Gamblor’s World

Montréal, February 20, 2007 - The Public Health Department issued a statement today concerning the establishment of gaming centres in the province. Loto-Québec has taken note of this document, which does not express any opposition to the project, but rather, focuses on operating methods. In actual fact, although the statement should have dealt with the gaming centres per se, it concentrates primarily on aspects not related to the project whatsoever. For the present time, Loto-Québec wishes to outline certain preliminary observations. Subsequently, the Corporation intends to take all the time necessary to study the document in depth.

To begin with, Loto-Québec has observed that the data used related to game offerings is the same that led the Institut national de santé publique and Université Laval’s Centre québécois d’excellence pour la prévention et le traitement du jeu to conclude that, from 1996 to 2002, the number of probable compulsive gamblers within the province’s adult population remained stable. In fact, this number declined from 1% to 0.8% during the period, now representing between 35,000 and 56,000 individuals. And yet, it is also important to note that this stability in the prevalence of pathological gaming within the adult population was observed at a time when the Corporation’s revenues grew by 40%. As such, this increase in earnings did not result in any escalation of the excessive gaming phenomenon.

After an initial review of the document, it is apparent that the authors lump together players at risk with compulsive gamblers, which serves to amplify the phenomenon. Moreover, the document also shows a confused definition of the notion of game offerings - sometimes denoting the number of game terminals, other times the number or type of sites, sometimes referring to geography, and other times to household income. The approach proposed to the Government by Loto-Québec in its 2004-2007 Development Plan is very clear. It is based on diminishing accessibility, as was recommended by the only study conducted on the subject. That is why the Corporation established its priority as being to reduce the number of existing sites and concentrate the units at controlled sites.

The gaming centres constitute a new concept in Québec. Therefore, one would have thought that in preparing and substantiating their document, the authors would have seen the value in examining similar experiences in other jurisdictions, most notably in Ontario, which has 17 gaming centres twinned with racetracks.

In conclusion, Loto-Québec has observed that the external consultant engaged to help prepare this statement is the same individual serving in a consulting role in conjunction with a class action launched against the Corporation. As such, Loto-Québec would hope to see an independent evaluation carried out by a team of international experts who would examine the data on which this document is based with total objectivity.

Once again, Loto-Québec will be taking all the time required to analyze and evaluate the Public Health Department’s document. In the meantime, the Corporation wishes to reiterate that its video lottery network reconfiguration initiative is aimed at reducing accessibility by closing 31% of existing sites and regrouping the units withdrawn from bars and brasseries within environments governed by a series of precise control and prevention measures. Initiated in 2005, this reconfiguration effort has achieved over 50% of its objective to date.

Marie-Claude Rivet

Société des salons de jeux du Québec

Gudermes, February 20, Interfax

‘I am firmly convinced that the gambling business is more dangerous to the people in Russia, to its national security, than drugs which are universally believed to be a terrible evil’, Kadyrov told journalists in Gudermes on Tuesday.

He said drugs was something one can still get over through great efforts, while ‘a person dependent on gambling is capable of anything, even killing his parents and innocent people to get money’.

Kadyrov said with confidence that ‘the gambling business should have been banned throughout Russia at once, just as we did in Chechnya’.

‘Some make easy money on it and probably share it with some officials and thus the problem remains insoluble’, he believes.

‘I don’t understand them. I don’t understand why it happens so. It is impossible to understand why they don’t realize what this business will lead to ultimately. It should be closed immediately and at once rather then building cities for it. Where do we go again?’ he added.

He also said that 80% of the population in Russia would certainly vote against the gambling business.

‘When I closed the gambling business in Chechnya, the mass media began to accuse me of introducing underhand the sharia law. But you will find not a single person in Chechnya who would regret that there are no gambling machines here. One day I gathered everybody who were involved in it and said their houses should be closed and promised them to help open new businesses and I kept by word’, the acting president of Chechnya said.

Statement by the Sacred Koinotos of the Holy Mountain Athos

Berel Lazar: Russia’s role on world scene to be clarified within the next two or three years

www.5d.ru © 1991-2007 Interfax, religion@interfax.ru

The Problem Gambling Community Program purpose is to strengthen the
capacity of communities to respond to the negative impacts of
gambling. The program works in collaboration with Saskatchewan Health
to deliver the public education and community development components
of Saskatchewan’ s problem gambling program.

Bill Ursel
Director

1) Another Take on Netettler

Jacob Sullum offers his perspective on the FBI and Neteller founders
arrested January 2007 . . .

” Although Stephen Lawrence and John Lefebvre are charged with money
laundering, there was nothing sneaky about their “conspiracy. ” In 1999
the two Canadians co-founded Neteller, an online payment processing
company, now based in the Isle of Man, that openly specialized in
serving online gamblers.

