1. Public Health and Gambling

   Christiane Poulin Canada Research Chair in Population Health and Addictions, Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, share a perspective.  Three ‘elephants in the room’ are brought to light.
   
   http://tinyurl.com/y3uoex

2. Firing Line for On Line Gambling

   Nelson Rose, never one to be timid, weighs in on the U.S. legislation and on line gambling debate. Found in BASIS On Line. Nelson is a professor at Whittier Law School, Costa Mesa, CA. This Op-Ed piece is one of a multitude floating across the ‘net.
   
   http://tinyurl.com/y5jjko

3. Australian Evaluation Report

   Frances Eltridge, Harrison Research and Paul Del Fabbro, University of Adelaide, offer this report for the Independent Gambling Authority in Australia.
   
   The Authority’s final recommendations in 2003 were that 3000 machines be removed from South Australian gaming venues (a 20% reduction). The reduction would be based on a formula such that venues with 28 or more machines would lose eight machine entitlements and those with between 21 and 27 would lose 1-7 machines and end up with 20 machines per venue. The Authority’s intention was that the reduction would occur over approximately 18 months, and be subject to supervised trading rounds, such that venues would be allowed to sell their gaming machines entitlements to other venues who were willing to purchase them. In this way, it would be possible for less profitable venues to exit the industry by selling their machines to more profitable venues. The aim was to reduce the number of venues containing gaming machines, while also enhancing the competitiveness and status of the not-for-profit sector of the industry (mostly licensed clubs) that had typically been less successful in attracting the same gaming revenue as hotels.
   
   Having made these recommendations in 2003, the Authority was strongly of the view that “a structured review of the outcomes of the process should be undertaken…[and that’ the Authority [would] conduct research into the impact of changes to the arrangements for the management of gaming machine numbers so as to inform a further review.” (IGA, p.3).
   
   This view was further underscored by Section 89(1) (b) of the Gaming Machines Act, which required that the Authority provide to the Minister for Gambling a report on the effects of the “2004 amendments” on gaming in South Australia in 2006, in particular “whether they had been effective in reducing the incidence of problem gambling and the extent of any such reduction.”

   http://tinyurl.com/yc96hr

4. Play on Play . . .Playmates Presence

   I don’t present the values of a moralistic curmudgeon. However, this piece from Poker News does call for some consideration. The 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event winner Chris Moneymaker signed a partnership with Playboy Enterprises.
   
   Staring January 21, 2007 Moneymaker Gaming is hosting a long weekend of cards, instruction, and parties with the Playboy Poker Camp presented by Moneymaker Gaming. Participants will get lectures, instructions, and demonstrations from a few of the top names in poker.

   What sets this apart from other poker camps are the parties that surround these instructional sessions. The story details the potential dalliance with Playboy Playmates in a variety of settings. Clinicians may have more to say about challenges facing problem gamblers. However, I see the challenge as one more quandary about indulgence and excess. Is such a partnership needed?

   http://tinyurl.com/wejrs

5. NCPG Calendar of Events

   Drop by this listing of events provided by the National Council on Problem Gambling.  A catalogue of events in the United States is highlighted.

   http://tinyurl.com/w2om8

6. New Zealand Key Links

   The New Zealand Ministry of Health provides a number of key links.  There is not a direct relationship to problem gambling.  However, the New Zealand Health websites for one offers a helpful compendium of resources.

   http://tinyurl.com/wbszv

7. Fighting Stress

   A number of traditions and faiths celebrate important days at this time of year . . .dive in, enjoy, and do take care to mellow out that stress level.

   http://tinyurl.com/vrwux

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109th Edition: Older Adults Prevention Manual,
B.C. Report, U.S. 'Net Act Debate and Antigua Challenge

1. Transforming Lives: The Challenge of Stigma

   Visit the resources for the excellent campaign to reduce stigma related to mental illness. The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health offers a range of options. The campaign is relevant for problem gambling prevention and education. Clinicians and those living with the problem tell me that stigma remains a prime concern. The desire to seek help is often weighed against the cost of revealing the 'secret' of problem gambling.
   
   tinyurl.com/yfm2w

2. Prevention Manual for Service Providers

   The manual is intended as a resource for individuals, allied professionals and service providers who work with older adults who have gambling problems, their families and significant others. The aims of the manual are as follows:
   

   • Increase the readers comfort level about older adults and problem gambling prevention;
   • Increase the readers knowledge about the relationship between older adults and problem gambling;
   • Enhance the readers skill set to better communicate with older adults who gamble;
   • Increase the readers knowledge about retirement wellness and balanced living for persons 55+.

   
   The authors of the manual are Angelique Lemay BSc, MSW, CPGC, Evelyn Bakich RN, CPGC, Andr' Fontaine, BTh
   
   tinyurl.com/yaz452

3. CryptoLogic Bets on Future

   Gambling software developer CryptoLogic Inc. (TSX:CRY) said November 3 it has insulated itself against tough new rules that stop Americans from gambling online, shifting its focus to Europe and boosting third-quarter profits 41 per cent.
   
   Let's see how this shakes out with EU changes to gambling regulations. Some observers tell us that the markets to watch are Central America and Eastern Europe.
   
   tinyurl.com/tvp4n

4. Gaming Association Commission's Study

   The Canadian Gaming Association ('CGA') released October 26/06 a request for proposals to engage a consultant to research, collate and document the economic impacts from all elements of the Canadian gaming industry.
   
   The Association is an industry lobby group.
   
   tinyurl.com/tgzer

5. B.C. Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General:
   Problem Gambling Program Annual Report

   The report provides an overview of work in British Columbia. Among prevention initiatives it is noted that 'In 2005/06, contracted prevention workers delivered over 1,700 initiatives to a wide range of target audiences. A significant part of this service is delivering education and awareness presentations.' tinyurl.com/v5vdo

6. Categories of Gaming Machine: A Consultation Response

   Mark Griffiths received wide exposure with his response to the British Department of Culture Media and Sport. The response sheds much needed light on the growing fog around the Gambling Act that spins up, down and around in Britain. Licences here, community challenges there . . . more to come I'm sure.
   
   tinyurl.com/v7pjm

7. More Debate on U.S. Internet Gambling Enforcement Act

   The recent Global Gaming Expo (G2E) in Las Vegas saw a marked absence of online gaming companies and executives discouraged from travel to the USA by the recent passing of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, but the industry nevertheless generated an abundance of media comment.
   
   I would guess that those same executives are doing their best to avoid arrest.
   
   tinyurl.com/u3ctu

8. National Center for Responsible Gaming (NCRG) Scientific Achievement Awards

   Dr. Suck Won Kim, a pioneer in pharmacological treatment of gambling disorders, and Dr. Rina Gupta, an accomplished scientist who has advanced understanding of gambling disorders among children, adolescents and college-age populations, have been named recipients of the fifth annual National Center for Responsible Gaming (NCRG) Scientific Achievement Awards.
   
   tinyurl.com/y8cdkz

9. National Coalition Against Legalized Gambling (U.S.)

   The dedicated band of activists marches into their 12th year of existence. Drop by the website and visit the links to affiliates and supporters from New York to Oregon.
   
   tinyurl.com/vuzru

10. Antigua Continues to Challenge U.S. on Internet Gambling
    
    

    Burke Hanson provides this helpful walk through the tangled terrain of the WTO, recent U. S. legislation and Antigua's response. I found his perspective on how the Unlawful Internet Gambling and Enforcement Act of 2006 became tagged onto the Safe Port Act helpful.
    
    tinyurl.com/y476uo

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108th Edition: Methodists Stand Firm,
On line Gambling Growth, Key Conference in Alberta

1. The Human Face of Mental Illness: Problem Gambling Connection

   The Canadian government report ?The Human Face of Mental Health and Mental Illness? notes problem gambling within the text of the report. The information in a previous report has been updated and new data has been added from the 2002 Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey Cycle Mental Health and Well-being, the 2002-2003 Hospital Mental Health Database, and the 2004 Health Behaviours of School Children Survey.
   
   Social cost, prevalence rates and community impacts are noted in the report.
   
   tinyurl.com/y4fry

2. Growth in On Line Gambling Expected

   Even though President Bush has signed a law to curb Internet gambling, investors in the handful of U.S.-listed Internet gambling companies may not want to fold their hands just yet.
   
