Gamblor’s World

Casino head scoffs at union’s call for debate
Posted By COREY LAROCQUE , Niagara Falls REVIEW STAFF WRITER, March 30 2009

A “debate” between the Canadian Auto Workers and management of Niagara’s casinos will be lopsided, after Niagara Casinos president Art Frank refused to attend the union-organized event.

continued at

Author: Leslie, Keith
Source: Prince George Citizen
Published Date: Dec 18, 2007

Description:
Ontario Provincial Police are to release the details Wednesday [Dec. 19] on charges they have laid in an alleged multimillion-dollar “insider” lottery win. The charges come months after Ontario’s Ombudsman slammed the Ontario Lottery Corporation for ignoring allegations of widespread fraud by retailers who were winning too many prizes. In his report, Andre Marin accused the corporation of “coddling” ticket sellers and playing “games” with customers who complained they had been cheated of their jackpots.

Author:
Source: Newswire.ca
Published Date: Dec 19, 2007

Description:
The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) is paying a group of co-workers a $5.75 million lottery prize after it was determined that this group purchased a winning ticket in 2004, Kelly McDougald, OLG CEO announced today. “We are glad to be paying the group this prize,” said McDougald. “The OLG conducted its own thorough and independent investigation that confirmed the group’s claim that a winning ticket paid out to someone else several years ago was in fact purchased by them.” The case involves co-workers who bought tickets together in 2004. They contacted the OLG in July 2007 with evidence to support a claim that they purchased the winning ticket for a prize of $5.75 million. OLG referred the case to the OPP. At the same time, OLG conducted its own independent investigation which confirmed the group’s claim that they purchased the ticket.

http://www.responsiblegambling.org/staffsearch/latest_news_articles_details.cfm?intID=11003

By ANTONELLA ARTUSO, QUEEN’S PARK BUREAU CHIEF, Thu, November 22, 2007, Ottawa Sun

TORONTO — The Ontario minister who oversees the lottery corporation says he’s confident it has a handle on the “insider” wins problem.

“It’s a fair game,” Public Infrastructure Minister David Caplan said yesterday.

The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation has disclosed the number of ticket retailers and OLG staff winning $50,000 or more in jackpots has increased since it began cracking down on insider fraud last November.

Over the past year, one in 20 big jackpots went to insiders.

The OLG says it’s just being more vigilant in tracking insiders.

continued at

at http://www.responsiblegambling.org/staffsearch/latest_news_articles.cfm

Legalized gaming and legal games — how much expansion?

Author: Lane, Mark
Source: News-Journal Online.com
Published Date: Nov 16, 2007

Description:
FLORIDA — I’ve been an opponent of casino gambling in Florida from the time anybody first paid me to write opinion. So you might expect I’d be working myself into a churning urn of burning outrage over the state’s gambling pact with the Seminole Tribe of Florida signed Wednesday. And, you’d be wrong. No, no. I still don’t buy the argument that we need casinos to keep Florida tourism competitive. And don’t insult my intelligence by telling me it means free, new money for schools. And please, I still hold back a bitter chuckle when I hear people claim casinos will relieve them of all their tax woes.

2. Anti-gambling lobby battling to reduce pokies

Author: Ihaka, James
Source: New Zealand Herald
Published Date: Nov 15, 2007

Description:
Manukau City is considering a “sinking lid” policy on pokie machines in the city. This week community groups and representatives from The Problem Gambling organisation made oral submissions against pokie machines to the city council. They met opposition from gaming industry representatives who want the cap on pokie venues to be kept at 90 venues. The issue is currently with the council’s policy and activities committee for consideration.

