The study called for an immediate moratorium on the number of VLTs and the number of sites where on can play video lottery terminals. Loto-Quebec agreed at that time to cap the number of machines at 15,000.

In January of 2001, la Societe national du chevals de courses, (SONACC) requested 1250 slot machines for the Hippodrome de Montreal. It is my opinion that placing slot machines at the Hippodrome would defeat the purpose of a moratorium on VLTs. Slot machines are only permitted in casinos It is believed by some that slot machines are less addictive than VLTs, but the main reason for that difference is that slots have been less readily accessible to the general public. However, as soon as you place 1250 slot machines in a building on Decarie Boulevard where there is a huge parking lot and a Metro station on the corner, you neutralize that difference. SONNAC will argue that Ontario racetracks all have slot machines, but it is important to realize that Ontario never allowed VLTs. In Ontario, the only facility where one can play machines aside from casinos is at a racetrack. To allow the Hippodrome to have slot machines would be the equivalent of opening a new casino in Montreal. It is my belief, as well as many researchers and academics, that it is time to call a halt to gambling expansion. With the tremendous opportunities to gamble at present, we need to examine the social impact on society. If one continuously inflates a balloon it will eventually burst. One needs to stop and examine the situation, present and future, before adding more gambling venues. With a cap on VLTs it would be counter-productive to install more slot machines in locations outside of the casino.

We also have difficulty with the fact that both the Hippodrome and the Casino de Montreal are extremely lax in their observance of the law that people under the age of 18 be allowed on the premises. Research done by both McGill and Laval universities reveal that adolescents are developing gambling problems at as high as four times the rate of adults. It is of paramount importance that underage gambling be curtailed. . In the United States the casinos "card" everybody under twenty-seven. This is in part because they care but also because American casinos are hit with fines in the millions of dollars by a regulatory commission. Perhaps it is time that the casinos of Quebec start being heavily fined every time a minor is found on the premises. The money could be given to non-government non profit agencies that deal with child abuse, child hunger, food banks etc. The personnel at Montreal Casino, whose responsibility it is to monitor the entrance and assure that minors do not enter, are clearly not doing their job.

La Regie des Alcools des courses et des Jeux has a mandate to govern and supervise amusement machines, video lotteries and government casinos. They are responsible for issuing, suspending and revoking the permits of alcoholic beverage retailers and casinos. They need to be adequately funded to allow a team of inspectors to visit the casino, the Hippodrome and the countless bars, pool halls and bowling alleys where under-age patrons play VLTs. The casino should not be immune from prosecution for breaking the law. Perhaps a law could be enacted that would charge the offending underage gambler with trespassing and render their chips worthless and confiscated. Maybe then Casino de Montreal would not be known all over the Eastern United States as "easy to get into". It should be the responsibility of casino security to check the ID of anyone under 25. That would eliminate their excuse that 16 and 17 year olds sometimes appear older than they are.

There is a need for a massive advertising campaign warning of the dangers connected to gambling. While millions of dollars are spent each year by Loto-Quebec advertising their product with seductive suggestions that anyone can become a millionaire by playing the lottery, very little money is spent on preventative advertising. Loto-Quebec is running a series of ads stating "Let the game remain a game." It is my feeling that this slogan is grossly ineffective. The government has forced tobacco companies to put extremely graphic pictures and text on cigarette packages warning that cigarette smoking can become addictive. Some packages carry a warning that tobacco can kill you. Gambling is no less addictive or deadly to some people and should be advertised as such. Warning labels should be on every VLT, scratch ticket and on-line ticket. Problem gambling is not a game.

My final point is the need for treatment for the countless tens of thousands who have fallen victim to gambling addiction. Most problem gamblers will not reach out for help until they have completely bottomed out both emotionally and financially. When they finally gather the nerve to make a phone call to the problem gambling help-line they are directed to pay- for- service counsellors. Gamblers in this stage cannot afford to pay for treatment. In all provinces west of Quebec, treatment is free. Compulsive gambling is recognized as an illness and treated through provincial health plans. In Saskatchewan for example, there are 30 health districts each of which has a minimum of 1 counsellor trained in problem gambling treatment. A person in need of therapy will be seated in front of a counsellor in a maximum of 48 hours. In emergency situations they will be seen the same day. All that is required of the client is a valid provincial medical health card. Although there is no in-patient treatment facility in Saskatchewan, there is an agreement with a facility in Lloydminister Alberta to provide free treatment to clients that are referred by Saskatchewan Mental Health. In Quebec there is no free treatment, nor is there any in-patient treatment for non-French speaking clients. Viva Consulting is unique in that it deals solely with issues relating to gambling. Our only focus is on gambling, and yet the government of Quebec chooses to ignore us and forego our expertise. Letters written by myself to Bernard Landry have been transferred to Gilles Baril. Minister Baril has forwarded the file to Robert Faulkner and Robert Faulkner managed to ignore both the letters and the many phone messages I had left him over the past five months. Now, he is gone and I imagine our file will once again get transferred. We are told that this government has committed $44 million over the next 5 years to prevention and treatment of problem gambling, but how will this money be spent? When will it be distributed and to whom? To my knowledge, little if any of this money has been disbursed to date.

Governments across Canada have created a major problem by legalizing gambling, but while other governments attempt to minimize the dangers, this government displays all the signs of addiction. They are addicted to gambling revenue. Like the addict, first they will be in denial that there is a problem and they will display a disregard for the consequences. It is time that the people do an intervention and cause the government to realize that the game they are playing is deadly, and that even one human life lost is one too many.