History

British Columbia Association for Charitable Gaming (BCACG) is a voice of BC charities and non profits.

The society was formed in 1997 and is in liaison with the Province providing feedback on the gaming grants and licensing programs, sharing stories about the impacts from the investments – on users, on families, in the work place, for volunteers – and working as the liaison between community groups and the Province to strengthen the program in the community’s best interests.

Members of the BCACG are community groups that are eligible to apply for a community gaming grant. These groups are governed by volunteers and many hours of front line service are provided by volunteers too. They work in arts and culture, public safety, human & social services, sport, service clubs and parent advisory councils; with search and rescue, soccer, family services, stream enhancement, education, health and service.

We run the museum in town, collecting histories and telling stories. At hospice we serve you, and your families in dying and at the brain injury association we support you and your family to find new normal. We respond to service, performance and health needs and involve volunteers with sports, environment, health, safety, culture and community leadership. Relationships are formed, families are supported and communities are strengthened; employees are engaged, youth are involved and citizens connect, fill gaps, form communities.

Games of chance have been a source of income for religious and charitable organizations for centuries. As our governments have applied legal, licensing and regulatory controls on gambling, community groups have worked alongside to shape the rules and to invest income from gambling entertainment into community services and projects.

The gambling industry in British Columbia grew substantially since 1995 on the understanding that the Province was committed to funding community-based services and programming with the proceeds of gambling. With this commitment, community leaders spoke in favour of expanding the industry throughout the province and were fundamental in addressing city councils to make room for the industry to grow.

In 1999 the Province signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the BC Bingo Council and the BC Association for Charitable Gaming that assigned a percentage of revenue to programming for community groups, originally charities, fairs and religious groups. The BC Bingo Council wound up its affairs in 2011 and transferred its assets to the BC Association for Charitable Gaming, the recognized liaison between the community beneficiaries of the proceeds of gaming.

Citizens work tirelessly to serve their communities and to support their neighbours, cultures and histories. Grants from gambling are important for the sustainability of these groups and their programming, including the capacity to be accountable, keeping people engaged, filling local gaps in infrastructure, maintaining the social, historical and leadership capacity of towns and neighbourhoods across British Columbia.