3. Chink of light in pursuit of gaming exclusion review. This secret review must go public.

Author: Booth, Kim
Source: Greens [Australia]
Published Date: Nov 15, 2007

Description:
The Tasmanian Greens today continued in Parliament their pressure for full release of the internal review into gaming self-exclusion secretly conducted by the Liquor and Gaming Branch within the Department of Treasury, saying that this information is vital to ensuring the effectiveness of measures to assist gambling addicts away from pokies. Greens Shadow Gaming spokesperson Kim Booth MHA welcomed news that the review, never publicly announced and first revealed in an obscure part of the Treasury Annual Report, but wants to know whether people who attempted self-exclusion were consulted, what the ambit of the review was, who took part, and what the findings and recommendations comprise.

4. Asia’s gambling capital, Macau, might raise casino entry age to 21

Author:
Source: Bangkok Independent
Published Date: Nov 15, 2007

Description:
Macau’s booming gambling industry was considering how to respond to a proposal by the territory’s leader to increase the legal age for entering casinos from 18 to 21. Millions of young gamblers would be excluded by the new age limit suggested by Chief Executive Edmund Ho while school leavers would be unable to go straight from sixth form to casino jobs. Ho disclosed the plan at a question and answer session with legislators Wednesday [Nov 14], saying the gambling boom in Macau could not continue indefinitely without addressing the “social costs.”

5. N.B. First Nations could face litigation over casino

Author:
Source: CBC News
Published Date: Nov 15, 2007

Description:
Ambitions among New Brunswick First Nations groups to build a casino independent of government will likely meet with litigation as the province defends its legal high ground on gaming issues, experts contend. That is, if the province doesn’t willfully ignore First Nations gambling pursuits to avoid a contentious political showdown. Unimpressed with the Liberal government’s new gambling policy, some First Nations leaders have vowed to pursue a casino on their own outside of government regulations.

6. Casino to benefit from paths blazed by others; decades of success, failures in other provinces will help N.B.’s venture succeed

Author: Robichaud, Jesse
Source: Moncton Times & Transcript
Published Date: Nov 15, 2007

Description:
New Brunswick should benefit from the decades of successes and mistakes experienced across the country since casinos began popping onto the Canadian landscape, says an official with the Manitoba government’s gambling regulator. When Premier Shawn Graham announced last week that the province’s responsible gaming policy would bring gambling in New Brunswick into the 21st century, it was clear that the country’s ninth province to legalize a casino was by no means blazing a pioneer’s trail. However, approaching casino gambling from behind the pack can position the province favourably, says Liz Stephenson, the director of research with the Manitoba Gaming Control Commission.

7. We shouldn’t romanticize this idea of a casino

Author: Llewellyn, Stephen
Source: Fredericton Daily Gleaner
Published Date: Nov 15, 2007

Description:
The alleged economic benefits of a New Brunswick casino don’t add up, says a University of Prince Edward Island political science professor. “There is a tendency to inflate the benefits and revenues and downplay the costs, particularly from a social standpoint,” Peter McKenna said. “I have heard these arguments all before, and none of them are convincing and none are factually correct.” “We shouldn’t romanticize this idea of a casino,” he said. “It is nothing more than a cover to justify bringing in hundreds of VLTs under a single roof.

8. Inspired Gaming increase responsible gaming investment

Author: Lee, Sandy
Source: Casino Wire
Published Date: Nov 15, 2007

Description:
The chairman of Inspired Gaming, Jim O’Halleran, has highlighted the need for gaming companies to increase their contributions to responsible gaming by giving more generous funds to the Responsibility in Gambling Trust (RIGT). The announcement came after Inspired, the largest gaming machines operator in the UK, has increased in its own contribution to the RIGT to £50,000, denying rumours that it was a mere publicity stunt. Inspired see the move as a prime example for other operators to follow.

9. Treasury details Internet gambling ban

Author:
Source: Houston Chronicle
Published Date: Nov 14, 2007

Description:
The Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve continue to finalize a new rule that would put the onus on banks to help crack down on online gambling by U.S. citizens, a Treasury official said Wednesday [Nov. 14]. In prepared remarks, Deputy Assistant Secretary Valerie Abend said banking regulators are focusing their efforts on banks that do business with gambling companies, as well as the interaction between U.S. banks and foreign banks that may be tied to online gambling.

