BC Conservative MLA Teresa Wat Calls for Immediate Action to Increase Community Gaming Grant Funding

Teresa Wat, Official Opposition Critic for Tourism, Arts, Culture, Anti-Racism, and Trade and MLA for Richmond-Bridgeport, is calling on the provincial government to address a critical funding gap in the Community Gaming Grant program. Despite years of advocacy from nonprofit organizations like the BC Association for Charitable Gaming (BCACG), the most recent ministerial mandate letter fails to commit to increasing funding for the program.

“Community Gaming Grants are the lifeblood of over 29,000 nonprofit organizations across British Columbia,” said Wat. “These grants support essential services in arts, culture, sports, social services, and public safety. Yet, the funding has remained stagnant since 2010, while inflation has steadily eroded its value. This is unacceptable, especially given the growing demands placed on our nonprofits by population growth and post-pandemic recovery.”

Wat criticized the government for missing an opportunity to reinvest increased gaming revenues, particularly from single-sport betting, into the Community Gaming Grant program.

"It makes you wonder where all this additional money went. Did the government just put it all into general revenue when it should have gone to supporting a sector that contributes to the vibrancy and healthy of communities through the province,“ Wat asked. “Premier David Eby made it a higher priority to find money for all his MLAs, raises for partisan staff, and a huge severance for his chief of staff. In doing so, he stiffed BC’s charitable sector. This is shameful!”

In a letter to former Minister of Municipal Affairs Anne Kang, the BCACG highlighted that inflation-adjusted funding should be increased to $193.7 million annually, up from the current $140 million. This adjustment would reflect the significant economic pressures faced by nonprofits, whose contributions to the provincial economy are estimated at $6.7 billion annually.

“The program has moved and is now administered under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport, led by Minister Spencer Chandra Herbert. Minister Chandra Herbert has long been an advocate for vibrant culture and arts in BC. It’s time for the Minister and this NDP government to step up and deliver for the nonprofits that serve our communities,” Wat added. “We need to see a commitment to adjusting funding levels to reflect today’s realities and ensuring long-term sustainability through annual inflationary adjustments.”

Wat is calling on the government to take immediate action by engaging stakeholders, increasing funding to inflation-adjusted levels, and introducing annual inflationary adjustments to both the operating and capital grant categories.

“Nonprofits are the backbone of our communities, and their success is directly tied to the health and well-being of our province,” Wat concluded.

“The government must demonstrate leadership and prioritize the funding these organizations so desperately need.”