   Online gambling is expected to expand to a $15 billion industry this year from $12 billion in 2005, according to DesJardins Securities analyst David Shore, who cited statistics from Global Betting and Gaming Consultants.
   
   tinyurl.com/snmkj

3. The Meaning of Gambling among Ontario Seniors in Small and Rural Communities

   The authors Joan E. Norris, Ph.D., C.Psych and Joseph A. Tindale, Ph.D. note ?Just as there is little research on seniors who gamble and their families, there is also very little that focuses on older people living in small towns and rural areas. In fact, distinction by community size is absent despite the growing number of small and rural Ontario communities that have built casinos or racetracks as a solution to economic and social problems.? The survey instrument included a compilation of measures with established psychometric properties, including: the Canadian Problem Gambling Index (CPGI), Windsor Problem Gambling Screen for Older Adults (Windsor Screen), Gambling Attitudes Scale (GAS), Family of Origin Scale, and questions from the Guelph Family Gambling Items questionnaire. Responses were received from seniors across the province (n = 2,292).
   
   tinyurl.com/y5ya7o

4. Key Conference: Addressing Gambling-related Harm through Evidence-based Practices Friday, March 30 & Saturday, March 31, 2007 Banff, Alberta, Canada.

   Conference 2007 will focus on innovations on the treatment of problem gambling. New developments in treatment and in treatment systems will be highlighted. Advancements in basic research with implications for prevention and treatment will also be presented.
   
   tinyurl.com/y6uabm

5. British Reaction to U.S. On Line Legislation

   The British Culture Secretary, Tessa Jowell, October 31/06 renewed her criticism of US authorities' stance on online gambling, calling it "the new prohibition".
   
   "It [the US stance] is the new prohibition. In relation to gambling, you have three choices - you allow the market to rip, which some jurisdictions do; you prohibit, which some jurisdictions do; or you regulate," she said.
   
   tinyurl.com/uj3uu

6. Oregon Replication Study

   The study was conducted by the Oregon Gambling Addiction Treatment Foundation as part of an ongoing effort to provide empirical evidence to policy and decision makers, program managers, and the interested public regarding the estimated prevalence of problem and pathological gambling among Oregonians.
   
   Over the past 10 years, the Foundation has commissioned 6 major studies including the first adult gambling prevalence study in 1997, the first adolescent gambling prevalence study in 1998, the first older adult gambling prevalence study and an adult gambling prevalence replication study in 2001, an etiological study of pathological gambling in 2002, and this most current adult gambling prevalence replication study.
   
   tinyurl.com/y4p6by

7. British Methodists Stand Firm On Regulating On Line Gambling

   Anthea Cox, Coordinating Secretary for Public Life and Social Justice, Methodist Church in Great Britain declared: ?The Methodist Church welcomes the Government's initiative in seeking international agreement on the regulation of e-gambling.?
   
   tinyurl.com/y4db5e

107th Edition: Youth and Risk Perception, On Line Gambling Challenge,
Drug and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Treatment

1. First Nation Directory- U.S.

   A listing of the current First Nation casinos in the United States. The roster includes states with casinos with tribal presence, existing class 3 tribal gaming and no federally recognized gaming.
   
   tinyurl.com/y66hdl

2. Potpourri of Reaction to U.S. Legislation Hybrid of HR 4411

   The scene runs the range of representing:
        A) a group of scalded cats
        B) false bravado and
        C) beleaguered investors putting on a brave face.
   The United States Senate tagged a somewhat revised Internet Gambling Prohibition and Enforcement Act (H.R. 4411) to a port security bill. Creative policy making at its most intriguing? Could it be an election year in the U.S.? (Ed. Note: Pardon my cynical tone)
   
   Consider the following reactions . . .
   
   9:16 AM 13/10/2006 Michael Bolcerek, the president of the Poker Players Alliance, said, "This last minute deal reeks of political gamesmanship."
   
   tinyurl.com/razj5
   
   tinyurl.com/y6djk5
   
   Christopher Costigan of www.gambling911.com feels that the language of the bill passed September 29/06 to curb Internet gambling makes no mention of gamblers being prosecuted for placing bets or playing poker online. In fact, the new bill does not apply to gamblers at all other than to make it a little more difficult to fund online betting and poker accounts.
   
   Nigel Payne, the chief executive of internet gambling company Sportingbet, was probably not pulling punches when he said the U.K. government and European Union needed to support European companies in the face of America's "absurd protectionism."
   
   tinyurl.com/u9mu5
   
   The Antigua Sun offers further fuel to assumptions that the U.S. action will drive on line gambling underground.
   
   tinyurl.com/ttulj

3. Canadian Hockey and On Line Gambling

   The Canadian Hockey League has asked its lawyers to look at an off-shore Internet gambling website where bets can be placed on major junior hockey games and the Memorial Cup. The Austrian website bwin.com (note their legal woes in the next item) invites bets on OHL, WHL and QMJHL games and the Memorial Cup.
   
   "Surprised would be a fair term (in terms of league reaction) and disappointed more than anything," CHL commissioner David Branch said Wednesday from Toronto. "We're looking at options. Gambling is an issue we cannot choose to ignore."
   
   The news is troubling to a league in which its players are part of a teenage demographic that spends a lot of time online.
   
   tinyurl.com/jspk3
   
   Bwin.com is the same firm that had its CEO's arrested. Manfred Bodner and Norbert Teufelberger were released on bail in late September 2006 but were warned that they could face charges under French gambling laws. A court in Nanterre, France, will decide by the end of the year whether to formally charge the company.
   
   tinyurl.com/n6sv7

4. Effects of Medication and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Alone And in Combination on Pathological Gambling

   Ravindran, M.B., Ph.D., F.R.C.P.(C.) and J. Telner, Ph.D., C.Psych. share research that notes that In the treatment of particular psychiatric disorders (e.g., obsessive-compulsive disorder [OCD] and depression) it has been shown that strategies combining psychotherapy (e.g., CBT) with psychopharmacology are more effective than either treatment alone.
   
   Given that both CBT and the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have independently been shown to be effective in treating PG, their study looks at the effects of these treatments alone and in combination in reducing gambling behaviours, as well as in changing motivational, attitudinal, and cognitive indices associated with the disorder.
   
   tinyurl.com/w652j

5. Youth Perception of Risk and Gambling

   Research firm D-Code Inc. released new research October 3, 2006 at the Nova Scotia Gambling Corporation?s (NSGC) Youth Gambling Prevention Summit. The report entitled ?Decoding Risk? explored gambling attitudes and behaviours among Nova Scotia youth aged 13-20.
   
   Key research observations included:

   • Youth, and particularly young males, do not perceive taking risks as negative.
   • Youth classify gambling and betting as only moderately risky.
   • Betting and gambling are not significant concerns for most youth.
   • Youth differentiate between gambling and betting by activity.
   • Youth are actively involved in both regulated and unregulated gambling activities.
   • Young males gamble more than females and display more positive attitudes toward gambling.
   • Poker is top of mind, however the perception is somewhat greater than the reality.
   • Gambling location is significantly impacted by gender and age.
   • Youth in Nova Scotia are gambling online (self-reported) in much higher numbers than adults.
   • Friends are the key influencers.

   
   tinyurl.com/y72uqu

106th Edition: Internet Gambling Bill Opposition,
Personal Story of Loss, Church of England Opposition, Jamaican Study

1. Opposition to HR 4411 Grows

   Opposition to Congressional Bill HR 4411 continues to grow. Senator Bill Frist is pulling out all stops to seek passage by tacking the bill on to various Department of Defense initiatives.
   
   tinyurl.com/es2q9
   
   Internal jockeying for position continues with various Senators weighing in to the debate.
   
   tinyurl.com/j5pty
   
   The major challenger, or so it appears on the surface, is Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John Warner, a Virginia Republican. All avenues are being considered by Frist. It is believed that Senator Frist and other proponents of HR 4411 are looking at the pending measure to bolster port security against potential terrorist attacks, as a new method of success.
   
   tinyurl.com/fl3pf
   
   HR 4411 is the Internet Gambling Prohibition and Enforcement Act.

2. Jamaican Lotteries Commission to Study Problem Gambling

   Jamaican Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Commission Chair Walter Scott stated that "One of the things that the commission has done over the last three years is to look at the dark side, because there is a dark side, and it is a fact that there is a dark side to gaming."
   
   The study will begin soon at a cost of 4 million dollars.
   
   tinyurl.com/hhzut

3. Bodog.com CEO will Avoid U.S.

   Calvin Ayre The Canadian-born founder and chief executive officer of Bodog Entertainment Group, one of the top global players in on-line gambling, knows it would be risky for him to set foot in the United States now that law enforcement officials there are putting the heat on companies in the business.
   
   ?You're not going to find any more senior executives of any on-line gaming companies going inside the United States in the near future, including myself.? said Ayre.
   
   tinyurl.com/mh7ub

4. Moscow Thespians Act on Gambling

   Russian actors are being paid to pretend to be destitute beggars in a government scheme to discourage people from gambling. Vladimir Platonov from Moscow city council said the plan would see the actors sent to stand outside casinos dressed as beggars.
   
   tinyurl.com/jy3yv

5. Personal Story and the Challenge of Problem Gambling

   Di is a gambler and has lost the family $32,000 playing online slot games and Poker. This is the equivalent of her husband's annual income, and he has been forced to take a second job to pay off his wife?s debts.
   
