🎰 Dirty Money in B.C. – Casino Corruption (Part 2)
By Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita
Welcome back to my 5-part series on money laundering in British Columbia. Yesterday, we looked at the big picture of the Cullen Commission and how dirty money has distorted our economy and communities.
Today, we’re diving into where much of it started: casinos.
👜 Bags of $20s, No Questions Asked
Imagine walking into a casino with a duffel bag full of cash — hundreds of thousands of dollars in $20 bills, stacked in bricks and bound by elastic bands. This wasn’t a rare event. It happened repeatedly at major casinos in B.C.
Staff knew it. Management knew it. Regulators saw it. And yet… the money kept pouring in.
These high rollers, often tied to organized crime, were treated like VIPs. Security footage even showed casino patrons receiving help wheeling in bags of dirty money. And no one did anything.
🎯 The Purpose? Clean the Cash
- Bring in dirty cash (from drugs, extortion, etc.)
- Gamble a small amount, then cash out the rest as “winnings”
- Deposit it into the bank as clean, legal money
This was the **core of the Vancouver Model** — and casinos were the front door.
🤐 A System Designed to Look the Other Way
Why didn’t anyone stop it? Because this money generated revenue for casinos and the province. According to the Commission, the BC Lottery Corporation and government were more concerned with profits than integrity.
In some cases, casino compliance officers raised red flags — but those warnings were ignored or buried. It was all about protecting the golden goose.
📉 The Real Cost
This wasn’t just about dirty money. It was about organized crime, drug trafficking, violence, and the erosion of public trust. While government reaped casino revenue, our communities paid the price.
💭 Reflective Questions:
- Have you or someone you know struggled with gambling, housing, or addiction while the province turned a blind eye to this?
- How would you feel knowing your community’s budget was funded with criminal cash?
Tomorrow: Part 3 – Real Estate for the Rich: How Dirty Money Drove Up Housing Prices
#CasinoCorruption #CullenCommission #BCLottery #DirtyMoney #VancouverModel #ZipolitaSpeaks
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