PEI - Report on gambling numbers misleading, irrelevant: Racino Watch
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| Source: | Charlottetown Guardian | |
| Published: | Nov 13, 06 | |
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| CHARLOTTETOWN – A report released by the P.E.I. government Friday which concludes there is no significant difference in the numbers of problem gamblers on P.E.I. since 1999 is misleading and basically irrelevant, says a spokesman for Racino Watch.
"The information gathered for the report was done well before the racino in Charlottetown even opened," said Leo Broderick. His lobby group fought the racino because of the increased risk to create more gambling addictions among Islanders who could least afford it. The report on gambling activity on P.E.I., commissioned by the Department of Health, assessed changes in the prevalence of gambling in the province since an original report was produced in 1999. The study was conducted by UPEI professor and researcher Jason Doiron. "The report shows that in comparison to the 1999 study, there is no significant difference in the numbers of problem gamblers on P.E.I.," says Don Gorveatt, manager of mental health and addictions. Broderick said the report says little about VLTs. He was also critical of the timing of the report, late on a Friday afternoon on a long holiday weekend. Research was conducted in the spring of 2005, months before the racino opened at the CDP. |
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