   The problem started after the couple purchased the family computer. Bob, Di?s husband, played at an online casino occasionally and introduced his wife to the website one evening when there was nothing on television. ?He regrets that, I?ll tell you,? she says, giving the computer a wary glance. She first started playing with small amounts of money during the daytime when her youngest child took his afternoon nap. ?It was just $2 bets and sometimes I was lucky.? But soon Di began playing for higher stakes.
   
   tinyurl.com/gxwq5

6. School Refuses Lotto Cash

   The Parent Advisory Council of South Park Elementary refuses to accept grants funded by gambling.
   
   B.C. Lottery Corp. money has funded PACs since 1998. Until 2003, PACs needed to complete complicated forms to qualify for funding of $40 a student. Now the government distributes funds to all PACs based on $20 per student.
   
   This year more than 1,500 PACs will receive almost $12 million from the proceeds of casinos, lottery tickets and online gambling.
   
   "Gaming can be problematic for some people, and is the message that we want to be sending to our kids that we are making money off gambling?" said Rosemary Mann, a parent at the school and former PAC chairwoman.
   
   tinyurl.com/hw94h

7. Church of England calls for Public Health Warnings

   Taking the same position as other churches, most prominently The Salvation Army and the Methodist Church, the Church of England reiterated its long-held concern for the potential damage to individuals and families if more people become problem gamblers.
   
   The church is continuing its stand against gambling, this time calling for all advertisements that promote gambling to carry health warnings about the potential to fall into addiction.
   
   tinyurl.com/jyrlb

8. Gambling in Australia

   Thanks to Rhys Stevens www.gamingresearch.blogspot.com for passing on this link. The publication presents a range of statistics in respect of businesses engaged in the provision of gambling services for the 2004?05 financial year. Previous releases of this publication were in respect of the 1994?95, 1997?98 and 2000?01 financial years.
   
   tinyurl.com/paxvl

9. Ontario Report on Gambling and Problem Gambling

   The report presents the results of a survey regarding the nature and extent of gambling and gambling problems in Ontario. The objectives of the study were to determine the prevalence of gambling and problem gambling, to describe the characteristics of individuals experiencing gambling related problems, and to compare trends with the 2001 Ontario gambling prevalence study (Wiebe, Single, & Falkowski-Ham, 2001) with regards to levels of gambling and problem gambling.
   
   tinyurl.com/flknx

105th Edition: Youth Support On Line,
On Line Gambling Siege Continues, Ontario First Nations Studies

1. Talk It Out

   Drop by this interactive website that includes a chat room for youth. The project is funded by the Max Bell Foundation through a grant to McGill University International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High Risk Behaviour. The following background is provided on the website . . .
   
   ?We . . . know that most young people experiencing such difficulties do not present themselves for treatment. So, this site is about providing youth with an alternative solution. Talk it Out can help youth with concerns about their gambling make better decisions for themselves, or just give them a place to chat, connect and feel understood.?
   
   tinyurl.com/fqwv

2. H.R. 4411 Debate and Challenges Grow

   The Internet Gambling Prohibition and Enforcement Act (H.R. 4411) continues to foster debate. The Independent Community Bankers of America have stated their opposition.
   
   ICBA's stance pointed out that enforcement of the measure, as currently created, from their perspective, would be difficult, if not impossible. The key element is the nature of online transactions and transfers themselves, which are coded and designed for accuracy, not to identify certain categories of transactions which may or may not indicate that the transaction was connected to online gaming.
   
   tinyurl.com/fk4am
   
   The Chairman of Sportingbet Peter Dicks was arrested on a fugitive warrant at New York's JFK airport September 7, 2006. The arrest follows that of David Caruthers, CEO of BetonSports.
   
   tinyurl.com/z9lsr
   
   Sportingbet said September 8 that Mr. Dicks had been arrested on allegations relating to the company's possible breaches of a Louisiana statute on "offences affecting general morality". In a statement to the stock exchange, it said all of its sports betting, poker and casino websites would "continue to operate as normal"
   
   tinyurl.com/hcztr
   
   BettingMarket.com provides a helpful overview of litigation and charges that have been laid related to On Line Gambling. The overview notes that In addition to the pending H.R. 4411, eight US states have laws that specifically prohibit Internet gambling: Washington, Nevada, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, South Dakota, Michigan and Oregon.
   
   tinyurl.com/gfuwa

3. British Supercasino Opposition

   Blackpool, England enters the high stakes attempts to land the Supercasino planned for an as yet unknown location.
   
   Steven Bate, a Lib Dem councillor and the public face of the Campaign Against Supercasino Expansion (Case), says the supercasino would be disastrous. "They have this idea that the customers would be James Bond types in suits and ties. It is more likely to be bussed-in old ladies as happens in the US."
   
   tinyurl.com/f48zq
   
   Before its public meetings, the Casino Advisory Panel graded the various bids, making the Millennium Dome in Greenwich the favourite. Glasgow and Blackpool, which already has 2,000 adult prize machines, were ranked close behind.

4. Examining Gambling and Problem Gambling In Ontario Aboriginal Communities

   Harold J. Wynne, Ph.D. and John McCready, Ph.D. are the authors of the 2005 studies. The purpose of the research was to understand gambling within the cultural context in five First Nation communities and to develop culturally relevant stimulus and action strategies to address problem gambling.
   
   tinyurl.com/ebghd

104th Edition: Debate on Casino Expansion in Britain,
Sports and Gambling, Swedish Monopoly Challenged, U.S. ?Net Bill Support

1. Debate in Britain

   The panel, set up by government to select one site which will become home to the UK's first super casino, is visiting London on August 29. It will hold an examination in public - with the pros and cons of Brent's application for a super casino license being discussed.
   
   tinyurl.com/fylas
   
   The debate may be on, however sod begins to turn . . .
   
   Initial building work for a controversial supercasino at the Millennium Dome has already been carried out, it emerged August 22/06 - a week before public hearings into the rival bids begin.
   
   tinyurl.com/fcjdg
   
   . . . with the sod ruffling, so too the hackles of various British clergy. Officials from Philip Anschutz's AEG entertainment group have apologized to faith leaders after sending a document to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) which purported to come from the leaders and watered down their concerns about the proposed development.
   
   Rev Malcolm Torry, site chaplain for the Greenwich Peninsula Chaplaincy, takes AEG to task: "The paper on the Culture Dept website looks like a letter from me and it isn't one. I can see that some of the phrases in it are taken from the paper which we published on a possible casino, but much of the document has been simply made up and it has a tone which is positive towards the casino plan, whereas the paper which our trustees put out is negative . . .?

2. Of Faith and Fold?em

   Steve Christensen passes on this piece . . . John Gollehon, a top author and publisher of how-to-win books on gambling for four decades, is so frustrated with the marketing of poker to young people that he's turning his small Grand Rapids publishing house, Gollehon Books, upside down.
   
   "It's a question of values when kids 10 or 12 years old are exposed to gambling. It tends to destroy a person's work ethic. It promotes the whole idea of getting something for nothing, especially when you see players not only winning, but winning outlandishly huge amounts in these TV poker tournaments," he said.
   
   tinyurl.com/knb8d

3. Football Heroes?

   Titan Poker is kicking off the NFL season with a $250,000 guaranteed tournament on Sunday September 10th (NFL opening Sunday). The first place winner will walk with about $62,500 for the $500 buy in tournament.
   
   Also focusing on a football related promotion is Mansion. They are giving players the opportunity not to lose on the Pittsburgh Steelers as they play their opening weekend. Any player who places a bet on the Pittsburgh Steelers to win their opening week match up against the Miami Dolphins cannot lose. If the Steelers win, the player collects. If the Steelers lose, Mansion will reimburse the bettors losses, up to $1,100 US Dollars.
   
   tinyurl.com/hg3pe

4. Sweden Monopoly Up For Change?

   The Gaming Board of Sweden (Lotteriinspektionen) has overall responsibility for licensing and supervision within the field of gambling. It is charged with issuing permits for: lotteries that are distributed by means of electromagnetic waves, lotteries that are to be arranged in more than one county, gaming machines and games of roulette, dice and card arranged pursuant to the Lotteries Act. The Gaming Board also monitors compliance with the Lotteries Act and the Casinos Act.
   
   There have been a number of judgements by the Swedish Courts over the years, that have ruled in favour of the continuation of the Swedish monopoly. In Wermd? Krog, for example, the Swedish Administrative Supreme Court ruled that the monopoly existed to protect the individual and society at large and to pursue public interest objectives. In response to a Letter of formal notice of 19 of October 2004 sent by the European Commission, which stated that gambling monopolies must have the objective of limiting betting opportunities in a consistent and systematic manner, the Court ruled that Swedish betting law was indeed proportional and non-discriminatory (with a slight criticism of the level and nature of Svenska Spel's advertising).
   
