Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority
Encyclopedia
The Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (or SLGA) is a Treasury Board Crown Corporation responsible for the distribution, control and regulation of alcoholic beverages and most gambling
in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan
. It runs the government monopoly on liquor sales and gambling in Saskatchewan. Its head office is in Regina
. It distributes liquor to its 80 stores and approximately 190 franchise operators from a distribution centre in Regina. There is an administrative office in Saskatoon
.
SLGA is the main distributor of and sole licensing agent for the sale of beverage alcohol in Saskatchewan. It owns and manages all video lottery terminals (VLTs, i.e., networked video slot machines) and owns and manages the slot machines at five casinos operated by the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority (SIGA). There are 3,929 VLTs in 669 sites located in 312 communities in Saskatchewan . SLGA licenses and regulates most forms of gambling: bingos, raffles, casinos, instant gambling tickets/breakopen tickets (scratch off or tear to open), poker events, monte carlo events and horse racing. SLGA also registers all provincial gambling employees and suppliers. Gambling accounted for 6.5% of the government's revenue in 2003 . Over one-half billion dollars are spent on gambling each year in Saskatchewan .
The New Democratic
government decided in 2005 to authorize the SLGA to allow off-sale establishments in the provinces to sell hard liquor to consumers, in addition to cold beer and wine
. The decision made Saskatchewan the third Canadian province - others are Alberta
and British Columbia
- to allow private business owners to sell all types of alcohol-containing beverages for off-premises consumption. The government decided, however, that the network of government-owned liquor stores would not be dismantled, as was done in Alberta. It also decided that, in order to limit the number of private outlets, it would not adopt the model used in British Columbia, where "stand-alone" privately owned retail outlets have opened. All Saskatchewan off-sale outlets are attached to a licenced "on-sale" establishment. The government also decided that the off-sale outlets would be required to purchase all of their spirits from the SLGA, at government store prices, the same prices as for any other consumer (in contrast to British Columbia, where the private stores receive a 13 percent discount). Finally, the government decided that the franchise
-style territorial restrictions that limit the number of off-sale outlets in Saskatchewan's two largest cities (Saskatoon
and Regina
) would remain in place. The Saskatchewan Party
government elected in 2007 has rejected further privatization of the SLGA.
The agency also regulates Sask Gaming
, the crown corporate responsible for operation of two of the casinos in the province.
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
. It runs the government monopoly on liquor sales and gambling in Saskatchewan. Its head office is in Regina
Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...
. It distributes liquor to its 80 stores and approximately 190 franchise operators from a distribution centre in Regina. There is an administrative office in Saskatoon
Saskatoon
Saskatoon is a city in central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. Residents of the city of Saskatoon are called Saskatonians. The city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Corman Park No. 344....
.
SLGA is the main distributor of and sole licensing agent for the sale of beverage alcohol in Saskatchewan. It owns and manages all video lottery terminals (VLTs, i.e., networked video slot machines) and owns and manages the slot machines at five casinos operated by the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority (SIGA). There are 3,929 VLTs in 669 sites located in 312 communities in Saskatchewan . SLGA licenses and regulates most forms of gambling: bingos, raffles, casinos, instant gambling tickets/breakopen tickets (scratch off or tear to open), poker events, monte carlo events and horse racing. SLGA also registers all provincial gambling employees and suppliers. Gambling accounted for 6.5% of the government's revenue in 2003 . Over one-half billion dollars are spent on gambling each year in Saskatchewan .
The New Democratic
Saskatchewan New Democratic Party
The Saskatchewan New Democratic Party is a social-democratic political party in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It currently forms the official opposition, but has been a dominant force in Saskatchewan politics since the 1940s...
government decided in 2005 to authorize the SLGA to allow off-sale establishments in the provinces to sell hard liquor to consumers, in addition to cold beer and wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
. The decision made Saskatchewan the third Canadian province - others are Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
and British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
- to allow private business owners to sell all types of alcohol-containing beverages for off-premises consumption. The government decided, however, that the network of government-owned liquor stores would not be dismantled, as was done in Alberta. It also decided that, in order to limit the number of private outlets, it would not adopt the model used in British Columbia, where "stand-alone" privately owned retail outlets have opened. All Saskatchewan off-sale outlets are attached to a licenced "on-sale" establishment. The government also decided that the off-sale outlets would be required to purchase all of their spirits from the SLGA, at government store prices, the same prices as for any other consumer (in contrast to British Columbia, where the private stores receive a 13 percent discount). Finally, the government decided that the franchise
Franchising
Franchising is the practice of using another firm's successful business model. The word 'franchise' is of anglo-French derivation - from franc- meaning free, and is used both as a noun and as a verb....
