YOU BET YOUR LIFE
MORE:
A History of Gambling in Canada
Gambling in Canada Today
Gambling Revenue in Canada
Gambling and Suicide
Do You Have a Gambling Problem? 
Gambling and the Public Consultation in Nova Scotia
Resources
A HISTORY OF GAMBLING IN CANADA:
1892: The Canadian Criminal Code declares a complete
ban on all gambling activities.
1900: Charitable gambling such as bingos and
raffles is allowed.
1910: Horse betting
is allowed.
1925: Gambling events
at agricultural fairs and exhibitions are allowed.
1954: A joint committee
of the Senate and House of Commons holds public hearings
on lotteries. Several private members bills during
the 1960s try to legalize lotteries but are unsuccessful.
1969: The Criminal
Code is amended to allow for provincial government-run
ticket lotteries and sweepstakes.
1974: The first
national lottery is held to raise money for the Montreal
Olympics. (See a story about it in CBC's
archives)
1980: Canada's
first year-round charitable casino, "Cash Casino", opens
in Calgary.
1985: Provincial governments are permitted to "conduct
and manage" computer/video gaming devices such
as video lottery terminals (VLTs) and slot machines.
1989: Canada's
first year-round commercial casino, "Crystal
Casino", opens in Winnipeg.
1990: New Brunswick
is the first province to introduce VLTs. The gambling
machines are allowed in licensed and non-licensed establishments,
such as corner stores, bowling alleys and taxi stands.
1991-1993: All provinces except Ontario and British
Columbia introduce VLTs. In some provinces they are
restricted to licensed establishments only.
1995: Manitoba,
Alberta and Saskatchewan are the first provinces to
put a cap on the number of VLTs.
1997/98: Thirty-seven
communities in Alberta have plebiscites on VLTs. Nine
vote to remove the machines, but in seven communities
court challenges by bar and restaurant owners prevent
the removal until 2003.
2001: New Brunswick has a province-wide referendum
on VLTs. By a small margin, people vote they stay.
2001: In Canada,
there are:
- 38,652 VLTs at 8309 locations
- 31,537 slot
machines
- 32,932 lottery ticket centres
- 1,880 bingo
hall permits
- 59 permanent casinos
- 70 race tracks
(20 are "racinos", race
tracks with slot machines)
- 107 betting teletheatres.
2003: Senator Jean
LaPointe introduces a bill that would amend the Criminal
Code to restrict video lottery terminals to designated
gaming facilities (casino, race tracks) and remove
them from other licensed establishments (bar, restaurants).
2002-2004: Eighteen
new casinos and "racinos" are
built across the country. At least four more are scheduled
to open in 2006.
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GAMBLING IN CANADA TODAY
Donald Swinimer
from Nova Scotia stole and lied to feed
his addiction to VLTs. When he received
his family's tax refund cheque for $825
he went straight to a VLT. |
In 2002 Canadians spent $11.3 billion gambling;
in 1992 it was $2.7 billion.
Average gambling
expenditure per person 18 and over in 2002 ranged
from $103 in the three territories to $620 in
Alberta, with a national average of $483.
In 2002,
about 18.9 million Canadians gambled (two-thirds
of Canadians). Of these:
17.7 million were non problem
gamblers.
1.2 million
(5% of the adult population) had the potential
to become problem gamblers or were already,
- 700,000
were at risk for a gambling problem,
- 370,000
had a moderate gambling problems,
- 120,000
had a severe gambling problem.
One in four people who play VLTs are at risk or
already problem gamblers.
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GAMBLING
REVENUE IN CANADA
Net revenue from government-run lotteries, video
lottery terminals (VLTs), and casinos rose from $3.2
billion in 1993 to $11.8 billion in 2003. Of this $11.8
billion, $6.5 billion was profit.
In 2003, lotteries accounted for 25% of all net non-charity
gambling revenue, casinos 33%, VLTs 23%, and slot
machines not in casinos 19%.
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GAMBLING AND SUICIDE
DO YOU HAVE A GAMBLING PROBLEM?
Read a twenty question survey written
by Gambler's Anonymous. |
The Canadian Community Health
Survey - Mental Health and Well-being (2002)
found that a significantly higher proportion of problem
gamblers than non-problem gamblers had contemplated
suicide in the past year (18% versus 3%).
In June 2003 at the Intergovernmental Conference
of Chief Coroners and Chief Medical Examiners of Canada
in Iqaluit, coroners and medical examiners from all
provinces agreed to track suicides where gambling was
a possible contributing stressor.
Most suicide investigations reveal gambling as a
contributing stressor through a suicide note, the victim’s
family, police, or financial records.
See
province
by province statistics on gambling-related
suicides.
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GAMBLING AND THE PUBLIC CONSULTATION
IN NOVA SCOTIA
Rodney MacDonald is
the Minister of Health Promotion in Nova
Scotia. His portfolio includes addiction
prevention. |
Earlier this year the Nova Scotia's Office of Health
Promotion launched a public consultation on a new gaming
strategy for the province, and solicited input from
the public through its discussion paper, New
Directions for Gaming in Nova Scotia-Vision, Challenges
and Principles.
In response, the province's directors of addiction
services released a letter that is highly critical
of the government's initiative and warns of the serious
health and social implications of pathological gambling
for the people of Nova Scotia. Read the letter (.pdf
file)
If you need
Acrobat Reader, download it HERE.
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RESOURCES
Help for problem gambling:
British
Columbia Partnership for Responsible Gaming
Alberta
Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission
Saskatchewan
Health Problem Gambling Program
Addictions
Foundation of Manitoba
Ontario
Problem Gambling Helpline
Santé and
Services Sociaux Québec,
Pathological Gambling
New
Brunswick Health and Wellness, Addiction Services
Nova
Scotia Office of Health Promotion, Problem Gambling Services
Prince
Edward Island Gambling Addiction Services
Newfoundland & Labrador,
Addictions Services
Gamblers Anonymous
Information on gambling addiction:
Alberta Gaming Research Institute (Dr. Garry Smith)
University
of Calgary Addictive Behaviours Laboratory (Dr.
David Hodgins)
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health,
Journal of Gambling Issues
Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse
Ontario Problem Gambling Research Centre
International
Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviours (Dr. Jeff Derevensky)
Problem Gambling Resources Network Alberta
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