Gambling Research — New Resources (December, 2006)
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ON - Problem gambling rates high in region
By HANK DANISZEWSKI, London FREE PRESS BUSINESS REPORTER, Sat, December 2, 2006
That zealous employee who never misses a day and always looks for overtime may be hiding a gambling problem, says the head of Addiction Services of Thames Valley.
Speaking at a conference organized by the Industrial Accident Prevention Association, Linda Sibley said gambling addiction is an "invisible" problem creeping into more and more workplaces.
Studies show about five per cent of adults in Ontario have a gambling problem, but seven per cent of adults aged 18-24 admit they have a problem.
Lotteries, casinos, online games and the growing popularity of poker have made gambling popular, even with young children, Sibley said. "This is the first generation to grow up with this level of opportunity."
Illegal gambling booms. There are an estimated 100 illegal gambling dens in Southwestern Ontario, Sibley said.
Employees with gambling problems are usually much harder to spot than those with alcohol or drug problems.
Although the employees may work hard to earn more gambling money, their addiction can lead to sleep deprivation, depression, accidents on the job, extreme stress and violence, said Sibley.
The Ontario government takes in more than $2 billion from gambling every year, but one study said 36 per cent came from problem gamblers.
"That has to stop. We have to identify those people and get them help," said Sibley.
The government sets aside $36 million a year to deal with treatment and prevention programs for problem gamblers.
Southwestern Ontario had the highest rate of participation in problem gambling programs, almost double the provincial average, Sibley said.
Gambling is fuelled by myths and misunderstanding about the odds of winning, she said.
One statistician compared the odds of winning a big lottery prize to the chance of dialing a random telephone number in the City of Toronto and having it connect to the right person.
"It’s sometime called a voluntary tax on people who are bad at math."
Copyright © 2006, Canoe Inc. All rights reserved.
BC - Study gives snapshot of casino gambling
Friday, December 01, 2006, GamblingWiz.com
A multi-year study has given the first glimpse into the impact of increased casino gambling in Surrey and Langley The socio-economic impact study being conducted for the provincial government is tracing the effects on local residents of the spring 2005 opening of the Langley Cascades casino and of slot machines at Fraser Downs racetrack in Surrey, plus two facilities in Vancouver. Researchers surveyed residents at random as well as patrons in casinos. Their first-year findings show the percentage of problem gamblers in Langley City climbed from 2.5 per cent in 2004 to 4.9 per cent last year. The rate climbed from 5.6 to six per cent in Surrey, but actually fell in Langley Township from four per cent to 2.6 per cent in 2005.
The firm behind the study, Blue Thorn Research and Analysis Group, concluded the change was not statistically significant.
"The venues appear to have produced new gamblers," the report found. "Some people are now gambling at the venues that previously did not gamble. It is possible that some of these new gamblers may develop problems." Researchers also interviewed nine counsellors who work in the region with problem gamblers. Obvious impacts were limited because the facilities are new, the counsellors said, adding their clients "were already in trouble well before these facilities opened." The report said the counsellors believe the casino in Langley may have led to an increase in the number of mental health clients there, because of the casino’s proximity to low-income housing and residents without ready transportation. The counsellors also suggested the addition of new gambling sites creates "enormous temptations" for problem gamblers, and the increased convenience and visibility increases the risk of relapse. Overall, the report concludes that based on the first year’s findings the new casinos have had a relatively small impact on general gambling behaviour. In 2004, about 76 per cent of Langley City residents surveyed said they never played slot machines. That number fell to about 60 per cent in 2005 after the casino there opened (versus about 64 per cent for Langley township.)
About 40 per cent of Langley City residents surveyed said they gambled at the casino after it opened, versus 30 per cent of Langley Township residents.
In contrast, 74 per cent of Surrey residents surveyed said they didn’t play slot machines in 2005, actually up slightly from 73.7 per cent in 2004 prior to the installation of the Fraser Downs slots.
Surrey residents who do gamble at slot machines don’t automatically go to Fraser Downs - it was fourth on the list of where they normally play slots, behind Las Vegas/Reno casinos, River Rock in Richmond and Cascades in Langley.