   With an eye to next months elections in Sweden, it is interesting to note that the Moderate Party, whose leader Fredrik Reinfeldt heads the main opposition alliance party, has openly stated that it wants to get rid of the current gambling monopoly and to replace it with a regulated betting market that allows private companies to apply for gaming licences. The ruling Social Democratic Party, on the other hand, who derive a significant proportion of their income from party lotteries are likely, as always, to resist any major changes to the current monopolist position.
   
   tinyurl.com/fqg99

5. Arizona Prevention Work

   The Arizona office of problem gambling provides this primer for teachers and parents as a new school year begins.
   
   tinyurl.com/km4p4

6. Concordance between the SOGS-RA and the DSM-IV Criteria
   for Pathological Gambling among Youth

   The purpose of the study was to assess the possible differences in the classification of adolescent gamblers when using the South Oaks Gambling Screen -Revised for Adolescents (SOGS-RA) versus a clinical interview based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - Fourth edition (DSM-IV) criteria for pathological gambling. Participants were 631 adolescents aged 15 to 17 years (357 males and 274 females). Authors: Principal Investigator, Robert Ladouceur Universite Laval, Co investigators, Francine Ferland Universite Laval, Christiane Poulin Dalhousie University, Frank VitaroUniversite de Montreal Jamie Wiebe, Responsible Gambling Council.
   
   tinyurl.com/kn9cb

7. Further to HR 4411

   The text of the Internet Gambling Prohibition and Enforcement Act sheds light on the challenges faced by any legislation in the U.S. Congress and Senate. Not for the faint of heart, the 33-page text offers much detail.
   
   tinyurl.com/kp3z9
   
   There has been extensive lobbying by various groups in support of the legislation and critical of the proposed action. ?Citizen Link? with links to Jim Dobson?s Focus on the Family conservative evangelical Christian organization weighs in with their web based lobbying effort in support of HR 4411.
   
   tinyurl.com/jzel3

103rd Edition: Challenges to On line Gambling,
Card Counting, Japan and France at the Table

1. On Line Woes Continue . . .

   The former BetonSports chief executive David Carruthers is likely to be released on $1m bail within days under a deal with the American government which would allow him to live in the midwestern city of St Louis until his trial for organizing illegal gambling. BetonSports took more than $1bn in bets last year. It is being targeted by Missouri's district attorney, Catherine Hanaway, a conservative who headed the Missouri arm of George Bush's campaign for the White House.
   
   A challenging tale unfolding . . .the ?net as a target, social and fiscal conservatives in the United States doing their dance . . .stay tuned.
   tinyurl.com/1q4py
   
   BetonSports legal counsel is playing their own game . . .
   tinyurl.com/nb6w5
   
   Michael Regan of the Hartford Courant gives his perspective on potential risks to on line players in the United States.
   tinyurl.com/r6m7f
   
   The U.S. Senate may not be willing to play ball with congress; more to come.
   tinyurl.com/g9keg

2. On Line Risks to Players-Problem Gambling

   "You have a lot of individuals who are not prone to gambling without the ability of the Internet," said Ken Winters, a psychiatry professor at the University of Minnesota. "So with more people, you are going to get these new recruits who become problem gamblers." So goes the challenge of on line play . . .as told by Lara Farrar of CNN.
   
   According to Laurajane Fitzsimons, assistant director of counseling at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth, online gambling addictions are widespread and sometimes well ingrained on college campuses. Collegians are "developmentally prone for this type of gambling," said Fitzsimons, who has pioneered efforts on her campus to educate students and parents about the risks of online gambling. "They want to be seen as grown-up and that they can handle their own finances," she said, adding that she once treated a student with $35,000 in gambling debts. "This is a way to win it big instead of working hard. A lot of our students are very bright students who get into trouble with gambling. They think they can beat the system."
   
   tinyurl.com/p49fo

3. Japan On Line Gambling Blossoms

   A recent campaign has been launched in Japan to legalize both online and land based casinos, and has been backed by the country?s ruling Liberal Democratic Party. The news has been tempered by social action groups in Japan, who have expressed concern about the influence of increased online casino gaming on the country?s youth, prompting protests from charities and gambling awareness groups.
   
   tinyurl.com/ppnjh

4. The Challenge of Card Counting: Beating the Odds?

   This older piece (2000) from Brad Lemley considers a somewhat long line of card counters including Anthony Curtis and Edward Thorp. Thorp's twin breakthroughs, bolstered by then-nascent computer calculation, were that black jack players could learn to count cards as they were played and that, in doing so, these gamblers could gain a consistent advantage over the house.
   
   Curtis had slammed into the brutal reality of fluctuation around the average return, or what statisticians call standard deviation. Although an astute blackjack card-counter can, over the long haul, realize up to a 1.5 percent profit (depending on such variables as the number of decks, which card-counting system he employs, and how many cards remain before the dealer reshuffles), losing streaks can last for weeks. There's a saying: If you can't stand the flux, don't bet the bucks. Many technically proficient blackjack counters have been run out by flux.
   
   tinyurl.com/jqlhq

5. France in Concert with Japan? On Line Gambling Growth

   The mass of areas in France are prohibited from operating land based casinos and casino machines, apart from a few small areas of the country. But a variation in EU policy has permitted French players to play at online casinos.
   
   tinyurl.com/rryac

6. Foxwoods a Gas

   Ledyard is known as the host city to the Foxwoods Resort Casino. It has now become known for ?free? gasoline. The process is as follows; Gamblers earn a "Wampum" point for every $90 they gamble at the casino. Each point can be exchanged for $1 worth of gas at Exxon and Mobil stations. True, at current rates a dollar buys you slightly more than a teacup of gas. Promotion and marketing knows no bounds . . .
   
   tinyurl.com/mfg4k

102nd Edition: On Line Gambling Under Siege, British Expansion,
NIGA Reply and Discovery 2006 Resources

1. Bill H.R. 4411- The Internet, Gambling and the U.S. Agenda

   A flurry of information, misinformation, spin . . . you name it and we will see it. The Internet Gambling Prohibition and Enforcement Act has passed a vote in congress. The result of the vote was 317 for and 93 against. There was evidence of bipartisan support.
   
   The OMB (Office of Management and Budget) issued a statement noting that ?the Administration has some concerns with the bill and looks forward to working with Congress to strengthen and improve the legislation.?
   
   The Senate must of course weigh in and lobbying is certainly fast and furious in the U.S. capital as I write . . . consider the flurry of arrests and charges . . .
   
   In the case against BetOnSports PLC CEO David Carruthers the Justice Department is seeking the forfeiture of $4.5 billion, plus several cars, recreational vehicles and computers from the defendants. Prosecutors convinced a federal judge in St. Louis to order BetOnSports to stop accepting bets placed from within the United States.
   
   Thanks to Steve Christensen, Saskatchewan colleague and David Schwartz (dieiscast.com) for their resource on this news . . .
   
   tinyurl.com/fmaou
   
   tinyurl.com/zz53p
   
   This Op Ed piece adds fuel to the fire of discourse . . .
   tinyurl.com/g59at
   
   John Soat of Information Week adds his perspective to the debate . . .
   tinyurl.com/egx43
   
   Some voices from the online industry are saying what one would expect, carrying the flag of optimism. . .
   tinyurl.com/ehgxm

2. Britain on Parade?

   Casinos, betting shops and gambling Web sites will be allowed to advertise on British television and radio under plans due to come into force by 2007. "The overriding priority is to ensure that gambling advertisements are socially responsible," said Andrew Brown, Chairman of the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) and the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP).
   
   tinyurl.com/jf4al
   
   Emma Lunn of the Observer adds some information to the British action related to on line gambling. She shares the story of Bryan Benjafield who admitted to stealing more than ?1m from his employer to fund on line gambling.
   
   tinyurl.com/fzzku
   
   When the Gambling Act 2005 is implemented in 2007, internet casinos will be allowed to be based in Britain, and will be regulated by the Gambling Commission.
   
   Nick Gully, clinical manager at Life Works, an addiction clinic in Old Woking, Surrey, believes addiction could increase: ?There is mounting evidence to show that with the expansion of the gambling industry, there is significant increase in gambling addiction?
   
   Brian Morgan is managing director of RAL Interactive, which runs Cyberslotz.com. Despite being operated off-shore, he says the site takes social responsibility seriously and already has in place many of the checks on which the Gambling Commission will insist.
   
