Researchers at the University of Manitoba are calling on governments to remove video lottery terminals from all bars, restaurants, lounges and branches of the Royal Canadian Legion.

A study, published this week in the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, looked at the gambling habits of Canadian women 15 years of age and older. Playing VLTs in bars and restaurants was associated with the highest odds of problem gambling among women, according to researchers.

'The best way to reduce problem gambling is to reduce the availability and accessibility of VLTs.'—Tracie Afifi, lead researcher

Easy access to the machines is to blame, suggests the study, performed by researchers in the departments of community health sciences and psychiatry at the University of Manitoba.

"The best way to reduce problem gambling is to reduce the availability and accessibility of VLTs," said Tracie Afifi, lead researcher.

She acknowledged that may be difficult because provinces have become accustomed to the revenue.

"VLTs generate the largest profits, compared with other types of gambling," Afifi said. "But we are hopeful that people realize that there is an important need to reduce problem gambling because it's a very important public health and community health issue."

Crown corporations manage legal gambling operations that put them in contrasting roles of maximizing profits and protecting and promoting public health at the same time, Afifi noted.

Reduce access

Instead of going cold turkey, Afifi recommends governments wean themselves from the profits and ease gamblers from the machines by reducing the hours that VLTs are allowed to operate, regardless of how long an establishment is open.

"The costs associated with gambling are so large for the individual family and community so it's a really important thing to think about," she said. "If we really want to reduce and prevent problem gambling we need to make big steps like these ones that we're suggesting."

Recommendations in the study include:

• Developing a plan to remove and prohibit all VLTs from bars, restaurants, lounges and Legions.
• Reducing the hours of operation of VLTs regardless of the hours of operation of the establishment.
• Creating awareness campaigns specifically addressing problem gambling among women.
• Developing prevention programs and help women self-manage their gambling behaviour.

No changes in Saskatchewan

The Manitoba study caught the notice of officials in the neighbouring province of Saskatchewan, but they are unmoved by the recommendation to pull VLTs out of bars and restaurants.

"That isn't under consideration," Christine Tell, the minister responsible for the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority, told CBC News Wednesday. "The site operators of the VLTs —let's say in the bars and lounges and that type of thing — they are now required to undergo training to identify people who have problems with gambling."

Tell added that the financial value of the gaming machines is important to the province and the hotels and bars that share in the profits.

"The reason why a lot of these … rural areas have VLTs was because they were struggling and they were having a tough time making it," Tell said. "So having the VLTs in there brought customers in there, which was in reality a lifeline."

Tell added that Saskatchewan is reviewing treatment programs for gambling addicts to determine which are effective.