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.
Author:
Source: Monsters and Critics News
Published Date: Dec 13, 2007
Description:
The north-eastern Spanish region of Aragon has announced plans to build the world’s biggest casino complex after Las Vegas. The complex of 32 casinos, five theme or amusement parks and other forms of entertainment will be created in an area measuring more than 2,000 hectares in Los Monegros desert, where the regional authorities have pledged to bring water, electricity, roads and other infrastructure.
JUST THE FACTS, Jan 05, 2008 04:30 AM, Jim Byers, Toronto Star
“Millions of visitors - and their precious life savings - would seem to agree. Macau last year surpassed its gaudy mentor, Las Vegas, in terms of casino revenues by bringing in almost $7 billion (Cdn), a 22 per cent hike from 2005.
There are an estimated 4,000 gaming tables in this former Portuguese colony. Some expect that number to jump to 9,000 in the next three years as casinos spread like wildfire, especially on the landfill that links the former islands of Taipa and Coloane south of the main section of Macau.
……..
Oct 16 2007, Abbotsford News
Abbotsford’s mayor and council were last night expected to make a decision on a bid to install up to 125 slot machines in the city’s bingo hall.
Five weeks after a public hearing which attracted more than 400 people, the application by the Abbotsford Bingo Association and Playtime Community Gaming Centres Inc. was on yesterday evening’s regular council agenda.
At the September public hearing, more than two-thirds of those who spoke voiced support for the plan.
There has been a greater time lapse than usual between a public hearing and a council vote, due to a decision by Abbotsford Mayor George Ferguson to only discuss the matter when all council members were present.
Last night’s meeting, which occurred after press deadline, was the first opportunity to do that.
The application, if approved, would see the bingo hall on Peardonville Road revamped into a community gaming centre. It would initially include 50 slot machines, a number which could grow to 125 depending on their popularity.
Operators of the Abbotsford bingo hall say the facility will close without the additional cash. Last year, the business handed $2.3 million in revenue to local community groups.
Copyright © 2007 Abbotsford News, A Division of Black Press Group Ltd.
Listowner 0pinion - this is a very misguided decision. How much harm is going to be created in Abbotsford due to 50 or 125 slot machines being installed in a moribund bingo hall? How much is the gambling harm going to end up costing Abbotsford? Is there help for problem gamblers in place in Abbotsford now? Are there provisions to offer help for problem gamblers and their families in Abbotsford once this decision is passed?
Lots of questions. As much research with regards to the introduction of gambling, especially slots, into a community - the economic benefits often pale compared to the costs in terms of community well-being. While the introduction of gambling into a community is often promoted as an economic boom, this is seldom the case in actuality, according to existing research in this field. It is a politician’s answer to generating revenues without consideration of the possible and potential harm that is created in communities with slots and a very short-term economic solution - superficial - rather than providing long-term economic development that benefits the community without creating harm.
The creation of community gambling centres out of dying bingo halls is occuring throughout BC - I would be very wary of this development. Research indicates that the community costs of slots end up to be way more than the revenues generated in terms of fraud, family dissolution and break-up, harm to children, etc. etc.
By MICHAEL WALSH,
Capital Gazette
Published October 14, 2007
WASHINGTON - Slot machines, like the ones Gov. Martin O’Malley wants to
bring to Maryland, are “rigged” and designed to create addiction, said the
National Coalition Against Gambling Expansion on Friday. “The aim of these
technologies is to get people to play longer, faster and
more intensely,” said Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor
Natasha Schull.
Schull spoke at a news conference at the National Press Club in Washington,
introducing her research showing electronic gambling machines to be
habit-forming as part of a wider effort by the coalition to arrest the tide
toward gambling expansion.
continued at http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2007/10_14-55/TOP
Will Also Highlight Gambling Industry’s Drive to Transform States Into
‘Casino Republics’
WASHINGTON, Oct. 10 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The following was
released today by the National Coalition Against Gambling Expansion:
WHAT: At a time when casino gambling is one of the hottest issues in
many state capitols across the nation, the National Coalition
Against Gambling Expansion will call on federal leaders to apply
existing trade and consumer laws to slot machines, something they
say is not happening at the state level because state officials
have become too dependent upon gambling profits to pay for public
services. NCAGE will also highlight how the casino industry is
subverting the democratic process in these states to push slots
into communities with little transparency and public input.
