Page
      2
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      Jarrod
      Yeo
     
     
      Panther
      Post
     
    
   
   
    
     
      An
      Island
      nurse
      with
      ties
      to
     
     
      the
      University
      of
      Prince
      Ed-
     
     
      ward
      Island
      who
      was
      kid-
     
     
      napped
      by
      militants
      in
      the
     
     
      Darfur
      region
      in
      Sudan
      was
     
    
   
   
    
     
      released
      without
      incident
     
     
      last
      week.
     
     
      Laura
      Archer
      _
      graduat-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ed
      from
      the
      University
      of
     
     
      Prince
      Edward
      Island
      with
     
     
      an
      honour’s
      degree
      in
      nurs-
     
     
      ing
      in
      2001.
     
    

    
     
      In
      an
      account
      of
      her
      inter-
     
     
      national
      aid
      work
      in
      UPEI’s
     
     
      alumni
      magazine,
      Archer
      de-
     
     
      scribed
      how
      her
      life
      changed
     
    
   
   
    
     
      March
      16,
      2009
     
    
   
   
    
     
      CAMPUS
     
    
   
   
    
     
      with
      a
      single
      realization
      in
     
     
      2004
      while
      she
      was
      a
      nurse
     
     
      in
      San
      Francisco.
     
    

    
     
      “It
      occurred
      to
      me
      that
      I
     
     
      knew
      very
      little
      about
      the
     
     
      world
      outside
      of
      North
     
     
      America,”
      she
      wrote.
     
    

    
     
      Her
      experience
      brought
      her
     
     
      to
      various
      countries
      around
     
     
      the
      globe
      including
      Thailand
     
     
      in
      the
      wake
      of
      the
      2004
      tsu-
     
     
      nami.
     
    

    
     
      After
      returning
      to
      Canada
      in
     
     
      2005,
      she
      applied
      to
      Doctors
     
     
      Without
      Borders
      and
      was
     
     
      soon
      posted
      to
      the
      Central
     
     
      African
      Republic
      in
      Mark-
     
     
      ounda
      in
      2006.
      Markounda
     
     
      is
      a
      region
      know
      for
      its
      po-
     
     
      litical
      unrest.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      It
      was
      announced
      by
      Suda-
     
    

    
     
      nese
      Officials
      late
      Saturday
     
     
      she
      and
      three
      other
      captives,
     
     
      an
      Italian
      doctor,
      a
      French
     
     
      field
      worker
      and
      a
      Sudanese
     
     
      staff
      member
      had
      been
      re-
     
     
      leased
      unharmed.
      A
      report
     
     
      released
      on
      Friday
      saying
     
     
      the
      same
      proved
      to
      be
      pre-
     
     
      mature.
     
    

    
     
      Archer’s
      parents,
      Ted
      and
     
     
      Barb
      Archer,
      of
      Charlotte-
     
     
      town
      told
      The
      Guardian
      in
     
     
      a
      telephone
      interview
      they
     
     
      were
      relieved
      by
      the
      news
     
     
      but
      did
      not
      elaborate.
     
    

    
     
      “We
      are
      still
      very
      guard-
     
     
      ed
      until
      we
      speak
      with
      our
     
     
      daughter,”
      said
      Barb
      Archer,
     
     
      “until
      things
      are
      confirmed.”
     
    
   
   
    
     
      PANTHER
      POST
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Island
      nurse
      who
      was
      captured
      in
      Sudan
      released
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      UPEI
      graduate
      Laura
      Archer
      was
      released
      after
      being
     
     
      kidnapped
      by
      militants.
      Photo:
      West
      Mount
      Examiner
     
    
   
   
    
     
      New
      KENO
      Lottery
      machines
      raising
      questions
      about
      problem
      gambling
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      Whitney
      Byserveldt
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Panther
      Post
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Voting,
      porn
      and
      lotto
      tickets.
     
     
      All
      of
      the
      illustrious
      things
     
     
      that
      come
      with
      turning
      18,
      or
     
     
      the
      age
      of
      majority
      here
      on
     
     
      P.E.I.
      But
      as
      of
      April
      1,
      2009
     
     
      the
      legal
      age
      for
      purchasing
     
     
      lottery
      tickets
      will
      be
      upped
     
     
      to
      19.
     
    

    
     
      The
      amendment
      is
      part
      of
     
     
      the
      provincial
      government’s
     
     
      first
      responsible
      gambling
     
     
      strategy
      which
      was
      intro-
     
     
      duced
      in
      September
      of
      last
     
     
      year
      and
      will
      move
      the
     
     
      province
      in
      alignment
      with
     
     
      P.E.I.’s
      gambling
      legislation
     
     
      with
      that
      of
      the
      Atlantic
      Lot-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      tery
      Corporation’s
      regula-
     
     
      tions.
     
    

    
     
      This
      recent
      change
      is
      amid
     
     
      controversy
      over
      the
      induc-
     
     
      tion
      of
      KENO
      Lottery,
      a
      new
     
     
      form
      of
      live
      gambling
      that
      is
     
     
      available
      in
      both
      P.E.I.
      and
     
     
      Nova
      Scotia.
     