   The actual text of the British Gambling Act 2005 may be found at the following location. There are 18 parts with 362 subsections.
   
   tinyurl.com/fwh8c

3. Fact Sheets: National Indian Gaming Association

   The U.S. based association provides a number of responses to what it presents as myths related to First Nations gambling in the United States.
   
   tinyurl.com/ztefp

4. RGCO Discovery 2006 Presentations Presentation content from the April 2006 Discovery 2006 conference may be found on line at the Council website.
   
   tinyurl.com/zmrao

101st Edition: Harrah?s Survey, New Zealand and
Tasmania Resources, British Columbia Impact Study

1. Roots of Poker

   Janice Carroll provides a thumbnail review of the origins of poker. She notes that, ?The actual beginning of card games, as we know them today, was first recorded by a Swiss Monk named John of Rheinfelden. John recorded a card game played in 1377 with a deck of 52 cards. The cards ranged from 1 to 10 in value. This seems to be the best evidence that 1377 is the first year that history documented a card game being played with a 52 deck of cards."
   
   tinyurl.com/qhaum

2. Washington State On Line Law

   On June 7th, a new law in the state of Washington criminalizing online gaming and poker took effect.
   
   tinyurl.com/rxp8d

3. Internet Gambling Report

   Casino City Press notes the publication of the eighth edition of Internet Gambling Report. The report addresses a number of noteworthy issues including:

   • The UK Gambling Act
   • The Australian IGA Review
   • EC Policy and European Case Law
   • New I-Gaming Jurisdictions
   • Jurisprudence Pertaining to Advertising
   • Person-to-person Betting
   • Internet Poker
   • The Antigua/US WTO Dispute
   • Prohibition and Law Enforcement

   The report is available for purchase.
   
   tinyurl.com/oro4q

4. Problem Gambling Foundation of New Zealand

   The Problem Gambling Foundation of New Zealand offers valuable resources on their website. One such resource is ?When is it not a game?? The resource can be used by teachers and youth leaders/educators to develop in students the ability to critically analyze and respond to the influences of gambling on individuals and the wider society.
   
   For more information on the resource, contact lauren.cundall@pgfnz.co.nz Drop by the ?links? while you visit their website.
   
   tinyurl.com/qf2dh
   
   A full report on the youth education project may be found at the following site. The evaluation component noting teacher and youth feedback is well worth reviewing.
   
   tinyurl.com/mqgx9

5. Harrah?s Survey 2006: Profile of American Casino Gamblers

   Profile of the American Casino Gambler: Harrah?s Survey 2006 is based on two studies: the National Profile Study and the U.S. Gaming Panel, conducted by Roper Reports GfK NOP and TNS respectively.
   
   Roper Reports from GfK NOP administered face-to-face interviews to a nationwide sample of 2,000 adult men and women in the respondents? homes. The interviews were conducted in four waves between February and December 2005. ?Casino gamblers? were defined as respondents who indicated that they had gambled in a casino during the 12 months prior to being interviewed.
   
   TNS mailed a survey questionnaire in 2005 to a panel of 100,000 adults (25,000 adults per quarter) 21 years of age or older within the continental United States. The survey generated 57,205 respondents, from which TNS identified the U.S. Gaming Panel, a nationally representative sample of 14,437 casino players. ?Casino gamblers? were defined as respondents who indicated that they had gambled in a casino during the 12 months prior to being surveyed.
   
   tinyurl.com/p78t4

6. Responsible Gambling Centre in Nova Scotia

   The number of on site information centres continues to climb in Canada. The Nova Scotia centre opened June 22, 2006.
   
   tinyurl.com/ezcu7

7. Determining Socio-Economic Impacts of New Gaming Venues in Four Lower Mainland Communities in British Columbia

   The purpose of the study was to learn what, if any, economic and social costs and benefits emerge over time from the creation and operation of these four new venues. Its intent is to inform planning processes by the provincial government and other stakeholders. The study has been done in three waves:
   
   Baseline (2004)
   First Impact Measures (2005)
   Final Report with Second Impact Measures (2006)
   
   tinyurl.com/lb9xx

8. The Fourth Study into The Extent And Impact of Gambling in Tasmania with Particular Reference to Problem Gambling

   Thanks to Rhys Stevens for providing this contact. The report provides a prevalence rate for problem gambling at 1.41% (at risk and problem gambling combined). SOGS and the CPGI have been used in the process of developing the study.
   
   tinyurl.com/1tb7

100th Edition: On Line Gambling Debate,
Wagering on Grief and British Expansion

1. On Line Debate Continues Across Borders

   The on line debate flows and burps along with a range of players at the table. Consider the following offerings …
   
   From Frank Catania former Director of New Jersey Gaming Enforcement and managing partner for Catania Consulting …
   
   "(A ban) would be impossible to enforce." His view is to allow states to make their own decisions -- which would make any regulations much easier to enforce, he told the E-Commerce Times. "Gaming has always been a states' rights issue," Catania said. "A state could regulate online gaming, or it could decide to prohibit it or do nothing at all."
   
   tinyurl.com/15an6
   
   The AGA White Paper provides ample food for thought; noting that the first 17 pages are key, the latter 7 pages varied appendices … written by David O. Stewart.
   
   (David Stewart joined Ropes & Gray in 1989 to begin a litigation group in the Washington, D.C. office. His experience in complex litigation includes appellate and Supreme Court litigation, antitrust and commercial disputes, white-collar criminal defense work, health care law, gaming law and a variety of challenges to government regulation and enforcement.)
   
   tinyurl.com/ktz2s
   
   Gary Rotstein in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette provides his take on the currents and eddies in the on line quagmire … He pegs the number of on line U. S. gamblers at between 4 and 7 million. Add a swatch of Canadians to that number and the number of players and their related risk of developing problems is considerable.
   
   tinyurl.com/klb94
   
   On Thursday, June 15th, 2006 Pocket Fives is asking participants to participate in 'Write Your Congressperson' day. Pocket Fives is an online poker forum. The campaign is being organized with the support of the Poker Players Alliance (PPA). To further support this campaign, PPA president Michael Bolcerek will be the guest on Pocket Fives Podcast this June 15, along with a 'surprise guest', reportedly one of the top online poker players in the world.
   
   tinyurl.com/hle76
   
   Much of the debate centres around three themes … Regulation, access to very lucrative markets for the industry, and the capacity of technology to play a role in addressing the social cost of gambling.

2. NCRG Annual Conference November 12 ? 14/06 Las Vegas

   At this year?s conference, leading experts will examine the promise of new research for strengthening responsible gaming programs, clinical practice, gaming regulations and public health interventions; the risks of ignoring science, especially for public policy on gaming; and the translational challenges of reaching out to culturally and ethnically diverse populations.
   
   tinyurl.com/f3h7n

3. 2006 International Conference: Gambling and its Impacts - Policy, Practice and Research Perspectives, 13 ? 15 September 2006, The Auckland University of Technology North Shore Campus, Auckland.

   This conference will examine impacts that gambling, in its various forms, has on individuals, communities and societies. This includes consideration of the nature and extent of these impacts and ways to modify them. The conference will also provide an opportunity for participants from throughout the world to discuss recent developments and innovations in gambling policy, practice and research. An important aspect is the extent to which research informs policy and practice and vice versa.
   
   tinyurl.com/ehcbb

4. Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs Impact of Problem Gambling

   I had a chance to cite this report some time ago (dated 2005). However it bears a return visit with the growth of gambling in a range of ethnocultural communities. Chapter 4 considers problem gambling with references to the Situational Assessment of Problem Gambling Services in California Report, March 2005 (Rachel A. Volberg, Lori Rugle, Richard J. Rosenthal, and Tim Fong).
   
   APIAs (Asia and Pacific Islander Americans) were targeted by card clubs and casinos in the mid 1980s with ?Asian Games? rooms featuring Pai Gow Poker. In 1991, the Los Angeles Times printed a special magazine issue titled, ?The Hottest Game in Town: Thousands of Asian Gamblers, Hooked on The High Stakes Action of Pai Gow Are Transforming California?s Casinos.?
   
   A task force was formed in 2004 with key recommendations noted in the report pp. 21-22.
   
   tinyurl.com/gbap3

5. The Parasite Presence and Gambling

   I hasten to suggest that gambling can and will occur under any circumstances. This Reuters piece from June 1/06 looks at wagering on the likelihood of deadly hurricanes occurring during given periods. According to the odds given by the multibillion-dollar Internet betting industry, it's almost a dead certainty that Florida will be struck by a big hurricane during the 2006 Atlantic hurricane season, which officially opened on June 1, 2006.
   
   If you want to win big money, online gambling commentator Christopher Costigan said, you should bet on the United States escaping a major hurricane strike over the next six months after two ferocious seasons that saw eight hurricanes lash Florida and Hurricane Katrina devastate New Orleans and kill 1,300 people.
   
   Some U.S. media commentators have slammed the industry for insensitivity -- about 1,300 Americans died and tens of thousands lost their homes when Katrina swamped New Orleans and shattered the Mississippi coastline in August 2005.
   
   tinyurl.com/zbe9d

6. News From Across the Pond: Britain and Super Casino Growth

   Sheffield is one of eight sites short-listed for a super-casino with unlimited jackpots. A public meeting has now been organized to give residents a chance to discuss the possible impact on the city. The case against development will be argued by Blackpool councillor Steven Bate, of the Campaign Against Super-casino Expansion.
   
   tinyurl.com/z7qkq
   
   The Herald report by Stephen Stewart reports on the contentious issue of placing super casinos in Britain. Professor Peter Collins, director of Salford University's Centre for the study of Gambling and Commercial gaming, favours growth. Las Vegas-based MGM Mirage has plans to open a ?100m casino on a 5,000,000 sq ft site at Glasgow Harbour.
   
   tinyurl.com/fb25w
   
   Is there something called the World Cup taking place? (Pardon this football neophyte asking such a scandalous question.)
   