-style territorial restrictions that limit the number of off-sale outlets in Saskatchewan's two largest cities (Saskatoon
Saskatoon
Saskatoon is a city in central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. Residents of the city of Saskatoon are called Saskatonians. The city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Corman Park No. 344....
and Regina
Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...
) would remain in place. The Saskatchewan Party
Saskatchewan Party
The Saskatchewan Party is a conservative liberal political party in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The party was established in 1997 by a coalition of former provincial Progressive Conservative and Liberal party members and supporters who sought to remove the Saskatchewan New Democratic...
government elected in 2007 has rejected further privatization of the SLGA.
The agency also regulates Sask Gaming
Sask Gaming
Saskatchewan Gaming Corporation is a Crown corporation owned by the Government of Saskatchewan established in 1996 to set-up and operate the Casino Regina. In 2002 Sask Gaming opened Casino Moose Jaw. Sask Gaming is regulated by the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority...
, the crown corporate responsible for operation of two of the casinos in the province.
See also
- Société des alcools du QuébecSociété des alcools du QuébecThe Société des alcools du Québec , often abbreviated and referred to as SAQ, is a provincial Crown corporation in Quebec.-Organization:...
(SAQ) - Alberta Gaming and Liquor CommissionAlberta Gaming and Liquor CommissionThe Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission is an agent of the Government of the Canadian province of Alberta, and regulates alcoholic beverage and gaming-related activities...
- successor of the Alberta Liquor Control Board (ALCB) - Liquor Distribution BranchLiquor Distribution BranchThe Liquor Distribution Branch is one of the two governmental bodies responsible for regulating and monitoring the liquor industry in the Canadian province of British Columbia within the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General...
's BC Liquor Stores - Nova Scotia Liquor CorporationNova Scotia Liquor CorporationThe Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation controls alcoholic beverages in Nova Scotia, Canada. It is the sole distributor and runs all retail outlets selling alcohol except for four private wine specialty shops and, in rural areas where there is not an NSLC location, 23 private "agency" liquor...
- Liquor Control Board of OntarioLiquor Control Board of OntarioThe Liquor Control Board of Ontario is a provincial Crown corporation in Ontario, Canada established in 1927 by Lieutenant Governor William Donald Ross, on the advice of his Premier, Howard Ferguson, to sell liquor, wine, and beer through a chain of retail stores...
- Manitoba Liquor Control CommissionManitoba Liquor Control CommissionThe Manitoba Liquor Control Commission is a Crown Agency mandated with regulating, distributing and selling beverage alcohol in the Canadian province of Manitoba....
- New Brunswick Liquor CorporationNew Brunswick Liquor CorporationThe New Brunswick Liquor Corporation is a provincial Crown corporation of the Canadian province of New Brunswick, and is responsible for the purchase, importation, distribution, and retail activity for all beverage alcohol in the Province. Alcool NB Liquor is directed by a seven member Board of...
- Prince Edward Island Liquor Control CommissionPrince Edward Island Liquor Control CommissionThe Prince Edward Island Liquor Control Commission is a provincial Crown corporation that controls the purchase, distribution and sale of alcoholic beverages in the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island....
- Newfoundland and Labrador Liquor CorporationNewfoundland and Labrador Liquor CorporationThe Newfoundland and Labrador Liquor Corporation is a provincial crown corporation of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is responsible for managing the importation, sale and distribution of beverage alcohol within the province...
- Yukon Liquor CorporationYukon Liquor CorporationThe Yukon Liquor Corporation regulates the distribution, purchase and sale of alcoholic beverages in the Canadian territory of Yukon.The Corporation came into existence in 1977 as a result of amendments to the Liquor Act. It currently operates six liquor stores and a central facility in...