10. US lawmaker raps Internet-gambling enforcement

Author: Kaplan, Peter
Source: Reuters
Published Date: Nov 14, 2007

Description:
The Democratic head of the House Judiciary Committee voiced frustration about what he said are disparities in the enforcement of U.S. Internet gambling laws. Chairman John Conyers questioned “the selective nature” of Internet gambling enforcement and said a ban enacted by lawmakers last year could end up hurting U.S. relations overseas. “Continuing with the same old failed policies for the sake of feel-good politics doesn’t make sense,” Conyers, of Michigan, said at a hearing on the issue.

More articles ….

By ANTONELLA ARTUSO, SUN MEDIA QUEEN’S PARK BUREAU, Sat, November 17, 2007, London Free Press

TORONTO — The official number of insiders winning big in the lottery game has gone up during the year since the Ontario Lottery Corp. began cracking down on potential fraud by ticket retailers.

Thirty-nine insiders — identified as ticket retailers or OLG staff — have claimed prizes of $50,000 or more since last November when the lottery corporation began implementing security measures.

Insiders claimed about one in every 20 jackpots of $50,000 or more between November 2006-07. During that same period a year earlier, there were 28 insiders who took home the big prizes.

OLG spokesperson Teresa Roncon said the organization has begun monitoring winners more closely to determine who is an insider and the rise in official insider wins reflects that greater scrutiny.

“When we started asking more detailed questions, we were able to capture more people as insider winners.”

According to OLG figures, there were 1,949 general winners of prizes of more than $10,000 during the last year, including 72 insider winners. Of those prizes, 1,189 were in the $10,000 to $49,999 range. There were 760 big prizes of more than $50,000 of which 39 went to insiders.

continued at http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/CityandRegion/2007/11/17/4662776-sun.html

Description of show:

“It all started with an unlikely hero, Bob Edmonds of Coboconk, Ontario.

Last year, the fifth estate told you his story: how Edmonds was cheated out of his $250,000 lottery winnings by a store clerk and then was cheated again by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation when they made him go through a four-year court battle to get his money. Bob Edmonds eventually got that money, but his case was not unique.

The story sparked an investigation by Ontario’s Ombudsman, Andre Marin. In two subsequent updates, the fifth estate revealed more problems within the lottery system as well as other suspicious cases, including one Super 7 jackpot worth $12.5 million.

The $12.5 million jackpot

Kathleen Chung didn’t want to talk about the lottery win with the fifth estate.In Twice Lucky, Linden MacIntyre tells the story of that 2003 $12.5 million jackpot and of the young woman, who walked in to the OLG’s offices to claim the prize, gave inconsistent stories to lottery officials and couldn’t remember any details about her ticket. Lottery officials were concerned enough to hold on to the prize money, but failed to do a thorough investigation. When no one else came forward to claim the prize after one year, the OLG paid $12.5 million to someone they suspected of lying.

This case so shocked the Ombudsman that he highlighted it in his report of March, 2007. The next day, the Ontario Minister responsible for lotteries, David Caplan, ordered the OPP to investigate the $12.5 million jackpot as well as other “insider” win cases. So, what has happened since that investigation was ordered? Find out on the fifth estate’s on-going investigation into retailer troubles at the OLG.”

at http://www.cbc.ca/fifth/twicelucky/

Thursday, October 4, 2007 | 1:58 PM ET
CBC News
<The head of Ontario’s Problem Gambling Research Centre is calling for tougher rules to protect players who use the 23,000 slot machines in the province.

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission is currently drafting new standards to address questions about machines that flash jackpot symbols or distort the true odds of winning.

But Rob Simpson of the gambling research centre says the new standards proposed for Ontario’s slot machines allow for cheating and deception and is calling on the commission to toughen the rules to better protect players and potential addicts.

Earlier this year CBC News videotaped slots in action across Ontario and then slowed down the images.

