August 26, 1999 | Read Time: 1 minute
Many Canadian charities receive a big chunk of their budgets from government-run or charity-run gambling operations, according to a new study.
The study, sponsored by the Canada West Foundation, in Calgary, Alberta, found that nearly seven out of 10 charities say that gambling revenue is an important source of income.
The study is based on a survey of 406 non-profit groups in three Canadian provinces — Alberta, Ontario, and Saskatchewan — that receive so-called gaming grants, awards that represent a portion of the provinces’ revenue from lotteries, casinos, and other forms of state-run gambling. Some of the charities may also run their own raffles, bingo games, or other gaming operations.
One out of every five respondents reported that gaming grants account for more than half of their annual income. Fourteen per cent of the groups said that at least half of their income comes from games that they themselves operate.
The study also examined attitudes among charity leaders about non-profit groups’ using revenues from gambling, an activity that carries some social stigma. While some leaders express reservations about the practice, “the greater sentiment,” the report on the study says, “is that their commitment to their cause overrides their ethical concerns about gambling.”
Copies of the report, “The Impact of Gaming Upon Canadian Non-Profits: A 1999 Survey of Gaming Grant Recipients,” by Loleen Youngman Berdahl, are available for $20 (Canadian). Order from the Canada West Foundation, Suite 550, 630 Third Avenue, Southwest, Calgary, Alberta Canada T2P 4L4; (403) 264-9535.