   According to Nielsen/NetRatings research, almost a million UK sports fans visited a sports or gambling website on the day of England?s opening game against Paraguay, despite the fact that it was the hottest day of the year. Traffic during the week peaked the next day, with over 1.1 million sports fans going online. The analysts speculate that the traffic spike was due to interest in the postmatch analysis of what was considered a rather poor performance by England, despite opening with a win.
   
   tinyurl.com/zdo73

7. CorpWatch Weighs in on Gambling

   The stated purpose of CorpWatch is to investigate and expose corporate violations of human rights, environmental crimes, fraud and corruption around the world. The organization works to foster global justice, independent media activism and democratic control over corporations.
   
   Brooke Shelby Biggs reports that R.J. Reynolds, of spokescamel fame, has come up with a new way to tap into kids' yearning to seem grown up: booze-flavored cigarettes with a gambling theme. Part of its new line of "Exotic Blends" are flavors such as "Screwdriver Slots," "Blackjack Gin," and "SnakeEyes Scotch." A trifecta of dangerous legal addictions states CorpWatch.
   
   tinyurl.com/ktfyx

100th Edition Special …
a time to reflect
June 2006

Bill Ursel, Director
Problem Gambling Community Program

The On line Review was created to provide a review of what has occurred in the world of gambling and problem gambling prevention and awareness.

I take this opportunity to reflect on a range of issues and apply some modest elements of an Aristotelian way of seeing the world. I ask a few questions and I will also extend appreciation to readers of the review and colleagues in the field.

1. When will provincial, state and federal jurisdictions in Canada and the United States enter on line gambling full bore and establish a new source of revenue?



2. When will those same jurisdictions take seriously the social costs of this ramping up of investment? Will the potential loss of revenue to things such as Video Lottery Terminals, slots, and varied on line gambling be on the table? Will the cost to lives forever altered be factored in to the commitment to generate increased revenues?



3. Will the gambling industry continue to press ahead with responsible gambling information centres? Will those centres be more aggressive in meeting the needs of those at risk … when revenues may fall as a result of responsible action?



4. Will key industry players that include MGM Mirage, Las Vegas Sands Corp, Harrah's Entertainment Inc. Malaysia's Genting Bhd and Partygaming.com consider the full extent of the cost of problem gambling to families, employers and communities?



5. Will industry and treatment and prevention programs in Europe and North America engage in change oriented debate with a commitment to substantial changes; see Australia … not a perfect world, however the will to move forward is unmistakable downunder.



6. Choose a pundit, any pundit … the poker ?rage? is simply a reflection of industry diversifying marketing strategies. If those who choose to gamble change taste and interest, the void will be filled. What will parallel poker? Texas Hold?em may fold?em sooner than some might think … consider palm held mobile phone access to games that is currently very real and very available.



7. Will we see more on line resources related to treatment and prevention? Consider the ?What are the Odds?? CD developed by Saskatchewan Health and the Saskatchewan Science Centre … engaging and inviting to youth and young adults.
   
   tinyurl.com/jaz8a

I have a story to share … the building where our program is housed has a crushed rock space landscaped with trees and shrubs. The crushed rock attracts a range of weeds. Some see those as part of the living world of plants. I don?t quite have such admiration for dandelions and ragweed. The key to the story is a pair of individuals who labour at removing the weeds. They opt not to spray; they pull each weed, one by one, ?to reach the root?. I asked one of the team about the painstaking labour … the cost of weed removal on their backs and knees … His response was this ?do you know that one weed can produce many hundreds of seeds … if that weed is so persistent, why then, should I not be equally persistent and dedicated.?

The dedication and albeit long distance connections that I have seen grow around the On Line Review recalled my conversation with the weed team. I name a few, so many more could find a place here … beginning with those closer to home.

• To Lynn Hill the CMHA Editorial Secretary for her steadfast work in posting the review and revising our website … thank you.



• To a dedicated staff team; Dave Morgan, Shauna Altrogge, Jenn Bauer, and Bill Bray (Bill having for a time at least moved on to another position) thank you for your presence.



• To Steve Christensen and Leanne Fischer of Saskatchewan Health for their energy and capacity to carry ideas forward as we work together in our task of prevention … thank you.



• The connections extend … to Rhys Stevens for his excellent resources, and those of the Alberta Gaming Research Institute. Rhys provides source of information second to none at his blog … gamingresearch.blogspot.com. Thanks Rhys . . we really do need to meet in the flesh one day …



• To David (Dave) Schwartz … dieiscast.com one of the most engaging minds in and around the gambling industry with connections and analysis that raises so many good questions . . .thank you Dave.



• To Pieter Remmers of the European Association for the Study of Gambling … the information shared has always been helpful . . and to Mark Griffiths, Nottingham Trent University … for the volumes of papers, texts and insights.



• To Julie Hynes, the Oregonian … for insight, questions that bear more questions and for being a presence . . thank you … kewl site Julie lanecountry.org/prevention/gambling



• Finally to Kathleen Wall . . . partner in life with eyes that see new corners of the world every day … grounding and persistent source for all that I do … hugs!

99th Edition: Swedish Monopoly, American Gaming Association Report,
South African Conference and Cost of Gambling and U. S. Legislators
Challenge Growth of Gambling

1. Scholarship Blues; Chips That Is …

   The College Poker Championship is one of several scholarship tournaments run by gambling websites across North America. Thirty-three thousand students have enrolled according to the site promotion.
   
   The risk is very clear … equate on line gambling, Texas Hold?em with education. The risks of loss of focus, preoccupation and chasing losses rather than grades is all too apparent.
   
   tinyurl.com/pcroe
   
   The key site is located at the following URL. The site offers the following ?not for profit? objectives:

   • Searching for the best Texas Hold 'em, No Limit college poker player in the world
   • Supporting students' educational endeavors with huge cash scholarships
   • Supporting the use of poker as a strategic learning tool among students

   
   I would add … increase the culture of play in young adults to foster life long gambling, link academic achievement with gambling as a foundation and perhaps for a twist add the likelihood of less focus on study and more on tracking debts and bail outs from family and friends.
   
   tinyurl.com/qs5gr

2. Older Adults and the Cost of Gambling

   "There's clearly a vulnerable population out there that's bigger than I would have guessed," said Dr. David Oslin, assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, who led a study of 870 older adults. He found that 11 percent of the 870 seniors in his study were at risk for becoming problem gamblers - a number he thought would be closer to 2 percent, more in line with the general population.
   
   tinyurl.com/rccf4

3. Prohibition Debate and On Line Gambling: Case of the Horse Having Long Left The Barn

   Frank Catania, former Director of New Jersey Gaming Enforcement weighs in to the ?debate.? The term is not terribly accurate. This observer sees the case of being one of when rather than if … legislators across North America cannot ignore the potential windfall of on line gambling as yet another source of revenue … and a very deep pool of pathological gamblers.
   
   tinyurl.com/ohf68

4. Fahrenkopf 500 … Words from AGA

   The American Gaming Association, representing the interests of casino operations throughout the United States, has come forward with an approach to the question of the regulation of online poker and gaming by the federal government. The organization has called for a year-long study into the continued popularity of Internet gaming and will table their criticisms of Washington's efforts while the study is going on. The subject demands such a look, according to American Gaming Association president Frank Fahrenkopf.
   
   AGA will continue to push the envelope of expansion of gambling by any means possible. The continued reliance on gambling profits by governments at all levels is an old song … at the cost of innovation, alternate investment in communities and the parallel investment in people.
   
   tinyurl.com/rzhzm

5. Swedish Monopoly and the EU

   The European Community is based upon the principle of free movement of the four freedoms, and aims to create one internal in which measures of harmonization are utilized. Thus, principally, a monopoly as the Swedish gambling monopoly is contrary to this objective. Nonetheless, the Treaty on the European Union provides derogations based on public policy, public security and public health. Gambling has, so far, not been the object of any harmonization initiative within the European Union.
   
   In lay terms, this 2005 Master?s Thesis by Bobi Mitrovi? outlines a number of legal arguments and Swedish case law on gambling for the Swedish approach to gambling. Chapter 3 considers the question of marketing versus prevention, treatment and education as responsibilities of government beyond revenue generation.
   
   tinyurl.com/ls7we

6. AGA Survey of Casino Entertainment

   The American Gaming Association?s review of the land based casino landscape in 2006. Methodology of the study as follows …
   
   Peter D. Hart Research Associates, Inc., conducted an online survey among 552 Internet gamblers from March 18 through March 21, 2006. All survey respondents were screened to ensure they were age 21 or older, and had placed a wager over the Internet within the past year, either by playing poker or other online casino games, or betting on sporting events (excluding NCAA tournament pools and fantasy sports leagues). The sample was drawn from Survey Direct?s online panel of 4.3 million consumers.
   