The investigation found that some machines rapidly flashed jackpot symbols at players, symbols barely detectable to the naked eye.>

continued at http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2007/10/04/ont-slots.html?ref=rss

If you are unable to read Newscan, an online version is available at www.responsiblegambling.org/newscan.

Volume 9 Issue 39 September 28th, 2007

In this Issue:
Recent News
Featured Research
Call for Papers, etc.
Upcoming Events

Recent News
University of Iowa report details impact of problem gambling on families
September 21, 2007. Radio Iowa.
Experts: Marketing, life issues lure women into problem gambling
September 23, 2007. Lahontan Valley News and Fallon Eagle Standard.
Brain atrophy in elderly leads to problem gambling
September 24, 2007. Casino City Times.
Mobile gambling market to reach $12bn within 3 years
September 27, 2007. Gaming Intelligence Group.
Gambling addicts to get text help
September 24, 2007. News.com.au.
China uses film to warn against gambling
September 24, 2007. Forbes.com.
More news…
Featured Research
Women problem gamblers want more
Piquette-Tomei, N., Corbin Dwyer, S., Norman, E., McCaslin, E., & Burnet, J. (2007).
The goal of this research was to explore the perceived effectiveness and benefits of a women-only counselling group for problem gambling, the first of its kind in Saskatchewan. The 14 participants in this study were drawn from those attending a weekly treatment group offered through the Regina Qu’Appelle Health Region. The age of the women who volunteered to participate ranged from 26 years to “70-80 years,” with the average age being 46.5 years. These volunteers were interviewed and asked questions about what they perceived as useful about the group process and why they continued to attend. In examining the value of this counselling group, issues regarding the sociocultural context in which these women are gambling were also explored by identifying the needs of this population.

Call for Papers, Grant Proposals, RFPs, and Nominations
Request for Proposal (RFP): Social Impact Study of the Introduction of Salons de Jeux in Quebec City & Trois-Rivières
The new gaming centres, salons de jeux, were proposed in response to restructuring the video lottery (VLTs) network to reduce their exposure and to curb access to the terminals in Québec. Since 2004, Loto-Québec has been pursuing its goal of reducing the number of establishments operating video lottery terminals by at least 31%. The approval given by the Cabinet was to create four gaming centres in the Province of Québec, three of which are to be adjacent to racetracks and one at the Mont-Tremblant Ski Resort.

Of particular interest will be the impact of the salons de jeux upon the following outcomes: Changing gambling behaviors of individuals (e.g., time, frequency, distances traveled, money wagered, lost, etc.), considering a series of potential moderating variables both at the personal (e.g., sex, SES, age, cultural background, etc.) and the community level (e.g., availability of gaming venues, especially VLTs, and prevention resources); Attitudes and perceptions of the salons de jeux over time; Personal and individual health and welfare variables; Financial and economic consequences at the individual and family level; Household/family related issues; Community issues, broadly defined (e.g., crime); Workplace related issues.

Deadline for submissions has been extended to October 15th, 2007.

——————————————————————————–

Grants for Public Health Research on Gambling
The Institute for Research on Pathological Gambling and Related Disorders is pleased to announce the availability of grants of up to $150,000 to support research that will lead to improved preventions and interventions for disordered gambling. Priority areas include (1) interventions for disordered gambling; (2) prevention and responsible gaming practices; (3) gambling among vulnerable and special needs populations; and (4) the proximal determinants that can influence the transition from recreational to disordered gambling.

Deadline for Letter of Intent submissions is October 19th, 2007.

——————————————————————————–

Call for Presentations: Gambling Research Centre AUT and Problem Gambling Foundation of New Zealand: 2008 International Gambling Conference
Gambling remains a major growth industry globally - expanding into new markets, changing and evolving in diverse ways. The costs and benefits of this growth are multiple, complex and difficult to assess. They operate at different levels and are subject to intense political, community and academic debate. The conference in Auckland, New Zealand will be held from February 21st to 23rd, 2008 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. It will examine new and emerging gambling technologies - along with their various impacts and consequences. It will consider measures to prevent and reduce harm associated with gambling. Such measures include government policy and regulation, industry practice, public education, community engagement and advocacy, prevention, early and brief interventions, treatment and rehabilitation. We particularly welcome presentations that focus on innovative practice in any of these areas and research relevant to the enhancement of gambling policy and professional practice.