The FBI’s investigation of Lawrence and Lefebvre, who were arrested in
January/07 and faced a preliminary hearing in New York the week of
February 14/07, consisted mainly of reading their public statements
and using Neteller to bet on a couple of football games—a vice that in
the (United States) has to rank up there with eating a second slice of
Mom’s apple pie while listening to The Star-Spangled Banner. Yes, the
feds really blew the lid off this publicly traded company that never
made a secret of who its customers were or what it did for them.”

http://tinyurl. com/yvdzzn

2) WTO and Antigua Babble Continues

The World Trade Organization (WTO) has ruled against the US in an
online gambling dispute with the Caribbean island of Antigua and
Barbuda. The US is breaking international trade rules, it is expected
to say.
Though the ruling is still private, Reuters has reported that the WTO
has found the US guilty of not complying with a 2005 order in the case.
A WTO dispute resolution panel found in Antigua’s favour in 2003. The
US appealed but the Appeals Board found largely for Antigua in 2005.
The WTO has now found that the US has not tried hard enough to stick
to that decision.
The US has the opportunity to appeal the latest ruling after it is
published in March.

http://tinyurl. com/2c7fzz

3) March 5 – 11, 2007 Awareness Week

The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) U.S. is pleased to
present the 5th Annual Problem Gambling Awareness Week campaign, a
United States grassroots public awareness and outreach campaign. It
will be held March 5-11, 2007.

The goal of this campaign is to educate the general public and health
care professionals about the warning signs of problem gambling and
raise awareness about the help that is available both locally and
nationally in the United States.

http://tinyurl. com/2bjvho

4) Competition Bureau Letter Gains Support

The United Church of Canada has come out in support of a complaint
filed to the Competition Bureau by a group of individuals decrying
Electronic Gaming Machines.

http://tinyurl. com/yocglu

5) Australian Labour Party and Gambling

Stanley Ho has become one of the biggest donors behind Australia’s
Labor Party, sparking talk of a new casino for Sydney. Ho has donated
$109,000 to the ALP which contests the NSW state election in March
2007. It is alleged that $48,000 of Ho’s backing is to pay for the
casino chief to have lunch with NSW Premier Morris Iemma.
Ho is the biggest player in the casino business globally, owning
sixteen of Macau’s 24 casinos. Until the industry was deregulated in
1999 following China’s takeover of the former-Portuguese province, Ho
owned all the casinos in Macau.

http://tinyurl. com/2befwu

6) Saskatchewan Science Centre Camps

Each year over 2500 children from Saskatchewan (Canada) and beyond
take part in the Science Centre group sleepover program. Once such
program is the `Risk it all Camp-In’. This year, 1,500 children will
participate in the Risk It All Camp-In Grades 5 – 12 . . .What do
gambling and rock climbing have in common? What’s the difference
between games of skill and games of chance? Find out as you explore
the science of risk-taking. Put your understanding of probability,
chance and luck to the test as you participate in games and
challenges. This night is sure to be a rush!

Cost: Free thanks to support from the Community Initiatives Fund,
Problem Gambling Community Grant. This program is reserved for
under-served, rural and at-risk youth.

Ed. Note: Our program (CMHA) supports the important work of the
Science Centre and that of Saskatchewan Health. We are participants
in day long conferences organized by Saskatchewan Health at the Centre
with a focus on youth and risk taking.

http://tinyurl. com/2755yk

PRESS CONFERENCE

WEDNESDAY, 21 FEBRUARY, 2007

Location: The Old Triangle Irish Alehouse
5136 Prince Street, Halifax

Time: 10:30 a.m.

It’s finally here, our official kick off for the VLT Free Campaign. A media alert will be going out this evening, followed by a Press Release tomorrow morning. Please come and join us at The Old Triangle Irish Alehouse for the press conference. It will not last more than a half an hour and we would like to see many friendly faces of support for the campaign. We chose The Old Triangle because they are VLT Free and provide a safe place for addicts and their family and friends to enjoy an evening of good food, drink and/or entertainment without the lure of VLTs to entice play. We hope to see you there.

GENERAL MEETING

WEDNESDAY, 21 FEBRUARY, 2007

Location: St. Matthew’s United Church Hall (on the side)
Barrington Street, (next to Maritime Mall, foot of Spring Garden Road)

Time: 7:00 p.m.

This general meeting will be focusing on the public reaction to the VLT Free Campaign. We will be reviewing the work done to date for our Workshop we are planning for the 28 April, 2007. We can always use help from volunteers who come to the meeting, even if its just to provide feedback on our work to date or provide suggestions for upcoming events.

I have enclosed a copy of the minutes from the last meeting for information purposes and to see the work being done by the group.

If you no longer wish to be on this mailing list, please hit reply and place remove in the subject line.

Have a great day everyone and hope to see you at the Press Conference and General Meeting tomorrow.

Sincerely,

Debbie Langille, Communications
GameOverVLTs.com
(902)477-8363