Gamblor’s World

DAN DAKIN, Niagara Falls Review, Saturday, December 02, 2006 Updated

It’s hard to stay straight if poker is your addiction. Flip the television on any time of the day or night and odds are you’ll find a televised game of Texas Hold ‘Em Poker, the latest craze in the gambling world.

Poker has gone from an after-hours game played in smoke-filled back rooms to the third-most watched ’sport’ on television behind NASCAR and the NFL.

Poker series like the World Poker Tour can be compared to any professional sports league with big-name stars making millions a year and have massive television audiences, endorsement deals and a dedicated fan base.

Then there’s online poker, the driving force behind an Internet-based gambling industry, that the American Gaming Association estimates to be worth US$12 billion a year.

Poker is everywhere you look, and its impact depends on your perspective.

In Niagara Falls, it has been dramatic.

Increased demand forced both Casino Niagara and Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort to add dedicated poker rooms to their gaming floors, where players can join tournaments or play cash games at any time of the day or night. Casino Niagara’s room has 12 tables, while the Fallsview Casino has 16.

"As poker exploded in popularity, we had more and more customers arriving knowing how to play and asking for the poker room," said Greg Medulun, the general manager of corporate communications for Fallsview Casino. Tournament poker has become a big part of its’ schedule.

The facility hosts the TSN Degree Poker Championships every May and it also hosted the World Poker Tour’s North American Championships and Canadian Open last month. All three are expected to return in 2007.

"One of the significant reasons for doing so is to generate awareness about the property. Niagara has become the poker capital of Canada," Medulun said. "Poker is everywhere right now. It’s a pop culture phenomenon."

The dark side of the publicity poker has garnered is people of all ages are becoming exposed to a game some believe is dangerously addictive.

The Responsible Gaming Council conducted a poker poll between Feb. 21 and March 2 and found of the 1,003 respondents, one in five said they have played poker for money in casinos, online or in private games.

"Poker is the easy-access game. It’s easy to learn, you can play it anywhere and it appeals to the very people who are most likely to have a problem - 18 to 24 year olds," said Jon Kelly, the council’s CEO.

He said that age group is most vulnerable because it’s more likely to carry the misconception poker is a legitimate way to make money. The council’s study showed 16 per cent of players between 18 and 24 believed they could make money on the game.

And it’s that young adult age group - representing a more high-tech player - that has found online poker so appealing.

Interest from the younger generation of gamblers has driven the online industry to massive new heights.

Players can enter free or low-limit games at any of the dozens of gaming websites. This is where a foundation is often laid for future gambling problems.

Steve Black, a 23-year-old St. Catharines man who has earned enough to live on by playing poker online the past three years, said most people who try the game end up losing money.

The University of Waterloo student is developing a new website, www.pokerspace.ca, where professional players will teach amateurs how to play the game and how to recognize the signs of a hobby turning into an addiction.

"A lot of times someone will make money initially, but in the long run they’ll lose it because they’ll keep pushing the limit," he said. "When you look at poker you have to take it in stride. You can’t make it your life. People get addicted to the feeling of winning. When they lose, it’s just terrible."

Black said he now realizes he may have crossed the line into being an addicted player when he started.

"At the time I was playing a lot, but I didn’t really recognize it as an addiction. But looking back at it, it was there. There were times I shouldn’t have been playing," he said.

According to the Responsible Gaming Council, the signs of being a problem gambler include feeling guilty, continuing to bet to cover losses and not being able to quit when you want.

At the Niagara casinos, the Responsible Gaming Council has a presence with a walk-in centre, which opened in November 2005 as a pilot project to weigh the need for similar centres at other casinos in Ontario.

Kelly said it’s harder to convince people about the dangers of poker than other forms of gambling like slot machines.

"With poker, there’s a grey area introduced because the fact of the matter is you can get better with time. But people overestimate their skill. They think they have much more control than they do and they downplay the variables," he said.

Online gambling in Ontario has risen significantly over the past five years. A separate Responsible Gambling Council study showed the number of young adults between 18-24 wagering online jumped to 5.5 per cent in 2005 from 1.4 per cent in 2001.

That’s why Kelly’s organization has changed its aim in much of its prevention efforts.

"In our campaigns, we have had to focus on Internet and poker more prominently. Five years ago, most of the prevention initiatives were more casino or track focused," he said. "But our basic messages haven’t changed because if you get into trouble gambling online, you have the same pitfalls."

Similar to the bookmaking laws, it’s not illegal to play online casino games in North America, but it is to run the websites. As a result, most of the actual gaming sites are based in the Caribbean or Europe, though more than 80 per cent of the customers are said to be in North America.

In an effort to stem that tide, recent legislation in the US has made it more difficult for Americans to play poker for money online by limiting the way people can deposit money into online accounts.

American banks and credit card companies are no longer allowed to make any transactions with online gambling sites.

"Basically, it’s a roundabout way of limiting or restricting online play," Black said. "There are a lot less games out there, but some sites have really done well. It will pick up again, but it kind of sets the whole industry back to where it was about four years ago.

What effect that has on the poker scene in general is yet to be determined.

"A lot of naysayers say poker will slow down in popularity, but I don’t see it at this point," Medulun said. "It certainly could be coming, but when is anyone’s call."

ddakin@nfreview.com

Key Findings in a Responsible Gambling Council poker poll

- 20 per cent of Ontarians play poker for money;

- 37 per cent of Ontarians ages 18 to 34 play poker for money;

- 20 per cent of Ontarians believe a friend or family member is headed toward a gambling problem;

- 16 per cent of 18- to 34-year-old players believe it’s a good way to make extra money;

- four per cent believe they could make a living off it;

- 69 per cent of Ontarians believe online poker is a problem today;

- 16 per cent of Ontario poker players compete at least once a week; How to get help:

- Problem Gambling Helpline - 1-888-230-3505

- The Responsible Gaming Information Centre at Fallsview Casino

- On the web at www.responsiblegambling.org

© 2006, Osprey Media