Rising operations costs cited as BCLC trims 67 jobs, 29 of them in the Kamloops office

NEWS — B.C. Lottery Corp. has cut 67 jobs, 29 of them in the Kamloops head office.

The other 33 are in the Vancouver office and five from field staff who work throughout the province.

Interim president and CEO Jim Lightbody announced the cuts today, saying operating costs have risen due to increasing compliance commitments and the need to invest in replacing aging technology.

He said wherever possible, roles were eliminated through attrition and voluntary termination.

“BCLC has been a successful organization for many years,” he said. “However, we have a systemic issue that all gaming jurisdictions are facing and that is a mature marketplace with rising operating costs and marginal revenue growth.

“We are going through the process to ensure we’re properly focused on our business priorities, operating efficiently and set up for growth in the long term.”

BCLC will reduce operating costs by about $20 million, which includes a 23 per cent reduction in advertising and marketing, reductions in contractor expenses, program savings and the elimination of fleet vehicles.

Reprioritizing capital projects will cut capital costs by $20 million.

“These kinds of decisions are difficult for any business but they are the right decisions to best position BCLC to continue delivering strong net income to benefit British Columbians.,” Lightbody said.

Almost half of BCLC’s staff is in the Kamloops office, with about a third in Vancouver and the rest in field services supporting operations across the province. Its net income is about $1 billion.