B.C. government under fire for burying casino money laundering report

In a report by the Times Colonist, co-founder of “Vancouver Not Vegas” Sandy Garossino said the contents of the report were “consistent” with the information she has collected over the past years as she began to fight the proliferation of casinos in the province. “The crime comes with the industry,” she said accusing the B.C. Lottery Corporation of becoming a "behemoth in the provincial government." "We’ve become dependent on that revenue,” she said.

Meanwhile, Mr. Eby said in a statement atht “we will bring in the best experts available to assist us, and I am confident we will succeed" in the battle against money laundering.

The report was commissioned in 2015 by the B.C.'s gaming policy enforcement branch but it only came to light last week following a freedom of information request filed by Postmedia. It focuses on “unsourced cash” flowing into Richmond's River Rock Casino.

According to auditor MNP LLP, the enforcement branch “compiled a document which identified approximately $13.5 million in $20 bills being accepted in River Rock in July 2015.”

“Law enforcement intelligence has indicated this currency may be the direct proceeds of crime,” the MNP report states. The majority of cash is presented to casino staff by “high-roller Asian VIP clients” who have travelled from China or recently immigrated from China, the report says.

Learn further deatils on a revised version of the report.