Eleven per cent of those surveyed in Surrey said they did gamble at Fraser Downs in 2005 and spent on average $54 per visit.
Langley City residents spent an average $36 per visit, but more - nearly six per cent - said they go every day.
Just 0.6 per cent of Langley Township residents surveyed said they’re daily customers at the Cascades, but they spend more than $63 per visit on average.
Of the combined Vancouver-Surrey-Langley residents surveyed, 20 per cent said they don’t gamble. Sixty-five per cent are rated as non-problem gamblers - the classifications were based on their survey responses - while a further 10.5 per cent are ranked "low risk," 3.7 per cent are ranked "moderate problem gamblers" and 0.7 per cent are ranked "severe problem gamblers."
The report found there was "no discernible impact" on crime or traffic near the casinos.
It also concludes the casinos haven’t attracted measurable numbers of tourists from outside B.C.
"At present it appears the overwhelming majority of patronage is local," the report says.
It does note residents surveyed aren’t travelling out of B.C. to destinations like Las Vegas to gamble as often, adding money now spent here is being "recaptured."
Officials with B.C.’s Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch say they’re satisfied the initial findings show no significant impact from the new gambling venues.
"Many of the measures of problem gambling remain statistically the same," said assistant deputy minister Derek Sturko.
"Obviously we’ve got to watch the longer trend," he said. "But in general there was no massive shift in circumstances."
posted by Jerry "Jet" Whittaker at 1:51 AM
Copyright 2000-2006 GamblingWiz.com
ON - Area groups share $574,000 in grants
Vincent Ball, Brantford Expositor, Friday, December 01, 2006 Updated @ 8:12:29 AM
A public-awareness campaign addressing domestic violence in Brantford is getting a $67,100 boost from the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
The grant is part of more than $574,000 the Trillium foundation has awarded to agencies and organizations in Brantford, Brant, Haldimand and Norfolk.
"This is really quite exciting," Joy Freeman, the executive director of Nova Vita women’s shelter, said Thursday. "It’s the first time that there has been a formal acknowledgement that domestic violence is a community problem that requires a community solution."
The goal of the public awareness campaign is to improve community safety by providing people with the tools to speak out and take action against family violence.
The $67,100 grant was awarded to the Domestic Violence Awareness group, which is a sub-committee of the Mayor’s Task Force on Domestic Violence. The funding is being administered through Nova Vita.
Work on the campaign is expected to begin today. The first steps will include planning and developing materials for the initiative, Freeman said.
The Trillium Foundation money is in addition to the $5,000 in start-up funding the group received from the city earlier this year. Mayor’s task force
Mayor Mike Hancock established his task force following two domestic violence-related slayings that occurred earlier this year.
Fallon Mason, a 23-year-old mother of two, was found slain in her north Brantford townhouse in March. A former boyfriend has been charged with murder
Just four days later, eight-year-old Jared Osidacz was murdered by his father, Andrew, during an unsupervised access visit. Andrew Osidacz was subsequently shot and killed by police while he held Julie Craven, his former spouse and Jared’s mother, at knifepoint.
Following is a list of other agencies to receive Trillium funding:
- Boys’ and Girls’ Club of Brantford, $45,000 to replace an aging vehicle.
- Brantford Symphony Orchestra, $52,400 over two years to help with operating costs while implementing its sustainability plan.
- Canada’s First Forestry Station, St. Williams Interpretive Centre, $52,500 to increase opportunities for students in Norfolk County to experience hands-on learning.
- Community Builders, $48,300 to expand a youth leadership training program in six Brantford schools.
- Kids Can Fly, Early Child Development and Parenting Support, $42,200 to expand Roots of Empathy, an anti-bullying and character building program.
- Canadian Mental Health Association, Brant County branch, mental health awareness committee, $4,000 to facilitate a community-consultation/needs assessment on suicide prevention.
- Norfolk Youth and Children Association, $75,000 to purchase a portable wheelchair lift and increase the association’s capacity to deliver children and adult wellness programming in Norfolk.
