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 assist in the delivery of the public education and community
development components of Saskatchewan’ s problem gambling program.
120th Edition: British Support for `Net Reform, Antigua and WTO
Challenge and B.C. Lottery Action
1) Selling Sex and Gambling
“Playboy Casino uses the Cryptologic software, which automatically
puts them in the running to be the best online casino. Cryptologic is
the provider that became famous when they introduced the most advanced
games, the Marvel Slots, to the world, and it is also the network
provider of the Millionaire Club Progressive Slot that earlier this
month paid out more than $8 million to an online player.”
It seems that sex and gambling continue to play on mutual marketing
schemes. Has it always been so? Probably, however there comes a time
when pathology and impulse control issues need to be addressed . . .as
in the following case . . .
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has ordered the firm behind
Poker.com to stop advertising online gambling as likely to provide
access to sexual favors . . .
2) `Net Bill Support Across the Pond
Two U.K.-based companies, the UC Group and Baker Tilly Accountants,
recently announced the Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative.
Besides promoting principles of safe, regulated online gambling, the
initiative is also intended to provide information about — and
marshal support for — the Internet Gambling Regulation and
Enforcement Act of 2007 (H.R. 2046) introduced by Rep. Barney Frank
(D-MA) on April 26th.
3) Antigua Continues to Chase Goliath: On Line Betting
Antigua and Barbuda has appealed to other WTO Members to help make it
harder for the US to avoid complying with dispute rulings against
Washington’s restrictions on foreign-based Internet gambling.
WTO dispute panels and the Appellate Body have, in a series of
decisions, agreed with Antigua’s complaint that the US’ multilateral
commitments to liberalize its “recreational services” sector prevent
it from legally shutting its borders to overseas-based internet
gambling operators. The US has insisted that it would continue to
maintain the barriers, prompting Antigua to question the efficacy of
WTO dispute settlement for small economies.
Washington has maintained that it never meant to open its market to
cross-border gambling when scheduling its commitments during the
Uruguay Round, and thus should not be penalized. Therefore, it says
that it need not provide compensation to countries that might one day
be negatively affected by the change, even though GATS Article XXI
requires Members to do so when seeking to alter their commitments. It
has sought to justify its restrictions by arguing that they are
necessary to protect public morals - as permitted by WTO rules under
certain circumstances.
Ed. Note: Is the `morals’ argument a case of the selective U.S.
reading of the WTO legislation being selectively high minded when it
meets narrow U.S. economic needs (with exceptions for various
loopholes wide enough for a prairie plow wind to blow through??)
4) Winning Fair and Square: A Report on the British Columbia Lottery
Corporation’ s Prize Payout Process
Thanks to Steve Christensen for passing on this link . . .noting some
key terms for the reader BCLC (British Columbia Lottery Corporation)
and GPEB (Gaming Policy Enforcement Branch)
I quote from the Ombudsman Kim Carter and the 142-page report:
“As this report demonstrates more still needs to be done to achieve
the fairness, strict accountability and transparency that BCLC itself
says it considers indispensable to its successful operation.
Our findings identify the deficiencies and our 27 recommendations are
designed to set out what needs to be done so that the rightful owners
of winning tickets can be confident that they receive the correct
prize . . .”
“It is always tempting to look for simple solutions. Prohibiting
retailer and retailer employees from playing BCLC lottery games is one
such solution. That, however, would punish the many honest retailers
and retailer employees – the people who responded to our survey and
themselves recommended improvements to the prize payout procedures.
The recommendations we make may seem less dramatic, but are designed
to more
effectively fill the gaps in the current system.”
5) New South Wales Survey: Young Men Challenged
The survey involved 5,000 people. Single men aged between 18 and 24,
who left school at year 10, are most likely to have the biggest
problem according to the survey.
The Chairman of the Responsible Gambling Fund, the Reverend Harry
Herbert, has cautioned against complacency, despite the research
finding the rate of problem gambling has fallen. “Point eight per
cent of the population in New South Wales does amount to more than
40,000 people, so it still remains a serious problem,” he said.
“Two point four per cent of the population, a much larger group have
got serious risks of gambling problems.”
