Health officer absent from responsible gambling conference Dr. Perry Kendall invited but declines to attend
Mike Howell / Vancouver Courier January 23, 2014 - See more at: http://www.vancourier.com/health-officer-absent-from-responsible-gambling-conference-1.800007#sthash.Nk76PkOy.dpuf
Dr. Perry Kendall, Provincial Health Officer for B.C. Photo: Adrian Lam, Times Colonist
Dr. Perry Kendall, Provincial Health Officer for B.C. Photo: Adrian Lam, Times Colonist
A long list of “responsible gambling experts” from across the country and other parts of the world will be at the Vancouver Convention Centre next week for a two-day conference hosted by the B.C. Lottery Corporation.
But one expert who released a comprehensive report last fall that showed the most severe form of problem gambling in B.C. is on a dramatic rise won’t be at the conference.
Provincial health officer Dr. Perry Kendall confirmed through his office that he won’t attend The New Horizons in Responsible Gambling Conference but declined to be interviewed to explain his absence.
Chris Fairclough, a spokesperson for the lottery corporation, said Kendall and other public health officers in B.C. were invited to the conference but failed to respond.
“The invitations were broadly circulated a number of months ago but we didn’t receive anything back from Dr. Kendall,” Fairclough said. “It would have been great to have him attend. I can’t speak to why he isn’t.”
The conference runs Monday and Tuesday at the convention centre and promises to bring together academics, industry types and those working in treatment and prevention.
Professor Dr. Mark Griffiths of Nottingham Trent University in Nottingham, England is a psychologist and will talk about the concerns related to gambling marketing and whether advertising creates unrealistic hopes of winning that may later trigger a gambling addiction.
Another psychologist, Dr. Sally Gainsbury of Australia’s Southern Cross University will provide an overview of gambling reforms in her home country, including the addition of “dynamic responsible gambling messages” posted on electronic gaming machines.
Dr. Claudia Steinke, an assistant professor at the University of Lethbridge, will discuss the psychological and behavioural impacts of casino design.
When Kendall released his report, Lower the Stakes: A Public Health Approach to Gambling in British Columbia in October, he made 17 recommendations aimed at the government to address gambling addiction and to improve the response to emerging problems in the industry.
His report revealed the number of people with a severe gambling problem increased from nearly 13,000 in 2002 to 31,000 in 2007.
While B.C. has moderate to high levels of revenue from gaming, the report said the province spends the lowest amount per capita of revenue — $5.6 million in 2011/2012 — on problem gambling in Canada.
The annual gross gaming revenue for the provincial government steadily increased between 2002 and 2012, going from $1.1 billion to $2.1 billion.
The conference comes as Dr. John Carsley of Vancouver Coastal Health and former city social planner Mario Lee continue to conduct a public health review of Edgewater Casino, Hastings Racecourse and Planet Bingo.
City council tasked Carsley and Lee with the review to see what the three facilities have in place to address the risks associated to gambling. A report is expected in the next few months.
In December, the city’s development permit board granted Paragon Holdings — owners of Edgewater — a preliminary development application to proceed with the construction of a $535-million casino complex adjacent to B.C. Place Stadium.
Before Paragon gets final approval, it has to meet several conditions including creating a harm reduction strategy for gamblers.
- See more at: http://www.vancourier.com/health-officer-absent-from-responsible-gambling-conference-1.800007#sthash.Nk76PkOy.dpufBut one expert who released a comprehensive report last fall that showed the most severe form of problem gambling in B.C. is on a dramatic rise won’t be at the conference.
Provincial health officer Dr. Perry Kendall confirmed through his office that he won’t attend The New Horizons in Responsible Gambling Conference but declined to be interviewed to explain his absence.
Chris Fairclough, a spokesperson for the lottery corporation, said Kendall and other public health officers in B.C. were invited to the conference but failed to respond.
“The invitations were broadly circulated a number of months ago but we didn’t receive anything back from Dr. Kendall,” Fairclough said. “It would have been great to have him attend. I can’t speak to why he isn’t.”
The conference runs Monday and Tuesday at the convention centre and promises to bring together academics, industry types and those working in treatment and prevention.
Professor Dr. Mark Griffiths of Nottingham Trent University in Nottingham, England is a psychologist and will talk about the concerns related to gambling marketing and whether advertising creates unrealistic hopes of winning that may later trigger a gambling addiction.
Another psychologist, Dr. Sally Gainsbury of Australia’s Southern Cross University will provide an overview of gambling reforms in her home country, including the addition of “dynamic responsible gambling messages” posted on electronic gaming machines.
Dr. Claudia Steinke, an assistant professor at the University of Lethbridge, will discuss the psychological and behavioural impacts of casino design.
When Kendall released his report, Lower the Stakes: A Public Health Approach to Gambling in British Columbia in October, he made 17 recommendations aimed at the government to address gambling addiction and to improve the response to emerging problems in the industry.
His report revealed the number of people with a severe gambling problem increased from nearly 13,000 in 2002 to 31,000 in 2007.
While B.C. has moderate to high levels of revenue from gaming, the report said the province spends the lowest amount per capita of revenue — $5.6 million in 2011/2012 — on problem gambling in Canada.
The annual gross gaming revenue for the provincial government steadily increased between 2002 and 2012, going from $1.1 billion to $2.1 billion.
The conference comes as Dr. John Carsley of Vancouver Coastal Health and former city social planner Mario Lee continue to conduct a public health review of Edgewater Casino, Hastings Racecourse and Planet Bingo.
City council tasked Carsley and Lee with the review to see what the three facilities have in place to address the risks associated to gambling. A report is expected in the next few months.
In December, the city’s development permit board granted Paragon Holdings — owners of Edgewater — a preliminary development application to proceed with the construction of a $535-million casino complex adjacent to B.C. Place Stadium.
Before Paragon gets final approval, it has to meet several conditions including creating a harm reduction strategy for gamblers.
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