   Luntz, Maslansky Strategic Research interviewed a base sample of 800 adult Americans from Feb. 28 through March 5, 2006. A total of 245 interviews were conducted in gaming states and 555 in nongaming states. The margin of error for the total sample was +/- 3 percent. Interviews were conducted by telephone using random digit sampling.
   
   Findings labeled Harrah?s Entertainment/TNS are based on a survey questionnaire developed by TNS for Harrah?s Entertainment and mailed to a panel of 100,000 Americans. The survey generated 57,205 respondents from which a nationally representative sample of 14,437 casino players aged 21+ was identified (past 12 month gamblers). The margin of error for the survey was +/-1.3 percent to 1.7 percent, depending on the confidence level.
   
   tinyurl.com/osje5

7. Extraterritorial Internet Gambling: Legal Challenges and Policy Options

   Edward Morse notes that "the Internet provides an attractive business model that creates economic incentives for proliferation and patronage. However, Internet operations circumvent domestic regulatory systems designed to accomplish various policy goals, including the protection of minors. They also circumvent domestic tax structures and present concerns regarding unregulated cash flows."
   
   The site offers various download options to view the entire piece.
   
   tinyurl.com/nme92

8. Latter Day Saint Marches In

   David Zabriskie is the musical force behind large-scale productions by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, such as the Christmas favorite, "The Saviour of the World," and the church's newest summer pageant in Nauvoo, Ill. And he writes traditional classical compositions for a number of groups that aren't affiliated with the LDS Church. He is also the creative mind behind music that thousands of gamblers hear every day while sliding coins and bills into slot machines around the world.
   
   tinyurl.com/mu3pm

9. National Gambling Board of South Africa Conference Papers

   The site of the NGB provides a number of papers from the recent April 19-21, 2006 conference. -Interactive Gambling in Malta- by George Mangion provides a developmental comparison between Malta, Costa Rica, the Untied Kingdom and Gibraltar. The Socio Economic Impact of Legalized Gambling in South Africa (Prof. Andre Ligthlem) considers the impact on lower income and unemployed gamblers and on the general population. He notes that 27.2% of the study participants were unemployed. His source is 3,100 household surveys and 13 focus groups.
   
   tinyurl.com/ra3jb

10. Revisit the Cost of Gambling: U. S. Legislators Comment

    Denise Jewell writes in the Oklahoma McAlester News-Capital &133; There?s no doubt America is sold on gambling, with a payoff of $20.9 billion per year to state governments. What?s been overlooked in a nation of high rollers is the unintended human cost: the large and growing class of people addicted to gambling and whose lives often end up in ruin.
    
    ?I don?t think it is conspiratorial in nature,? said state Sen. Susan C. Tucker, a Massachusetts Democrat who opposes a plan for racinos in her state. ?It?s more that most government leaders understand the truth and simply close their eyes and look away. As for the gambling industry, it is in its self-interest to keep up the gambling.?
    
    tinyurl.com/ljbvk

---

Visit a few key source sites on line …



Gaming Research Weblog … brought to you by Rhys Stevens of the Alberta Gaming Research Institute …

gamingresearch.blogspot.com


Die is Cast: Thoughts on a World of Chance … brought to you by David Schwartz, Director of the Centre for Gaming Research, University of Nevada Las Vegas …

dieiscast.com


Ontario Problem Gambling Research Centre

gamblingresearch.org

98th Edition: South African Youth,
Record Profits and Super Jocks Not Knowing When to Fold?em

1. South African Youth and Gambling

   Philip Frankel, the Head of the Department of Political Studies at Wits University provides findings from a study that included a focus on risk-taking behaviour among adolescents from just fewer than 40 schools countrywide, from "profoundly disadvantaged" rural schools in KwaZulu-Natal to "highly prestigious" ones in Cape Town and Johannesburg.
   
   The overview in this piece outlines risk taking behaviour and gambling.
   
   tinyurl.com/pw9au

2. Further to South Africa: 2004 Youth Study

   Twenty-eight schools from all nine provinces participated in this initiative, which involved both a mass statistical survey of learners in Grades 10, 11 and 12, as well as interviews with principals, teaching staff and learners aimed at generating qualitative data.
   
   The project was conducted during late 2004, when the Wits University team and representatives of the National Gambling Board designed the sample survey. Principals at a range of schools reflecting the diversity of the educational system were then approached and invited to participate on the basis of strict confidentiality for themselves and their learners. The survey and the qualitative investigation were concluded in January/February 2005, with analysis of data on the sociology and dynamics of youth gambling nation-wide.
   
   The study outlines a number of key recommendations on strategic pathways and capacity building. The following preface is quite telling, ?it is readily evident that public policy, the South African gambling industry, and other key stakeholders are obliged to address what appears to be a hidden and grossly under-estimated social problem that is comparable to the problems of adolescent gambling in other parts of the international community.?
   
   tinyurl.com/lt3g5

3. Record Profits

   Record profits are noted for the big six in the industry. The list includes Boyd Gaming, Harrahs, Las Vegas Sands, MGM Mirage, Station Casinos and Wynn Resorts. Cash flow -- earnings before interest, depreciation, taxes and amortization -- should have increased to $1.9 billion, up 58.3 percent from $1.2 billion in the first quarter of 2005.
   
   tinyurl.com/mbmro

4. Social and Economic Costs and Benefits of Gambling

   Calculating the cost of gambling has always been somewhat of a challenge. Thanks to Rhys Stevens for posting the various presentations from the April 21 and 22, 2006 Alberta Gaming Research Institute?s 5th Annual Conference. I found the Hann, Simpson and Williams piece informative. David Hodgins paper on the impact of availability to gambling on problem gambling is telling. Note the three models reviewed: Linear, Saturation and Social Adaptation.
   
   tinyurl.com/ld7o9
   
   Similar value can be found in posted papers from the Discovery 2006 conference of April 9 ?12, 2006. Be sure to read Debbie Christie?s piece on ?Gambling and Abuse of Older Adults?, Jeff Marotta asks the question ?How Helpful are Problem Gambling Help Lines?? and Jon Kelly makes some observations on social marketing campaigns. Take your time and digest a full range of papers on line.
   
   tinyurl.com/p2gn8

5. Big Guns in Sports Challenged by Gambling

   Thanks to Steve Christensen for passing on two sources. John Daly and Charles Barkley are mired in the challenges they face when gambling behaviour is out of control. Daly admits he has lost between $50 million and $60 million during 12 years of heavy gambling. Barkley claims to have lost over $10 million dollars over a period of years.
   
   tinyurl.com/lduax
   
   tinyurl.com/momkz

6. Mobile Hand Held Gambling Gets the Nod

   Steve Christensen passes this on . . .The Nevada State Gaming Control Board recommended Cantor Gaming as the state's first licensed manufacturer and distributor of the devices. The board's parent state Gaming Commission will have final say on the licensing at a May 18 meeting.
   
   The wireless devices can be linked to a main casino server that verifies the gambler is the person who checked out one of the devices at a casino. Proponents say the devices can be set to stop working in non-authorized areas, and players can establish limits in advance by depositing money on account. This observer is concerned that rapid play in a highly charged environment in Vegas or other casino sites will challenge the ?limit setting? options for many gamblers.
   
   tinyurl.com/q8v36

97th Edition: Global Reach of the Industry,
Harm Minimization, and Australian Framework

1. Hottest Game? Globalization

   Kerzner International, a luxury resort and casino operator, announced it would go private in a $3.6 billion deal. The company, which operates the Sun City resort in South Africa and the Atlantis brand of casinos, is being bought by a multi-firm partnership that includes Goldman Sachs Group. The American Gaming Association reports that consumers spent $28.9 billion at U.S. commercial casinos in 2004, a figure that has more than doubled since 1994. On line gambling for 2005 has estimates that approach $4-6 billion.
   
   "The leading trend in gaming right now is globalization," says Christensen Capital Advisors. "The fact that gambling takes place pursuant to government licenses prevented the globalization trends that affect other industries, like the auto industry. But since the turn of the century, that has changed. Big American companies like MGM and Harrah's are globalizing as fast as they can. These companies are becoming global enterprises."
   
