Study finds link between problem gambling and abundance of V

Michelle Macafee Canadian Press March 23, 2005 WINNIPEG (CP) - The combination of casinos and video-lottery terminals is proving an overpowering duo in several provinces, says a new study that suggests a link between accessibility and problem gambling. The study, published this week in the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, has found provinces that have casinos and large numbers of VLTs per capita also have some of Canada's highest rates of problem gambling. Brian Cox, a psychiatry professor at the University of Manitoba and the study's lead researcher, said the project is the first of its kind to break down data on a province-by-province basis and said it should be a wake-up call to governments hooked on gambling revenue. "We're hearing a lot of government policies that sound more like a marketing strategy," said Cox, who also holds the Canada Research Chair in Mood and Anxiety Disorders. "But we don't hear a lot from the mental-health side." The study found Manitoba and Saskatchewan had Canada's highest problem gambling rates, at 2.9 per cent each. Cox said both have easily accessible casinos in major urban centres as well as some of the highest VLT rates per capita in the country. By contrast, New Brunswick, which does not have a casino, was the lowest ranked province for problem gambling at 1.5 per cent, despite the fact it has the third-highest number of VLTs. Cox, who based his study on a 2002 Statistics Canada mental-health survey and published reports by consulting firm KPMG and the Canada West Foundation, said location seemed to be another factor. Quebec has both casinos and VLTs, but the Montreal casino is located on an island used for Expo '67 and is less accessible for spontaneous gambling than casinos in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. "One is 'a destination casino' and the others have become part of the tapestry of society where people work and shop every day," said Cox. In this week's provincial budget, the Newfoundland and Labrador government committed to reduce its 2,700 VLTs by 15 per cent to counter problem gambling. Manitoba Lotteries Minister Scott Smith said his government has no plans to follow suit but is committed to addressing addiction. Betting revenue is up in the province, due in large part to replacement VLTs installed last summer to help reverse the downturn in play linked to a provincial smoking ban. Manitoba Lotteries Corp. also recently announced plans to spend $5 million this year on 400 new slot machines to replace a portion of the existing ones at two casinos. But Smith said the government has set aside $10 million over the next five years for problem gambling research and programs. "We're addressing the issue," said Smith. "We're not looking at cutting back on VLTs. What we're looking at is the proper research by professionals." Smith noted other studies have found Manitoba has a comparatively low rate of problem gambling. The Toronto-based Responsible Gaming Council said it's not surprised by Cox's findings. However, it cautions against making a direct link between accessibility and gambling addiction. "Accessibility is just one of many factors," said Jamie Wiebe, director of research for the non-profit organization. "I don't think you can naturally assume that if you put a casino somewhere there are going to be more problems." She said it's also important to know how much gamblers are spending, where the VLTs are located and the impact of advertising. © The Canadian Press 2005