Vancouver city council voted this week to allow for applications to increase the number of slot machines and tables at the city’s two casinos, on the condition they be accompanied by an assessment of their social and economic impacts.

The request to amend the city’s 2011 gambling moratorium was made by the B.C. Lottery Corp., which told council the city’s population has increased 22 per cent in the past decade and that the amendment is a first step to allow BCLC to look at ways of expanding its two existing facilities — the Parq casino in Yaletown and Hastings Racecourse in East Vancouver — rather than building more casinos.

According to the March 2024 Edge Report, current trends in debt service ratios and net worth may indicate areas of concern. The prevalence of static payment variable rate mortgages, household debt-to-GDP ratios, and Canada’s heavy reliance on real estate assets, may raise concerns about resilience.

In Q4 of 2023, debt servicing costs stayed stable, with the household debt service ratio holding steady at 15%. This ratio, which reflects the portion of disposable income allocated to debt repayment, remains significantly high, at levels not seen since 1990. A minor adjustment downwards from the previously reported peak of 15.2% in Q3 should be noted, however.

The capital gains tax inclusion rate – today and tomorrow

Today, only 50% of the capital gain is taxable (this is known as the capital gains tax inclusion rate). This means that $50,000 of the $100,000 earned from the sale of the cottage in our example is added as income for that tax year.

Here’s an example:

• Your regular income, earned from your full-time job, is $75,000

• You make a $100,000 profit from the sale of your cottage (after you pay real estate fees, closing costs, etc.)

• 50% of the profit is taxable, which means you add $50,000 to your income during the tax year in which you realized this capital gain

• $75,000 + $50,000 = a total income for that tax year of $125,000

The amount of tax you ultimately pay in that year will depend on your tax bracket and its marginal tax rate.