Page 13. November 2008

CAMPUS

UPEI Cadre

Know The Score aims to halt gambling addictions

Political Studies professor, Peter McKenna says the government needs to do more

Know The Score, an inter- active problem gambling awareness program, visited UPEI in October in an effort to inform the student body of gambling addictions.

Kathleen Baldwin is the bi- lingual project coordinator for Responsible Gambling Council. She was part of

the appeal of gambling in movies and television.

“Obviously, online poker, |

the accessibility to it is an- other factor. And the glam- orization of it, again with celebrity poker and things of that nature,” she said.

Know The Score informs the public on a topic that

the education needs located in the “We wouldn’t to }8 ee allow restaurant 2 <2" ere just: : some trying to pro- Owners to be their light vide the stu- shed dents with Own health on it, some informa- : Sie tion about the oe ectors, Vite? said. risks associated wouldn’t allow the ond with gambling in ‘a think so that they are Irv ing family to be Pts able to make pollution im - more informed : : por- decisions,” she inspector S, because tant said. ‘ : foot Specificatiys:. TheFe’s:an ODVIOUS.. 244 there seo we conflict of mnter- « °1%) tistical infor- one mation avail- est there.” - Peter to be able to show : aware how prevalent McKenna and the — problem that’s is within the why

‘school, but the numbers for problem gambling in P.ELI. are significant, with 44 per cent of Islanders having an addiction to gambling, some of which started when they were as young as 15, she said.

“They're going to have other situations that they’re faced with and gambling is just another one.”

There are many factors that play into the problem, like

we come to universities and college campuses in hopes that we’ll reach students and faculty alike.”

Baldwin said she would be unable to remark on why the government has not imple- mented significant means of deterring problem gam- bling, but it is good to have the government support pro- grams such as this.

“All I know is that they rec-

ognize the importance and

they’re in support of a pro- gram like Know The Score.”

Political Studies profes- sor Peter McKenna has long

_been an opponent of video

lottery terminals (VLTs) on Prince Edward Island. The outspoken professor held nothing back when speaking of the issue he says is break- ing up families, and killing people.

“They have no expertise,” he said on why the govern- ment has yet to fight the problem of VLT addiction. “These individuals (Know The Score), while well in- tentioned and decent, though they are, have no experience in the gambling field, and I’ve been studying gambling for 15 years.”

McKenna said the govern- ment has not spent adequate funds on the prevention of VLT addiction.

“The reason governments don’t spend much money on it is because they’re not con- cerned about it. And that’s a tough statement to make, but when you look at the actual revenues that are earmarked

for problem gambling and

counseling and research and kinds of steps that have been put into place to try to deter people from gambling, it’s one per cent of the overall gambling revenues.” McKenna described the government as being “ad- dicted to gambling reve- nues,” and are attempting to minimize the issue and “look the other way” because of the profits they reap from those

addicted to gambling.

“The best customers are those who are VLT addicts. So how can you say on the one hand that you’re con- cerned about responsible gambling when you know that those putting the most money in the machines, the people that you want sitting in those chairs, have a gam-

bling problem, and a tax because those 6614? on the fool- are your best It’s break- ish. You’re customers.” ; knowingl ing the golden sly. He said the fact g 8 : picking the the government rule of doing nO people’s is in control of h f : pockets, in- this problem, arm, O trying flicting pain as they are the to advance the and suffering benefactors, bi: 55 08 them, and is part of the public interest” then _ look- problem. ing the other “We wouldn’t - Peter way.” allow restaurant McKenna While — the owners to be province their own health does make

inspectors, we wouldn’t al- low the Irving family to be pollution inspectors, because there’s an obvious conflict of interest there.”

Even if the profits the prov- ince earns because of VLTs is significant, McKenna says we should examine the ef- fects of the problem such as family breakups, depression, suicides and personal bank- ruptcy.

“It’s profiting from the peo- ple that put them in power. It’s breaking the golden rule of doing no harm, of trying to advance the public inter- est instead of undermining it”

The question McKenna

had is how the government would respond to those who may have lost a loved one to a gambling addiction.

“What would they say to these people? What would they say to the families who lost a loved one who’s com- mitted a suicide because of a VLT addiction,” he said. “It’s basically a tax on the poor

profits off VLTs, the ma- chines also cause the prov- ince money because of suicides and medication, McKenna said, noting there is no indication of whether, . because of this, VLTs actual- ly earn the province money.

“We don’t know because provincial governments don’t want to know. And they haven’t conducted a systematic and comprehen- sive study of the social im- plications of gambling.”

To stop the problem, we need to stop the source, McKenna said.

“There’s a very simple so- lution to that: unplug the ma- chines. That’s the solution.”