NCAGE is a national coalition representing over 26 million in all
50 states concerned about the public health, economic and social
impacts of promoting casino gambling in nearby locales.
WHO: MIT Professor Dr. Natasha Schull, author of Machine Life:
Control and Compulsion in Las Vegas, to be published by Princeton
University Press in 2008
Roger Horbay, President of Game Planit Interactive Corp, a
recognized expert in the field of Electronic Gaming and
Electronic Gaming Machines and how the technology contributes to
the development and maintenance of pathological gambling
http://www.gameplanit.com/
Tim Potts, cofounder of Democracy Rising Pennsylvania, a group
formed in August 2004 as a direct response to the
unconstitutional enactment of the law that made Pennsylvania the
slot machine capital of the East Coast
http://www.democracyrisingpa.com/
Daniel Hunter, Executive Director of Casino-Free Philadelphia,
an organization opposing casino development in Philadelphia
neighborhoods
http://www.casinofreephila.org/
WHEN: Friday, October 12th at 10 a.m.
WHERE: The National Press Club, Zenger Room, 529 14th Street NW,
Washington, DC
SOURCE National Coalition Against Gambling Expansion
——————————————————————————–
Link to this page:
back to top
Related links:
http://www.casinofreephila.org/
http://www.democracyrisingpa.com/
http://www.gameplanit.com/
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
http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=31ab9521-fc57-44b5-9bd3-6f421d08cd5a
Glenda Luymes, The Province, Thursday, September 27, 2007
A few days before a contentious vote by city council, a telephone poll has found about half of Abbotsford’s residents against adding slot machines to the local bingo hall.
The debate has split the largely conservative Fraser Valley community, just as it split councillors, who originally voted 5-3 to approve first reading of the motion.
Two weeks ago, 500 people packed a public hearing on the issue, as many charities spoke in favour of the slots and the revenue they’d receive from them.
In response, a small group calling itself Abbotsford Families United commissioned the poll by Winnipeg-based NRG Group. It surveyed 300 Abbotsford voters between Sept. 21 and 24.
When asked, “Do you think city council should accept the proposal to install up to 125 slot machines in the bingo hall, or reject it?” 49 per cent of respondents said council should reject it and 40 per cent said council should accept it. Ten per cent were undecided.
“I think city council needs to hold a referendum or vote no to the proposal,” said Tricia Kolsto with Abbotsford Families United.
Kolsto pointed to studies that show gambling can increase a community’s crime rate and lead to more addiction and bankruptcy.
Continued ….
The full case is at
Whether Mr Foroughi is a pathological gambler
105 Mr Foroughi called evidence from Mr Ross Colquhoun, a clinical psychologist, to support his case. Mr Colquhoun saw Mr Foroughi on 2 and 9 November 2006 and, with the assistance of a colleague, took a history and administered a series of psychological tests.
106 Mr Colquhoun concluded that Mr Foroughi met the diagnostic criteria for pathological gambling stipulated in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed text revision, American Psychiatric Association Washington, 2000) (”DSM-IV”).
107 Mr Colquhoun went on to say that the essential feature of pathological gambling is persistent and recurrent maladaptive gambling behaviour that negatively affects personal, family and vocational functioning. In his view, Mr Foroughi suffers from this disorder, which he said is synonymous with other addictions. He stated that neuroscientific evidence indicates that, over time, pathological gamblers suffer from long-lasting structural changes to the brain with reduced capacity to make rational decisions to cease gambling.
108 Star City’s expert psychologist, Professor Blaszczynski was, until recently, the Head of the Department of Medical Psychology at Westmead Hospital . Since December 2006 he has been a full time academic, holding the Chair in Psychology at the University of Sydney . His curriculum vitae reveals a high level of specialised knowledge in the area of problem gambling in which he has written and worked extensively.
109 Professor Blaszczynski agreed that the essential feature of pathological gambling is persistent and recurrent maladaptive gambling behaviour. He also agreed that Mr Foroughi demonstrated five of the ten diagnostic criteria for pathological gambling under DSM-IV, a number consistent with the disorder’s diagnosis.
110 Although Mr Foroughi met five of the formal criteria stated in DSM-IV, Professor Blaszczynski expressed the clinical opinion that he is more correctly described as a problem gambler than a pathological gambler. Professor Blaszczynski came to this view principally because Mr Foroughi did not exhibit an important feature accepted as indicating impaired control, namely repeated unsuccessful efforts to control, cut back or cease gambling. Professor Blaszczynski expanded on his views in a second report dated 21 August 2006.