- Operation Lift, $19,500 to purchase computer equipment to manage client data and booking systems.
- Port Dover Board of Trade, $25,000 to provide accessible recreational space for people of all abilities in a parkette on Port Dover’s main street.
- Sexual Assault Centre of Brant, $49,200 to build a support network for women aged 50 and over by recruiting and training same-age volunteers. New counselling and support programs will be offered to address a gap in services for women in this age group.
- Simcoe Rotary, Friendship Festival, Turkey Point Summerfest, $71,000 over two years to strengthen the economic health of Norfolk by enhancing the fundraising and volunteer management capacity of three local festivals.
- Spreading the Word Together, Literacy Link South Centre, $43,200 over 18 months to increase access to literacy programs for clients of employment and social service agencies in Haldimand, Norfolk, Brant and Brantford.
The Ontario Trillium Foundation is an agency of the Ministry of Culture and receives $100 million annually from Ontario’s charity casino initiative.
© 2006, Osprey Media
Editorial Comment: Excuse me but why do social services, such as those provided regarding domestic violence, have to be directed through gambling revenues (ie. the Trillium Foundation). Maybe I am naive but why can’t taxes from corporations pay for these needed community social and arts services? Or the taxes that are paid to the federal government be directed to these provincial and municipal community services rather than creating a financial surplus for the federal government? Do tell, if you have a response? What has happened over and over again, is that when the gambling moola dries up for whatever reasons (for example, a smoking ban has a temporary negative impact on gambling revenues, these necessary community services suffer because their operating expenses are now dependent on gambling revenues).
Norway - Gambling machines banned from next July
Fri, 01.12.2006 Path: / The Norway Post / Gambling machines banned from next July
The Government wants to ban all one-armed bandits and slot machines from the Norwegian market from July 1st next year, the Minister of Culture, Trond Giske, has announced.
/ np
20.08.2006 07:11
- All licenses for gambling machines expire on that date, and none will be renewed, Giske says to the newspaper VG.
This means that 15,000 machines will be removd by July 1st 2007 at the latest.
The government’s move comes after a prolonged public debate recognizing the serious problems the gambling machines pose for an increasing number of people becoming compulsive gamblers.
Today these machines are often located in public places, like shopping malls and bars.
The government has wanted to give the football pools organization Norsk Tipping monopoly on gambling machines, allowing a limited number under very strict regulations.
However, this case is pending before the EEA court, and even if this monopoly should be accpeted by the court, it will not come into effect before 2008, according to Giske.
This means that Norway will be without gambling machines for at least 6 months. Should the EEA court refuse to accept the Norsk Tipping monopoly, the ban on gambling machines in Norway would be permanent, Giske says to VG.
(NRK)
Rolleiv Solholm
Imaker Content Management Systems - © 1996 - 2005 Imaker as
SK - No going back on FSINs gaming deal
Pam Cradock, Saskatchewan News Network; CanWest News Service, Friday, December 01, 2006
SASKATOON — Scrapping the 2002 gaming agreement between the province and the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN) is not in the cards, says the minister responsible for the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority.
On Thursday, Deb Higgins said that, contrary to recent comments made by FSIN Chief Lawrence Joseph, the agreement is only up for review, not termination.
"This is a 25-year agreement," Higgins said. "The parties have signed on to the agreement and my understanding is that needs to be maintained if gaming is going to continue."
The 2002 Framework Agreement governs First Nations gaming in Saskatchewan. It’s up for a six-month review period beginning this month, during which time both the province and the FSIN can bring forth any recommendations and or issues.
At a special legislative session of the FSIN on Wednesday, Joseph threatened to back out of the agreement. He said government should have no jurisdiction over the business of First Nations.
"It’s time we took (gaming) over entirely and the province out," Joseph said.
"That doesn’t work," said Higgins. Under the Criminal Code of Canada, gaming regulation falls to the provincial government, she said. Getting the province out would not be possible without significant changes made at the federal level.
"It’s within the partnership with the province that the FSIN has the ability to operate the gaming," Higgins said.
