The RMA is calling for a formal review of the province's charitable gaming model

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Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA) is asking the province to formally review the current situation. charity game model, a system the organization believes is unfair to nonprofits in rural communities.

Alberta charities can be licensed to host and manage casino events, and charities can earn thousands from these volunteer-run events. But there is a big difference in how much money charities make depending on where they live.

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For example, RMA, which is run by Calgary charities, takes in annual revenue — a measure of how much the group earns from the casino and the length of time it waits for one — on average, according to casino events, and will host a casino event every 20. months. Meanwhile, in rural communities outside of Calgary, charities receive an average of $16,000 in annual revenue and wait 36 ​​months between casinos.

“We're hearing anecdotal stories that a hockey team can make $150,000 in two days in Calgary, and then in one day in Red Deer, you'll make $8,000,” said RMA president Paul. McLauchlin told Postmedia. “It's not like it's even the same system.”

RMA, it is Represents Alberta's 69 counties and municipal districts, He developed proposals to help fix the current system, including pooling a portion of the revenue earned in each region and distributing it equally to all regions. That would be it will significantly reduce the current income gap between regions, says RMA.

“The thing is, once you're united, you're giving up on city charities, and then it becomes political, but at the same time, it has to be fair,” he said. McLochlin.

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But he said that the political problem can be solved The province allows charities to receive a portion of online gaming revenues through its Play Alberta site, which is operated by Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC).

“If they look at the success of online gaming coming into one system, and the fact that it can disrupt everything, there is an opportunity to make everything whole,” he said. McLochlin.

RMA wants too travel and expenditure policies have been changed to help rural charities. RMA says rural non-profits currently pay unfair additional travel and expense costs for their volunteers to visit casinos in Alberta cities.

“I'm an hour away from Red Deer, so my travel time and expenses, and I usually have to stay overnight because I don't live in Red Deer, those are taken out of the actual charity,” he said. McLauchlin, Ponoka County River.

Alberta's rural municipalities also want to consider the charitable gaming model on an ongoing basis.

“This has been a political issue for a really long time,” he said McLochlinhe recalls the issue being discussed when he joined the RMA board about seven years ago.

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In February 2023, RMA members voted in support of a Northern Sunrise County resolution to advocate for the Alberta government and the AGLC to reform Alberta's charitable gaming model to “provide equity participation for all charities in Alberta.” The resolution called on the province to address the disparity between funding for charities in large urban centers compared to those in rural areas, and to make casino facilities more often available to rural charities.

“It was a big question last year, and then time goes by and nobody hears anything, so we have to bring it up again,” he said.

The RMA will send a letter to the province this week to formally review the current situation example of charity gamesaid McLochlin.

Nikki Goquan, bDale Nally, Alberta Service's official secretary and minister for reducing red tape, said in an emailed statement to Postmedia that the Alberta government is proud of him. A unique philanthropic gaming model that has donated more than $383 million to support Alberta's charitable and faith-based organizations in delivering programs and services important to Albertans.

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“We recognize that there are still more opportunities to strengthen the charity game model and the need to explore how we can improve support for charities in rural communities,” Guoquan said.

The province will conduct an inspection The AGLC's operations are “part of our commitment to ensure that our agencies serve the best interests of Albertans,” the statement said.

according to Premier Danielle Smith's mandate letter to Nally will include a review of how the province can further increase contributions from AGLC-regulated industries to charities and community facilities in Alberta, Goquan said.

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