfield has made only two payments to CRE since that default in April of 2020, and a substantial amount remains owing by Mayfield to CRE. We are questioning whether AGLC was made aware of all legal filings as part of the full disclosure that would be necessary for the
licensee to present as part of their business plan presentations. - There are many rural groups that host “Casino Events” at the Camrose Casino to fund their rural charities. Camrose Regional Exhibition & Agricultural Society had a clause grandfathered in with AGLC protecting their “Casino” event that would usually run on the CRE grounds during BVJ and instead it was protected at the Camrose Casino location. These funds are vital to the ongoing operation of our Agricultural Society to pay utilities and fund repairs to our operational equipment. No one from AGLC has contacted CRE regarding this clause to ensure that it would continue at the proposed location. After 2 years of barely surviving the COVID closures
financially, the CRE is dependent on these funds for continued operation of it’s Agricultural Society. - The casino being in Camrose is a great benefit to our rural community. The Camrose Regional Exhibition is an agricultural society (located next door to the casino) that supports agriculture and the rural communities that it serves. In conjunction with the casino and hotel it provides a wonderful product offering for rural Alberta. We need to support our rural communities to ensure their survival into the future. One job in Camrose is the equivalent to 80 in the greater Edmonton area by population. The moving of the casino would cause a loss of jobs and economic spin off for Camrose.
- We would respectfully suggest that this application cannot be considered as a relocation. The applicants have not only asked to move it from a rural setting into a large city, but into a completely different market. A relocation should be only considered when in the same market area.
- The proposal to relocate a Rural Casino License into an Urban marketplace conflicts with existing AGLC Casino Terms and Conditions and Operating Guidelines (CTCOG):
A casino license relocation to the proposed location has many negative impacts for Camrose Regional Exhibition & Agricultural Society, the Camrose region and many other smaller rural centers outside the Camrose region that hold their approved charitable gaming events at the Camrose Casino.
Considering these substation damaging impacts, we respectfully request this relocation proposal be opposed and denied as a final decision.
Sincerely,
The Board of Directors & Executive Director
Camrose Regional Exhibition & Agricultural Society
