NS - “Report shows casinos not doing job gambling addict says - Casinos fail to bar problem gamblers: ombudsman”
Last Updated: Thursday, May 3, 2007 | 5:59 PM AT, CBC News
A Sydney man who says his compulsive gambling cost him $500,000 and his marriage hopes a new report forces Nova Scotia’s two casinos to do a better job of dealing with problem gamblers.
Paul Burrell, who says he’s planning a lawsuit, filed a complaint against the Sydney casino last year, claiming staff stood by and watched as he gambled away his life savings.
He claimed casino workers did not fulfil their legal obligation to identify and bar people who appear to have a gambling problem.
The provincial ombudsman reviewed his complaint and late last month sent an interim report to Burrell and the other parties involved.
The report, obtained by CBC News, says casino staff are not enforcing that regulation and are relying instead on individuals to identify themselves to staff as having a problem.
Burrell, who is hoping the province will refund his losses and apologize, says true gambling addicts are unlikely to admit they have a problem, and if casino staff had done their job and barred him, his life would likely be very different today.
“It would have saved my marriage. It would have prevented me from gambling the monies that I did,” he told CBC News Thursday.
Burrell, who estimates he lost about $500,000 over three years, admits it would not have been easy to be told to stay away from the casino.
“I probably would have been mad because I was addicted, but there’s an obligation,” he said.
The ombudsman’s report recommends additional training for staff to identify problem gamblers, and urges the Department of Environment and Labour, which enforces alcohol and gaming regulations, to monitor the situation.
The parties have until the end of May to respond to the ombudsman’s “consultative report.”
A spokesperson for the Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation would not comment specifically on Burrell’s case, but said staff are extensively trained in how to spot problem gamblers, and resource staff at both casinos are available to help people who feel they have a problem.
