PEI - “(NB) Don’t make same mistake as PEI”
Don’t make same mistake as PEI
Telegraph-Journal, May 17. 2007
I have just read the comments by Ross Galbraith about problem gambling measures and self-exclusion practices at the Charlottetown racino. Contrary to Mr. Galbraith’s remarks, these measures are a complete sham, and are specifically designed to fail.
Counsellors in Charlottetown have been instructed not to intervene in situations where people are obviously spending far too much money. They will only do so if that person approaches them first. Good luck with that!
As for self-exclusion, I just updated the P.E.I. chapter in my book on VLTs in Atlantic Canada to include an incident involving an intellectually challenged individual.
This person had lost thousands of dollars, most of it stolen from his place of work, while playing the 200 VLTs at the racino. When his legal guardian found out about this, he called the racino to have him banned from the premises.
But they refused to do so, saying that the individual in question would have to come in and ask to be banned. Eventually, after the story hit the front pages of newspapers on P.E.I, the racino people relented. Did they not know full well that this person should not be sitting for long hours in front of those machines? But no such intervention by counsellors ever took place.
So not only are responsible gaming strategies a cruel hoax, the racino itself in Charlottetown is costing taxpayers more than $5 million annually (in losses and purse pools subsidy). Why would the people of New Brunswick want to make the same mistake as Islanders?
PETER MCKENNA
Associate Professor, Department of Political Studies University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown.
