A P.E.I. compulsive gambler says he cannot stop his costly addiction, so he needs others to push him away from VLTs.
The 40-ish Charlottetown man, who The Guardian has decided not to name, claims to have lost a mind-boggling $500,000 to $600,000 betting on video lottery terminals over the past 20 years.
He has never gone longer than two weeks without feeding money into VLTs. He does not expect to win, but he cannot stop betting – and losing – his money on the machines.
“You’ll never beat it,’’ he says.
“They are cash cows. What a sick revenue source for government.’’
He wants to end his destructive addiction to VLTs but turning to Gamblers Anonymous and other forms of intervention and counselling have failed to work.
“I gave up going for help. There is no help for me.’’
He considers the only solution to his problem is to be prohibited from gambling on VLTs.
He was the first, he believes, to be self-excluded from the casino in Charlottetown that is packed with video lottery terminals.
That still leaves him far too many options to pump money into the machines in other establishments across the province.
He would like to be shut out of all of them. If he were able to self-exclude from all VLT locations, he would try to make a concerted effort to address his gambling addiction through counselling, support groups and whatever other means are available.
Verna Ryan, CAO of mental health and addictions with the province, has spoken with the Charlottetown man about his suggestion to establish a provincial self-exclusion policy for VLTs that extends beyond what is already in place at the casinos in Charlottetown and Summerside.
“Self-exclusion can be a gateway to addiction treatment for some people and is an important aspect of addressing gambling addiction,’’ says Ryan.
She brought the addict’s concerns to the Atlantic Lottery Corporation.
As a result, the man recently met with representatives from ALC to discuss his proposal.
He urged the corporation to put together a self-exclusion program for all of P.E.I. but was told he has to take responsibility.
“I’m not the one that put all those machines out there,’’ he says.
“I think the onus falls on (ALC’s) lap.’’
The Atlantic Lottery Corporation would not speak specifically about this case.
However, in an email to The Guardian, ALC noted Red Shore locations in Charlottetown and Summerside offer a voluntary self-exclusion program within the casino setting.
“While enrolled in the self-exclusion program, players are not permitted to enter the gaming floor of the Red Shores locations,’’ says spokeswoman Natalie Belliveau.
Belliveau adds responsible gambling is of the “utmost importance’’ to Atlantic Lottery.
“Atlantic Lottery’s mandate is to provide safe and responsible products for those Atlantic Canadians who choose to game,’’ she says.
“We do this within the rules and regulations outlined by our shareholders.’’
The man says his addiction to VLTs has wrought financial hardship and emotional turmoil.
“I honestly feel I was cheated out of a fair shot at life,’’ he says.
