The B.C. government needs to find out more about criminal activity, especially money laundering, at the province's casinos, says a report released Wednesday that recommends the creation of a task force to gather intelligence on the transactions.

The task force would be aimed at determining the types and scale of criminal activity at B.C. casinos and is one of 10 recommendations in the report on anti-money laundering measures at B.C. gaming facilities.

It's author, Rob Kroeker, of the province's Civil Forfeiture Office, called for the creation of the multi-agency force to probe suspicious activities and transactions at B.C. casinos.

Kroeker said his report did not probe to what extent, if any, money is being laundered at B.C. casinos because his mandate didn't require him to.

He said his call for the creation of the task force would answer those questions. Members of the task force would include police and representatives of the agencies that regulate gaming in the province.

The Ministry of the Solicitor General ordered a review of anti-money laundering strategies used at B.C. gaming facilities last January after media reports raised questions about large cash transactions using small denomination Canadian currency -- $20 bills -- at casinos.

Kroeker's review found the B.C. Lottery Corp., and the province's Gaming Policy Enforcement Branch are providing appropriate strategies to monitor money laundering, but a task force could provide more knowledge.

"At the end of its mandate, the task force would report to the province on the types and the magnitude of any criminal activity it found occurring in relation to gaming in B.C.," he said at a news conference.

Kroeker's report did not dispute that cash, and often large amounts of it, are present at B.C. casinos, but he recommended the lottery corporation and its enforcement branch embrace electronic banking to a larger extent and offer cheques as opposed to cash for customers.

Opposition New Democrat critic Shane Simpson said the report did not go far enough.

It barely touched on money laundering and appears to still welcome large cash transactions at casinos, the issue which prompted the original concerns, he said.

"They're going to encourage non-cash transactions, but there's going to be nothing that actually says to somebody, 'You can't bring a suitcase full of $20s into the casino to cash it out,"' Simpson said.

The report also recommended better staff training to ensure workers are aware of what constitutes money laundering and it suggests more formal involvement of police in auditing and investigating what goes on in casinos.