Photo: BCLC

BCLC generated more than $4 million from its two Kelowna casinos in 2024 to fund local initiatives, and it is hoping people will remember that when they choose where to gamble.

The Crown corporation earlier this week launched a new campaign called “What’s played here stays here” to encourage British Columbians to keep their gambling bucks in the province, especially now that there is a strong anti-American push in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff talk.

“Across B.C. and Canada, we’ve seen incredible groundswell around the importance of buying and supporting local, and that’s no different for British Columbians who choose gambling for their entertainment,” BCLC president and CEO Pat Davis said in a press release.

Last year alone, BCLC generated $1.5 billion in net income for the province, of which $1 billion went to fund public programs and services, including education.

Kelowna’s two casinos, Chances and Playtime, generated $4.19 million to contribute to the fund.

Plenty of that money has found its way back to Kelowna. The Province of B.C. gave grants to 148 local organizations from its 2024 bottom line, including:

• $240,000 for the YMCA of Southern Interior BC Association;
• $225,000 for the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central and Southern Interior of BC Society;
• $219,000 for the Okanagan Boys and Girls Clubs; and
• $212,000 for the Central Okanagan Community Food Bank Society.

Since 1999, more than $79 million in provincial gambling revenue has been shared with the City of Kelowna.