Kent Glowinski said alcohol increased his urge to gamble. (CBC)The Lac Leamy casino in Gatineau, Que., is being investigated by police over allegations that it lets people enter while drunk and serves alcohol to intoxicated patrons, contrary to Quebec laws.

Gatineau police confirmed this week they are looking into a complaint from Ottawa resident Kent Glowinski, which was forwarded by Quebec's gambling regulator, la Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux du Québec.

Glowinski, who is a lawyer, alleged the provincially owned casino's approach to alcohol is resulting in customers like him "making irresponsible and unintended decisions and losing severe amounts of money and suffering harm."

"If the casino had been like another bar, just any other bar in Quebec doing this, it would have been shut down by now," Glowinski told CBCNews.ca on Tuesday. "A lot of people are being harmed by this."

He said he lost $80,000 at the casino between 2007 and 2009.

The regulator received the original complaint last January from Glowinski, 31, who described himself as a "diagnosed pathological gambler" but told CBC he has not been to the casino since Dec. 24, 2008.

Gatineau police declined to comment on the case, other than to say that as a result of the investigation, the file could be passed on to a Crown prosecutor to determine if there are grounds for charges. The provincial regulator could pull the casino's liquor licence.

The Lac Leamy casino declined to comment publicly on the allegations.

Glowinski alleged the Lac Leamy casino in Gatineau gave him free drinks when he was intoxicated. (CBC)No charges have been laid and the allegations have not been proven in court.

Glowinski alleged in a witness statement filed Nov. 18 that he was repeatedly served alcohol when he was already intoxicated and given free alcoholic beverages by Loto-Québec, which runs the casino. Alcohol is not permitted in the gambling areas, but there are several bars in the building.

"As a result of the overservice of alcohol, free drinks and permission to enter the casino, I lost over $80,000 (Canadian dollars) between 2007 and 2009," wrote Glowinski, who added that alcohol increased his urge to gamble.

Glowinski alleged the casino is acting contrary to provincial laws that:

• Forbid establishments to serve alcohol to clients who are already inebriated.
• Refuse entry to casinos to clients who are impaired by alcohol.

The English version of the regulations concerning casino entry says a person "may be refused admission" if he is under the influence of alcohol. However, the French version says entry "is refused to every person" under the influence of alcohol.

Glowinski also launched a $700,000 civil suit in January against Loto-Québec, which runs the casino.