Deadline for submissions is November 30th, 2007.

Upcoming Events
2007 Responsible Gambling Conference
October 1 - 2, 2007 - Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
International Responsible Gaming Organisation (IRGO) Conference
October 18-19, 2007 - Stockholm, Sweden
8th Annual NCRG Conference on Gambling and Addiction
November 11 – 13, 2007 - Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
National Association for Gambling Studies Conference 2007
November 14 - 16, 2007 - Cairns, Queensland, Australia
4th International Conference on Gaming Industry and Public Welfare
December 1 - 3, 2007 - Shanghai and Macao, China
2008 International Gambling Conference
February 21 - 23, 2008 - Auckland, New Zealand
Tenth Annual Wisconsin Council on Problem Gambling Statewide Conference
March 13 - 14, 2008 - Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA
Responsible Gambling Council Discovery 2008 Conference
April 13 - 16, 2008 - Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

——————————————————————————–
Hope you’ve enjoyed this edition of Newscan. We’ll see you again next week.

Nadine Kauffman
Manager, Information Services
Responsible Gambling Council
www.responsiblegambling.org

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 19, 2007

Gambling Watch Network Reviews Draft

Electronic Gaming Equipment Minimum Technical Standards

- Finds AGCO Has Been Routinely Approving Unfair & Deceptive Slot Machines

FROM: Canada’s Gambling Watch Network

• We now know, through our review of Ontario’s draft Electronic Gaming Equipment Technical Standards, that Electronic Gaming Machines (EGMs), including slot machines, have been routinely approved by the Alcohol & Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) without consideration of Criminal Code provisions and consumer protection principals and legislation. This has lead to the routine approval and operation of unfair, deceptive and fraudulent EGMs - this situation is a scandal and unacceptable.

• The draft standards appear to be a further attempt to legitimize concealed, unfair and deceptive features and processes within EGMs that would otherwise be illegal under the Criminal Code (fraud/cheating at play) and general consumer protection legislation, including the Ontario Consumer Protection Act.

• Sections of the draft standards can be described as a scheme intended to circumvent provisions of the Criminal Code, Competition Act & Ontario Consumer Protection Act.

• Game Fairness objectives that follow consumer protection principals should be included in the new technical standards so these standards can be used to ensure game safety, fairness, honesty and compliance with all Canadian laws.

• Consumers should benefit from the highest level of protection that exists, whether via specialized gaming technical standards or consumer protection legislation, such as the Competition Act and Ontario Consumer Protection Act.

• Gambling Watch demands that the AGCO start enforcing compliance of all laws when it come to approving EGMs, either through new technical standards or separate compliance and enforcement provisions.

• We have advised AGCO to immediately phase out unfair and deceptive EGMs and warn the public that these machines do not meet consumer protection standards.

• We have advised AGCO that all games with suspected “subliminal inducements” should be immediately shut down, regardless if these inducements are shown to work or not, since they are intended to deceive and are not in the public’s best interest.

• Open questions to all provincial political parties: “How will you manage this new lottery (slot fraud) scandal? How will you ensure EGMs comply with the Ontario Consumer Protection Act and other relevant legislation?

Full copies of Gambling Watch’s comments on the draft Ontario Electronic Gaming Equipment Minimum Technical Standards are available upon request.

PRESS CONTACTS:

Brian Yealland

yealland@post.queensu.ca
Spokesperson

Canada’s Gambling Watch Network
Roger Horbay

rogerh@gameplanit.com
Gambling Technology Advisor to

Canada’s Gambling Watch Network

###