James Youngblood Henderson, a professor and research director at the University of Saskatchewan’s Native Law Centre, agreed with Higgins, with one exception. He said the law regarding gaming hasn’t been completely spelled out. Technically, the FSIN might be able to legally back out of the agreement if they wanted to, he said.
Henderson did say, however, that without major federal amendments, another agreement would have to take the previous one’s place.
Henderson said the provincial government can’t force the FSIN to stay in the agreement, but the province can go to the federal government for help. Aboriginal affairs are under federal jurisdiction, and the government of Canada has the ability to keep the FSIN in the agreement, he said.
"(But) then (the problem) becomes a treaty issue," Henderson said.
For the FSIN, it’s an issue of both money and control. Right now, gaming profits are sent directly to the provincial government, which re-allocates them as they see fit. The money currently goes into a First Nations trust fund, community development corporations and the general provincial reserve fund.
Under the current terms of the agreement, the government gets 37 per cent of all net profits, equal to about $15 million. Joseph objected to that on Wednesday, saying the money should be going directly to the people.
Higgins said the likelihood of the law being changed and the province stepping aside is currently open only to speculation.
"Just about anything’s possible, isn’t it?" she said. "If the government is going to change the Criminal Code of Canada, what options are open depends on how they change the Criminal Code and what changes they make."
Higgins said she hoped both parties can "work through this review period."
© The Leader-Post (Regina) 2006
© 2006 CanWest Interactive, a division of CanWest MediaWorks Publications Inc.
ON - Do you buy lottery tickets? WARNING
Do you buy lottery tickets? If you do, you might be interested to learn about PayDay where tickets are sold even after the prizes have been awarded. Business Columnist Michael Hlinka is here to explain how this could possibly happen.
There’s a weekly lottery in Ontario called PayDay. Here’s how it works. For a two dollar ticket, you have a chance to win one of two prizes - a thousand dollars a day for a year, a total benefit of three hundred and sixty-five thousand dollars or a thousand dollars a week for life. But here’s what the Lottery Corporation wasn’t telling anyone. After the first prize was awarded - that is, the three hundred and sixty-five thousand - they kept selling tickets without notifying the unwitting public. And this made some people howl with outrage when there’s something so much more outrageous to be howling about in the first place!
First, a couple of words about the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation. Created in 2000, it’s a Provincial Agency that is responsible for managing province-wide lotteries, casinos and slot facilities at horse racing tracks. To my understanding, there are similar organizations in most of the provinces across Canada. In its own oh-so self-serving words: "Our purpose is to make life better for people across Ontario by generating revenue provincially and economic and social benefits locally." Yes, that is one interpretation. Another description might be that it is a government-mandated monopoly whose high-handed tactics just wouldn’t cut it in a competitive business environment.
Let me get back to PayDay. My guess is that the overwhelming majority of people who bought tickets had no idea that they might not qualify for one of the top prizes. And the defense offered by the corporation is so mealy-mouthed: There is a one eight hundred number that anyone can call to tell you if any of the top prizes have been awarded yet. And, of course, the only reason that the Ontario Lottery Corporation can get away with it is because there’s no where else to turn, you can’t get your lottery tickets anywhere else. Of course, maybe this isn’t such a bad thing. Because for every dollar collected in lottery tickets, the Corporation pays out seventy cents in winnings.
Which is why Lottery Corporations are so beloved by the political elites. Last year in Ontario, its Net Profit Margin was thirty percent. In other words, a two-dollar PayDay ticket contributed sixty cents to the public purse. Remember how outraged everyone was last year by the profits the oil companies raked in? In 2005, Petro-Canada’s Net Profit Margin was ten percent - these guys are pikers compared to the Lottos. And if you find this outrageous, there’s only one proper response: Put the Lotteries out of business. Put ‘em out of business by not buying their products.
I’m Michael Hlinka
Copyright © CBC Business News
ON - Bingo ‘crisis’ under survey
Sonja Puzic, Windsor Star, Friday, December 01, 2006
Members of a community services committee are hoping a survey of organizations that depend on Windsor’s declining bingo industry will convince the provincial government to provide emergency funding for the region.