    

    
     
      Launched
      on
      March
      2,
     
     
      KENO
      Lottery
      is
      available
     
     
      at
      approximately
      190
      li-
     
     
      censed
      sites
      throughout
      the
     
     
      two
      provinces
      including
      a
     
     
      site
      at
      the
      CDPEC.
     
    

    
     
      A
      strategic
      move
      by
      the
     
     
      ALC
      as
      the
      basis
      of
      the
      game
     
     
      is
      similar
      to
      that
      of
      betting
     
     
      on
      horses
      and
      has
      proven
      to
     
     
      be
      appealing
      to
      those
      who
     
     
      partake
      in
      harness
      race
      gam-
     
     
      bling.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      game
      runs
      everyday
     
     
      from
      12:05
      p.m.
      to
      11:55
      p.m.
     
     
      with
      a
      draw
      occurring
      every
     
     
      five
      minutes
      and
      scheduled
     
     
      breaks
      taking
      place
      at
      the
      top
     
     
      of
      each
      hour.
     
    

    
     
      Wagers
      can
      amount
      up
      to
     
     
      $50
      per
      selection
      with
      win-
     
     
      nings
      ranging
      from
      $1
      to
     
     
      $100,000
      per
      draw.
     
    

    
     
      Broadcasted
      on
      monitors
     
     
      at
      authorized
      sites
      the
      num-
     
     
      bers
      are
      drawn
      live,
      a
      char-
     
     
      acteristic
      of
      the
      game
      that
     
     
      ups
      the
      ante
      for
      addiction
     
     
      and
      has
      opponents
      of
      gam-
     
     
      bling
      incensed.
      Although
      it
     
     
      has
      been
      cited
      that
      KENO
     
     
      Lottery
      does
      not
      have
      the
     
     
      same
      potential
      for
      addiction
     
     
      that
      VLTs
      do,
      doubt
      still
      sur-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      rounds
      the
      subject.
     
    

    
     
      Although
      he
      did
      not
      have
     
     
      much
      to
      say
      on
      the
      subject,
     
     
      Dr.
      Peter
      McKenna,
      a
      po-
     
     
      litical
      studies
      professor
      at
     
     
      UPEI
      believes
      implications
     
     
      of
      games
      such
      as
      KENO
      is
     
     
      far
      from
      a
      good
      idea.
     
    

    
     
      “You
      shouldn’t
      be
      introduc-
     
     
      ing
      new
      forms
      of
      gambling
     
     
      when
      there’s
      already
      sig-
     
     
      nificant
      problems
      with
      VLT
     
     
      gambling
      already,”
      he
      said
     
    

    
     
      McKenna
      is
      the
      author
      of
     
     
      Terminal
      Damage,
      a
      book
     
     
      depicting
      the
      negative
      conse-
     
     
      quences
      involved
      with
      VLT
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -gambling
      in
      the
      Maritime
     
    
   
   
    
     
      region
      and
      has
      progressed
      as
     
     
      an
      outspoken
      critic
      of
      VLTs
     
     
      within
      PEI.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      CHECK
      OUT
      THE
      PANTHER
      POST
      ON
      FACEBOOK
     
     
      FOR
      MORE
      INFORMATION
      ON
      THE
      PAPER
     
    
   
   
    
     
      TNNID)
      HOW
      YOU
      CAN
      CONTRIBUTE
     
     
      AND
      GIVE
      STORY
      TIPS
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      ALC
      is
      not
      the
      first
      to
     
     
      introduce
      a
      form
      of
      KENO
     
     
      Lottery,
      as
      British
      Columbia
     
     
      has
      already
      been
      running
      a
     
     
      similar
      game
      for
      years.
     
    

    
     
      Although
      few
      statistics
      can
     
     
      be
      found
      related
      to.
      gambling
     
     
      addictions
      and
      KENO
      Lot-
     
     
      tery,
      ALC
      has
      stated
      that
     
     
      the
      production
      of
      the
      game
     
     
      involved
      the
      work
      of
      three
     
    
   
   
    
     
      professional
      responsible
     
     
      gambling
      experts.
     
     
      \Whether
      these
      experts
     
    
   
   
    
     
      were
      hired
      internally
      or
      ex-
     
     
      ternally
      was
      not
      disclosed
     
     
      by
      the
      ALC
      communications
     
     
      representative.
     
    

    
     
      Along
      with
      the
      advent
      of
     
     
      KENO
      Lottery
      comes
      the
     
     
      fall
      of
      another
      lottery
      ticket
     
     
      game
      as
      Lotto
      Super
      7,
      a
     
     
      quite
      successful
      weekly
      lot-
     
     
      tery
      terminal
      game,
      will
     
     
      be
      retired
      nation-wide
      this
     
     
      September.
      A
      new
      and
      un-
     
     
      announced
      national
      lottery
     
     
      game
      will
      coincide
      with
      Su-
     
     
      per
      7’s
      demise.