1 year after Coaldale, Alta. bylaw allowed VLTs, one business looks to add machines – Lethbridge | 24CA News
Guests on the Coaldale Inn have been capable of attempt their luck on video lottery terminals (VLTs) since November.
Owner Ken Schmidt had been asking the Town of Coaldale, Alta., to permit the machines since he took over the business in 2016.
“There’s lots of them within a short driving distance of Coaldale, but why would people have to drive away to entertain themselves in something that’s totally legal?” Schmidt stated.
“For the business, it’s kind of a necessary stream of revenue. Now that we have them, we’re in that game.”
Read extra:
Town of Coaldale bets massive on VLTs
Coaldale was one in every of ten Alberta communities to determine in opposition to introducing the machines in 1998.
Last yr, city council reversed that call, passing a bylaw allowing VLTs in a 5-2 vote.
In an announcement to Global News, city director of progress and funding Cameron Mills stated the bylaw is meant to create selection.
“By adopting the new bylaw allowing for VLTs, the town created an environment where individual business owners decide for themselves if they want to include VLTs in their operations,” it reads partially.
According to Mills, two companies had been “realistic” candidates to put in the gaming machines.
One is the Coaldale Inn. The different is McLennan’s Pub, which hasn’t utilized for VLTs.
“I kind of polled a lot of my customers to see what they felt about it and nobody was really up on it,” stated proprietor Tim McLennan.
McLennan isn’t ruling them out completely, however doesn’t see VLTs as a part of his institution proper now.
“If at some point in time, we need that additional income — regardless what it might be — maybe we’ll apply for it,” he stated.
So far on the Coaldale Inn, Schmidt says the VLTs are a winner and he needs to increase.
“(We’re) hopefully in a position to get more in a short period of time. That depends on performance of the machines and the decision of the government.”
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