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In a rare move, the provincial government has admitted shit’s not working. The Liberals announced today they’re removing the My-Play system from video lottery terminals after finding the program to reduce problem gambling wasn’t meeting objectives.
“It did not reduce play by people with gambling addictions, and in fact, the vast majority of play sessions didn’t even use the main features of the product,” Andrew Younger, the minister responsible for Part I of the Gaming Control Act, writes in a press release.
The My-Play cards became mandatory two years ago in an effort by the NDP government to give gamblers information about their current and past VLT activities, thus allowing them to make informed decisions about their play. Much in the same way NLSC receipts help alcoholics think twice about buying more whiskey, or emptying ash trays stops smoking.
Besides being intrinsically doomed to fail, the cards had other flaws. There was nothing stopping gamblers from setting high limits on their accounts, nor anything to prevent them from signing up for several different My-Play cards. At its launch, the program was expected to cost Nova Scotia between $4 and $5 million each year.
“Our priority is to ensure a responsible, accountable and sustainable approach to gaming in the province and we will continue to operate in this manner,” Younger says in his release, while providing few details about what could replace the My-Card system.
“Sustainability” in gambling is tricky, of course. On one side, you have the $127 million gambling brings to the province (with VLTs generating $113 million in revenue alone). On the other hand, people struggling with addiction, spending away every penny they have.
According to a series by King’s Investigative Workshop, you’re four times more likely to find a VLT in your neighbourhood if you’re living in an area of the municipality with the lowest average incomes.There’s currently close to 2,200 active VLT terminals throughout the province.
The My-Card system will move to a voluntary model starting Friday, eventually be disabled come September.
This article appears in Aug 14-20, 2014.
Maybe instead of wasting 5 million more in prevention they could find a way to return that money to the people
I’ve always had the view that people need to be able to control themselves. Gambling is the same as murder. Just because you can walk out the door and stab someone doesn’t mean you should. It’s personal responsibility