Well intentioned promises will fade and be abandoned.
Predatory Gambling exists only because Gambling Addicts are created, without whom, there would be no Industry.
B.C. government rolls out online casino
Money collected on PlayNow. com will go to social programs, health care and education, minister says
The B.C. government on Thursday rolled out the first government-sanctioned online casino in North America, just two days after a woman filed a lawsuit against the B.C. Lottery Corporation over the alleged failure of one of its gambling addiction programs.
Minister of Housing and Social Development Rich Coleman said British Columbians spend $100 million a year on illegal, offshore gambling sites and he wants to see that money spent in B.C. instead.
There are more than 2,000 "illegal" online gambling sites, Coleman told a news conference on Granville Island Thursday where he unveiled the expanded website PlayNow. com.
"Of these websites, not one is accountable to the residents of British Columbia, not accountable to the players that play on their sites and not accountable to the laws of this country," he said.
He insisted the money collected on PlayNow. com will go to social programs, health care and education.
On the site, users can play in five categories including casino, bingo, sports, lottery and games.
In the casino section, players can choose to play blackjack, sicbo, craps and baccarat, among others. Poker is expected to be added next year.
Only people who live in British Columbia are able to access the site and users must be 19 and older to play.
Joyce Ross, 54, of Delta, filed a civil suit Tuesday in B.C. Supreme Court in New Westminster against the BCLC and two casinos. She alleged the volunteer self-exclusion program failed to stop her from entering two casinos and spending $331,000.
It is the first time in B.C. that a gambling addict has launched a suit against the BCLC.
Contacted Thursday after the announcement, Ross said it is "a big mistake" for the government to expand gambling when the problems with the self-exclusion program haven't been addressed.
"I've never been an online gambler but my concern is that seniors who are isolated or bored might turn to that, especially if it is government sanctioned. They'll feel safe about using their credit cards."
Ross noted that a government-sanctioned online casino is particularly troubling for addicts who chase their losses because they can rack up their credit cards instead of having to pay cash. "When a government sanctions something it moves into the realm of something safe to do. The scary thing is people think it is more acceptable," she said.
Ross claims in her suit that the government and the casinos through the program had a duty to keep her out of the casinos. The program uses surveillance systems to catch gambling addicts before they spend any money.
Michael Graydon, president of the B.C. Lottery Corporation, said the government is conducting a review of the program that should be complete within a year. There are about 6,000 people in the program.
He did not see a problem with rolling out the new online casino while a review of the self-exclusion program is pending. "It is still a responsibility that rests with the individual to take action, so from this perspective we are only dealing with 6,000 potential customers within our business at this point ...," he said, noting "today there are over 24 million visits to our facilities."
Graydon said when a user signs up for the website, there is third-party validation and cross-referencing to make sure the person is not part of the voluntary self-exclusion program. He said research done by the BCLC shows that online gambling is only five or six per cent more addictive than regular gambling.
But a 2007 study by the U.K. Gambling Commission found that online gamblers were 10 times more likely to be "problem gamblers" than those who gamble elsewhere. The study cautions there is no evidence that online gambling is more likely to cause an addiction.
The government said safeguards in place to help people with addiction problems include reminders on screen about the risks, easy access to odds and factual game information, a session log displaying the amount of time players have spent online and a player pre-set deposit limit.
Registered members whose ages and addresses have been verified will be allowed to spend up to $9,999 a week. The amount was dramatically increased last August, up from the earlier $120-a-week limit.
The amount concerns NDP critic for housing and social development Shane Simpson who said the government cut funding to gambling addiction programs by 34 per cent last year.
"I've seen no evidence here that there are programs or that the work has been done to ensure that people are going to be protected under this system. So it concerns me a lot," he said.
Predatory Gambling exists only because Gambling Addicts are created, without whom, there would be no Industry.
B.C. government rolls out online casino
Money collected on PlayNow. com will go to social programs, health care and education, minister says
The B.C. government on Thursday rolled out the first government-sanctioned online casino in North America, just two days after a woman filed a lawsuit against the B.C. Lottery Corporation over the alleged failure of one of its gambling addiction programs.
Minister of Housing and Social Development Rich Coleman said British Columbians spend $100 million a year on illegal, offshore gambling sites and he wants to see that money spent in B.C. instead.
There are more than 2,000 "illegal" online gambling sites, Coleman told a news conference on Granville Island Thursday where he unveiled the expanded website PlayNow. com.
"Of these websites, not one is accountable to the residents of British Columbia, not accountable to the players that play on their sites and not accountable to the laws of this country," he said.
He insisted the money collected on PlayNow. com will go to social programs, health care and education.
On the site, users can play in five categories including casino, bingo, sports, lottery and games.
In the casino section, players can choose to play blackjack, sicbo, craps and baccarat, among others. Poker is expected to be added next year.
Only people who live in British Columbia are able to access the site and users must be 19 and older to play.
Joyce Ross, 54, of Delta, filed a civil suit Tuesday in B.C. Supreme Court in New Westminster against the BCLC and two casinos. She alleged the volunteer self-exclusion program failed to stop her from entering two casinos and spending $331,000.
It is the first time in B.C. that a gambling addict has launched a suit against the BCLC.
Contacted Thursday after the announcement, Ross said it is "a big mistake" for the government to expand gambling when the problems with the self-exclusion program haven't been addressed.
"I've never been an online gambler but my concern is that seniors who are isolated or bored might turn to that, especially if it is government sanctioned. They'll feel safe about using their credit cards."
Ross noted that a government-sanctioned online casino is particularly troubling for addicts who chase their losses because they can rack up their credit cards instead of having to pay cash. "When a government sanctions something it moves into the realm of something safe to do. The scary thing is people think it is more acceptable," she said.
Ross claims in her suit that the government and the casinos through the program had a duty to keep her out of the casinos. The program uses surveillance systems to catch gambling addicts before they spend any money.
Michael Graydon, president of the B.C. Lottery Corporation, said the government is conducting a review of the program that should be complete within a year. There are about 6,000 people in the program.
He did not see a problem with rolling out the new online casino while a review of the self-exclusion program is pending. "It is still a responsibility that rests with the individual to take action, so from this perspective we are only dealing with 6,000 potential customers within our business at this point ...," he said, noting "today there are over 24 million visits to our facilities."
Graydon said when a user signs up for the website, there is third-party validation and cross-referencing to make sure the person is not part of the voluntary self-exclusion program. He said research done by the BCLC shows that online gambling is only five or six per cent more addictive than regular gambling.
But a 2007 study by the U.K. Gambling Commission found that online gamblers were 10 times more likely to be "problem gamblers" than those who gamble elsewhere. The study cautions there is no evidence that online gambling is more likely to cause an addiction.
The government said safeguards in place to help people with addiction problems include reminders on screen about the risks, easy access to odds and factual game information, a session log displaying the amount of time players have spent online and a player pre-set deposit limit.
Registered members whose ages and addresses have been verified will be allowed to spend up to $9,999 a week. The amount was dramatically increased last August, up from the earlier $120-a-week limit.
The amount concerns NDP critic for housing and social development Shane Simpson who said the government cut funding to gambling addiction programs by 34 per cent last year.
"I've seen no evidence here that there are programs or that the work has been done to ensure that people are going to be protected under this system. So it concerns me a lot," he said.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment