As RCMP in New Brunswick assess how a new casino could affect the incidence of crime in Metro Moncton when it opens in 2010, a look at Casino Nova Scotia's impact on Halifax can be useful.

Police there learned first-hand how differently the actual impact of a casino can play out in a Canadian community in comparison to the stereotypical expectations that have been set south of the border.

"When we first heard there was a casino coming to the Halifax area we conducted research, and it was based primarily on research conducted in the United States, which indicated an increase in organized crime and an increase in criminality, in relation to a casino being in the area," says Theresa Rath, spokeswoman for Halifax Regional Police.

Based on crime stats drawn from south of the border, a special police unit was struck up between Halifax Regional Police and RCMP to police the casino when it opened in 1995, and foot patrols were added in the immediate vicinity of the casino.

The special unit was disbanded just as quickly when the expected wave of crimes never broke on the Maritime city.

"Shortly after the casino got into place it was realized that crime did not increase, we did not see crime developing as we had anticipated," says Rath.

"So it was quickly scaled back after about six months, and eventually it was scaled back altogether and that is quite simply because we did not see any spikes in crime in relation to the casino coming to town."

Rath admits the differences between American-based statistics and the Canadian reality was largely the cause of the over-inflated expectation of crime risk.

"We had to do our research, and a lot of the research that was available to us was American. That's why we executed a plan that was based on that. Fortunately for us, that crime didn't develop."

She says the perception of casinos in popular culture could create an exaggerated view of the impact of a casino on a city's crime rate.

"It may be the perception from that media that there is increased criminality associated with the casino, and fortunately in Halifax that has not been case."

Rath credits the local casino operator for strict safeguards that have limited criminal activity in and around the casino.

"They have very good controls and safeguards in place, as well as a very strong security presence, and that certainly helps to make sure crime doesn't increase."

But even as RCMP officials evaluate the new policing needs that will be created by a new casino in Moncton, the officer in charge of the province's gaming unit says the risk of an increase in crime should be looked at realistically.

Staff Sgt. Ken Legge admits that the facts surrounding the safety of casinos can often become inflated.

"Don't think it's as bad as some have made it out to be," says Legge.

On a personal level, Legge says the casinos he has seen have been run safely and professionally.

"Any casino that I have ever been in, they are professional, they are well lit. I have certainly never felt unsafe in a casino in any way, personally."

He says the Canadian casino industry has set high standards for safety and because the RCMP was a part of the process that selected the well-established Sonco firm as the operator of Moncton's casino, he says he has no reason to believe that same level of security won't be the rule in Moncton.

"Fortunately in Canada the gaming industry, the casino business is very highly regulated, and one of the reasons for that is to ensure that organized crime and career criminals don't get involved because it is attractive to the criminal industry because it's a cash business."

Legge says the RCMP has been conducting background checks on all those involved with the casino's operation to "ensure the right people are in there running this thing, and that doesn't just mean the people who won the contract, but also the people who they hire right down to the people who will be down on the floor."

He says the RCMP will conduct a risk assessment of the new casino, as it would any other large tourist draw that will bring crowds together.

If that assessment deems the casino will put require more officers, in plain clothes inside the casino or in uniforms in the surrounding areas near Magnetic Hill, a proposal will be made to the provincial government.

"As in any new endeavour, whether it be the opening of a casino, or the opening of a Canada's Wonderland in Moncton, you have to do an analysis of what the impact is going to be. It could be traffic, it could be more calls."

According to Liz Stephenson, the director of research with the Manitoba Gaming Control Commission, Halifax's experience was not isolated.

"As far as I can recall there was no attribution to any link in any increase in crime," says Stephenson of the opening of the province's first casinos in the late eighties and early nineties.

She says the attention to detail displayed by casino companies likely had as much impact on that outcome as initiatives from local police.

"For starters there is trained security people, there is an interest in terms of protecting their customers, their employees, and their assets, there are security cameras, there are very strict security procedures," she says.

Police in Sydney say that city's casino did not require a heightened police presence.

And in Sault Ste Marie, the six officers that were hired when that city's casino opened were absorbed into general policing duties after only 62 calls for service were received by police in the first year.

A report to the Mayor's Roundtable on Violence in Halifax states that "it appears that the direct threat of violent crime resulting from problem gambling in HRM is negligible."

Garry Smith, a gambling research specialist at the University of Alberta says it is unrealistic to believe a casino won't influence crime in a city.

"Will it do it to a fantastic extent? Probably not," he says. "It's more stealth theft, a breach of trust type crimes."

Smith says money-laundering and loan-sharking have been linked to casinos in western Canada.

"And then you will find just because it is a place where people congregate, you are going to find theft, you are going to find some cheating at play."

Smith says the effects of casinos, which are predominantly made up of slot machines, can amplify the crimes that are currently related to problem gambling linked to video lottery terminals.

"There will be people who will gamble beyond their means who commit embezzlement, fraud, credit card crime."