Government’s addiction to gambling revenues getting worse, says MPP Ted Arnott

Waterloo-Wellington MPP Ted Arnott says that the Liberal Government appears determined to squeeze more revenues from its gambling operations.

He was responding to an announcement made on January 20th by the Economic Development Minister Joe Cordiano, the Minister responsible for gambling. The Minister announced a new gaming strategy that purports to increase the focus on social responsibility while ensuring the competitiveness of the gaming industry.

“The Minister claims to be concerned about social responsibility, yet they plan to ‘enhance the competitiveness of casinos’. What this really means is they are planning another round of expansion of gambling at existing casinos,” Mr. Arnott said.

“I think the Government has a spending problem, and they are looking for revenue wherever they can find it. Unfortunately gambling is not the engine of economic development that some people think it is, and we need to study the heavy social costs,” he continued.

More than six months ago, on June 9th Mr. Arnott introduced Bill 95, the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation Amendment Act, 2004. If passed into law, his Bill would prevent the Government from establishing any new gaming premises, or expanding any existing ones, until it appoints a commission under the Public Inquiries Act to study the negative social impacts of excessive gambling and gambling addictions.

“Gambling addicts can lose their life savings, their families through divorce, and sometimes their lives by suicide,” Mr. Arnott added. “I think that an appropriate study would prove that the social costs of expansion would likely outweigh any benefits.”

This week Canada Safety Council President Emile-J. Therien, wrote to the Premier of Ontario in support of Mr. Arnott’s Bill 95. In that letter he said: “A moratorium on gambling expansion and a public enquiry, as called for in Bill 95, will help Ontario address this urgent health and safety issue.”

Mr. Arnott acknowledged that the Government has responded to some of the growing concerns about gambling addictions with some modest measures that are to be incorporated in their problem gaming strategy.

“Additional action to deal with gambling problems is a welcome step, and I hope that my bill has had some positive influence in this regard. I think the Government has also responded to the investigative series done by CBC Radio’s Dave Seglins in the Fall and the Toronto Star’s Andrew Chung just before Christmas,” Mr. Arnott said.

“I’m not sure if these steps are enough to address the problems, I doubt that anyone in the Government or gambling sector understands the full implications of the massive expansion of gambling we have seen over recent years. This is why I think a full moratorium and comprehensive study through a public inquiry is needed,” he concluded.