111 In my view, Professor Blaszczynski’s opinion is amply supported by the evidence. In particular:
• Mr Foroughi agreed that he told Professor Blaszczynski that he did not make any repeated genuine or concerted efforts to address his gambling problem.
• Mr Foroughi was given a package of information listing problem gambling services that were available at the time when the exclusion order was made yet he did not go to any of those services.
• Mr Foroughi understood on 18 May 2004 that he was undertaking to the casino to seek the assistance of a qualified gambling counsellor but he did not do so. He accepted that, apart from seeking expert evidence for these proceedings, he did not seek the assistance of a recognised and qualified problem gambling counsellor.
112 Senior counsel for Mr Foroughi made a strenuous attack upon Professor Blaszczynski’s evidence. He suggested that Professor Blaszczynski should have treated Mr Foroughi ’s prayers to cease gambling as indicating active steps to overcome his gambling problems. In my opinion, Professor Blaszczynski was correct to reject this suggestion.
113 Professor Blaszczynski concluded that Mr Foroughi ’s gambling was not motivated by a desire to escape problems or relieve dysphoric moods; his gambling was motivated by excitement and a desire to win, not to prevent or reduce distress or some dreaded event.
114 These conclusions were supported by statements made by Mr Foroughi to Professor Blaszczynski. In particular, Mr Foroughi told Professor Blaszczynski that he was motivated to gamble because he found the activity exciting and it provided him with an opportunity to win and recoup losses.
115 Professor Blaszczynski was an impressive witness and I accept his evidence in preference to the views of Mr Colquhoun. Whilst I thought Mr Colquhoun was doing his best to assist the Court, I have taken into account the relative experience and learning of both expert witnesses.
116 Professor Blaszczynski’s curriculum vitae contains a compelling statement of his expertise. He has received awards for his contributions to research on pathological gambling, as well as a large number of grants to carry out studies in this field. He has also published widely in the area.
117 I reject Mr Laughton’s attack on Professor Blaszczynski that “there is no evidence of the extent of his clinical experience.” The Professor’s curriculum vitae is ample testament to his clinical experience.
118 Indeed, Mr Colquhoun’s experience in the field of problem gambling is relatively slight. He says his expertise is in “addictions generally” with a main focus on drugs and alcohol. There is little in his curriculum vitae that specifically relates to problem or pathological gambling. His experience appears to be limited to some work he did in the area of gambling for the Department of Corrective Services approximately 10 years ago and in oral evidence he stated:
“I have seen a number of gamblers over time and treated them…and I’ve written a number of reports…mainly regarding the criminal activity attached to gambling.”
119 Even if I were to accept that Mr Foroughi is a pathological gambler, Professor Blaszczynski’s evidence is that such persons can exercise control and limit or cease gambling if they choose to do so. I accept this opinion which is supported by Mr Foroughi ’s own evidence that he felt able to keep away from the casino without professional assistance and, indeed, that he had been able to do so for a period of six months prior to seeing Mr Colquhoun.
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=51194741-817c-4678-af62-1b9436bb45fc
Plans also call for live entertainment, poker room at View Royal facility
Bill Cleverley and Louise Dickson, Times Colonist, Friday, September 28, 2007
The Great Canadian Casino in View Royal is planning a significant expansion that would see it almost double its floor space, build a lounge for live entertainment and add a teletheatre where patrons could watch sporting events and bet on live horse races.
But whether it will get municipal council’s approval to serve alcohol throughout the building — even on the gaming floor — is anyone’s bet.
“We are proposing a full-service lounge in which I believe we will get liquor approval. Obviously, we would like to be able to get liquor approval throughout the entire facility as we have with our other properties in Richmond and Coquitlam,” said Howard Blank, Great Canadian’s vice-president of media and entertainment.
Indeed, Blank says the expanded casino would be patterned after the successful River Rock Casino in Richmond.
But any proposal to serve liquor on the gaming floor would be “hotly debated” by municipal council, View Royal Mayor Graham Hill said yesterday. Council needs to sign off on the expansion before it can go ahead.
“Council has a good regard for the GCC and the way they run their business. … The lottery corporation has a messaging campaign that says ‘play within your limits.’ I know that members of council have a sense that liquor on the gaming floor could interfere with judgment.”
continued ….
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