Save Our Community Services (SOCS) group and the City of Windsor are surveying affected organizations to analyze the impact a sluggish economy and the provincewide smoking ban have had on social programs and services.
The results of the survey will be presented to city council in early 2007.
"We will quantify, for the first time, the social impact of the bingo industry crisis," said Raymond Roy, vice-president of the Sandwich Teen Action Group and SOCS member.
"We have to let (the government) know that these effects are real."
Charities have seen a 50 per cent decrease in revenue from bingos since last year — a drastic change that folded the Windsor Family Forum, contributed to program cuts and could result in a major social crisis in Windsor, said Bob McGuire, Family Forum’s former executive director.
"The provincial government is being completely irresponsible and callous," he said. "I expect them to be embarrassed enough to come to the aid of the community."
The Sandwich Teen Action Group also had to cancel its summer programs to use the money for operational costs.
"The stories go on and on," Roy said. "What we’re looking for is transitional funding to fend off these long-term results."
Charities can visit the survey at www.citywindsor.ca/survey/charitablebingosurveyregistration1.asp.
© The Windsor Star 2006
© 2006 CanWest Interactive, a division of CanWest MediaWorks Publications Inc..
ON - Addiction advice in gamblers’ mail
Assess your habits, OLG urges
Anne Jarvis, Windsor Star, December 01, 2006
In an unusual attempt to prevent addiction, thousands of gamblers who receive promotions from the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation will also get a letter from its chief executive officer warning about the risks and asking them to assess their habit.
"It’s an early-intervention strategy as opposed to waiting until everything has gone south and there is serious debt and relationships have fallen apart," said Rob Simpson, chief executive officer of the Ontario Problem Gambling Research Centre, which is conducting the experiment with the OLG.
Twelve thousand gamblers in Ottawa who play at the OLG’s charity casinos and slot machines and are on its mailing list for promotions will start receiving the letter, signed by CEO Duncan Brown, in January. The letter, tested on focus groups this week for its effectiveness, will advise them that 330,000 people in Ontario have a gambling problem and that gambling too much can lead to loss of control and unmanageable debt.
It will ask gamblers if they think they need to cut back and if they’ve tried but can’t. It will suggest that, if they answer yes, they should seek help and will provide them a telephone number for a counselling program.
Simpson described the letter as an "inoculation" to try to protect people from the risks of gambling. The questions are designed to be a "trip-wire" to get people to think about their gambling, he said. He compared it to other broad approaches to public health such as encouraging people to get their blood pressure tested.
"There’s no suggestion that ‘I think you’re a problem gambler,’" he said. "It’s going to be a very gentle nudge."
The study targets people who gamble once a week or more because research shows that they face a higher risk of developing a problem. People who hide a severe gambling addiction probably aren’t on the OLG mailing list and won’t receive the letter, Simpson acknowledged. Others could be offended by it. But he said, "we believe there are a high number of people who would benefit."
The OPGRC, a provincial agency funded by slot machine revenue, will poll one-quarter of the recipients to ask them if they read the letter, if it made them think about their gambling and if they sought help. If the letter appears to be effective in preventing gambling problems, Simpson said, it could be sent to gamblers across the province, even those who gamble less than once a week.
"Certainly we do plan to expand it to all our customers if it’s effective," said Betty Palantzas, the OLG’s manager of responsible gaming.
Simpson credited the OLG for participating in a rigorous, peer-reviewed study by an arms-length agency.
"I find that really a refreshing change," he said. "This is a really serious effort to get people sensitized."
It’s an interesting and innovative approach to preventing problems, said Nina Littman-Sharp, manager of problem gambling services at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. A letter probably won’t be as effective as talking to people, she said, noting that casino officials in Holland and Switzerland approach problem gamblers on the casino floors. But for Ontario, she said, it’s a big step.
It’s also important for gambling providers to collaborate with research and treatment, she said.
"They’ve got the database (of patrons)," she said. "They know maybe who is more at risk. That’s not the kind of information that researchers and service providers have."
© The Windsor Star 2006
© 2006 CanWest Interactive, a division of CanWest MediaWorks Publications Inc.