   The site provides a link to the Forbes.com ?hottest land based casinos.? A quick perusal lists Atlantic City, Germany, Moscow, Macau and London. The impact on those casinos to local economies would be very revealing. So to the related social costs to the communities and burdens on human services.
   
   tinyurl.com/kbma3

2. River City Resources- On Line Gambling

   The River City Group carries out research for the gambling industry. Implications for various forms of legislation are noted. A revised Internet Gambling Report is due out June 2006. Ordering information (for a fee of $195 US) is noted on the site.
   
   tinyurl.com/jauw7

3. Revisiting: Assessment of the Impact of the Reconfiguration on Electronic Gaming Machines as Harm Minimization Strategies for Problem Gambling

   The report was released in 2001. However the methodology and findings are well worth review. The project on which the Report is based was designed to examine the impact of proposed changes to machine design features on:

   1. 1) Player satisfaction and enjoyment (Study 1).
   2. 2) Player behaviour (Study 2).
   3. 3) Player expenditure (Study 3).
   4. 4) The perceptions of self-identified problem gamblers on whether the modifications would have influenced the development and severity of their problems with gambling (Study 4).

   
   tinyurl.com/kn9vf

4. National Framework-Australia 2004 ? 2008

   The stated aim of the framework is to minimize the negative consequences of problem gambling to the individual, their family and the community through a national approach.
   
   Four key focus areas are noted in the framework:

   1. 1) Public Awareness, Education and Training - to promote a greater understanding of the nature of the gambling product, the potential for harm and the availability of help and support.
   2. 2) Responsible Gambling Environments - to minimize the likelihood of recreational gamblers developing problem gambling behaviours.
   3. 3) Intervention, Counselling and Support Services - to enhance problem gambling support and treatment services that are effective, accessible and culturally appropriate.
   4. 4) National Research and Data Collection - to inform the implementation and further development of the national framework and its strategies.

   
   tinyurl.com/gs9yc

5. Op.Ed from Britain- Risks to Children

   Polly Toynbee in the Guardian asks the question ?What on earth is it (the Labour Government) doing planting super-casinos up and down the land? She notes that the closing date for applications has just passed; 68 councils have applied, from Salford to Bath. Expansion plans call for eight "small" and eight super-casinos, and one mega operation.
   
   tinyurl.com/enk27

6. To Ban or Not to Ban: On Line Gambling

   The Wall Street Journal Online asked Rep. Leach and David Carruthers, chief executive of BetOnSports Plc, an online sports book and casino based in Costa Rica, to debate whether Internet gambling should be banned in the U.S. Their exchange, carried out via email is noted.
   
   tinyurl.com/m9zut



One Canadian industry perspective is raised by William Rutsey, CEO of the Canadian Gaming Association in this piece submitted to the Ottawa Citizen.

tinyurl.com/j8cbg

96th Edition: Australian Harm Minimization,
U.S. Ban Action, Ontario Possible Regulation and a United Poker Front

1. Harm Minimization: Sydney Research

   Researchers Blaszczynski, Sharpe and Walker provide this review of harm minimization strategies. The focus is on modifications to electronic gaming machines, reduction of the availability of gaming machines and increased responsible gambling by individuals and providers.
   
   tinyurl.com/nl9h6

2. Impulse Control Drug Impact

   The impulse control disorder drug nalmefene, which has previously been shown to be effective for alcohol dependence, may also be effective for pathological gambling. Dr. Jon E. Grant, of the University of Minnesota Medical School, publishes the findings in the American Journal of Psychiatry.
   
   tinyurl.com/phkug

3. Youth and Internet Gambling

   This article in the Guardian notes the increased risk to youth provided by on line gambling.
   
   tinyurl.com/qu7dw

4. VLT Gambling in Canada

   This review was provided for the Canadian Gaming Association. The Association is a lobby group for the industry. Various jurisdictions are reviewed and there is a section devoted to responsible gaming initiatives by various elements of the industry.
   
   tinyurl.com/ocb45

5. On Line Gambling Challenge Continues

   Iowa Representative Jim Leach's proposed law, known as H.R. 4411 is a mechanism that would make it illegal for gambling operations to accept financial transactions in the form of credit cards, checks, wire transfers and electronic funds transfers (EFTs) that players from not only the United States but worldwide use to finance their online bankrolls.
   
   tinyurl.com/q6okx

6. Grinols Summary- 2003 Presentations to U. S. Senate and House

   Professor Earl L. Grinols, Dept. of Economics, University of Illinois provides this summary of information he presented to the U. S. Senate and Congress in 2003.
   
   Grinols is clearly a critic of various elements of gambling and gambling expansion in the United States.
   
   tinyurl.com/lcqhw

7. Bill 60 in Ontario- Proposed Regulation of Promotion of Gambling

   Section 17.1 of the proposed bill indicates ? No person shall print, publish, distribute, broadcast or telecast an advertisement or representation that includes an Internet gaming business website address unless the person believes in good faith that the Internet gaming business has been licensed or otherwise granted permission to operate in Ontario or Canada by the appropriate authority and is operated in accordance with the applicable laws of Ontario and Canada.?
   
   tinyurl.com/pt2um

8. United Poker Front?

   "The time is now for the poker world to unite, for all in the poker industry to come together and establish a strong governing body where everyone from the professional player to the casinos to the poker tours has a voice in the future of tournament poker," flatly stated Jesse Jones, the founder of the World Poker Association.
   
   tinyurl.com/qmcrl
   
   Time will tell if the move is perceived as a benefit to the profit driven industry that is in the midst of unprecedented growth. In a related piece . . .
   
   WPT, WSOP Leaders To Headline World Poker Congress
   
   With the announcement that Steve Lipscomb, the founder and president of the World Poker Tour, has joined the roster of speakers during the World Poker Congress in Stockholm, Sweden, it gives those in the poker community the opportunity to hear from the mouths of the two leaders of the two most prestigious poker tours in the world. Joining Lipscomb joins at the dais co-keynote speaker Jeffery Pollack, the commissioner of the World Series of Poker, to finish off the two-day conference on June 28th, 2006.
   
   A meeting of the minds underway perhaps? I would hope that risks to players will be on the agenda for Mr. Lipscomb and Pollack.
   
   tinyurl.com/mr3f9

9. Sweden: Showing It?s Hand

   Svenska Spel, a gaming company owned by the government of Sweden, launched the world's very first government owned internet poker room April 1, 2006. While many countries are regulators of Internet gaming, Sweden became the first country to actually operate and own an online cardroom. Business was brisk on the first day of operation, with over 1,000 real money players signing up during the first two hours of opening.
   
   Svenska Spel also operates four brick and mortar poker rooms in Sweden. Online, it will charge a 2.5% rake, and the company expects to generate a first year rake of over $32 million dollars into the government coffers. With governmental concerns over fostering online addiction, Svenska Spel has strict rules for players, making each person set a personal limit of time and money spent on the site before they are allowed to play. In addition, those under 18 years of age will not be allowed to participate.
   
   tinyurl.com/opxj8

10. Conservatives in Britain Change Direction on Gambling

    The Conservatives are preparing to pave the way for a big rise in the number of super-casinos allowed in the UK. It has emerged that they are considering changing their previous policy, which permitted just one super-casino.
    
    In April, the Tories will hold a seminar at Westminster to discuss the possibility of allowing an increase. This comes after intense lobbying from mainly Conservative-controlled local authorities eager to get a slice of increased leisure spending in their districts.
    
    tinyurl.com/m5a43

95th Edition: Saskatchewan Changes on Horizon,
On Site Information Services Growing, South African and Australian Reviews

1. Newfoundland and Labrador and Problem Gambling

   Newfoundland and Labrador Health Minister John Ottenheimer admits that people with addictions are waiting too long to get the help they need. (He noted) . . . the provincial government has capped the number of VLTs in the province, and is limiting to five the number of machines an establishment can lease.
   
   tinyurl.com/kjr6o

2. Information Centres in Alberta

   The number of responsible gambling information centres in Canada continue to grow. I am aware of such centres in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Nova Scotia and Alberta. Lloyd Carr, a spokesperson for the Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission, says the centre's staff won't approach individuals. He says it is meant to provide a place for people to turn if they want help. The centres in Edmonton and Calgary will appear as booths that will be staffed five days a week by an AADAC councillor. There will also be a clock and information about how much people typically spend in one hour at the card and other gambling tables, and slots. The Edmonton center opened February 16/06; the Calgary site is slated to begin operations in the spring of 2006.
   
   tinyurl.com/fknx6

3. Saskatchewan Study on VLT?s

   The board of the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority on Feb. 20/06 approved a plan to contract an independent researcher to consult with national and international gaming experts on the potential impact of reducing the number of machines. The approval of the study fulfills a promise made by the former SLGA minister Eric Cline last November after the provincial Liberal party passed a resolution calling for the province to reduce VLT and slot machine numbers by 2,000. There will be over 6,700 gaming machines in the province when two new First Nations casinos are opened in Swift Current and the Whitecap Dakota First Nation this year.
   
   tinyurl.com/ely6m

4. South African Study: Socio Economic Impact of Gambling

   Gauteng is a province in South Africa. The Gauteng Gambling Board (GGB) and the Gauteng Department of Finance and Economic Affairs decided to commission an extensive study on the socioeconomic impact of the gambling sector in Gauteng. The objectives of the study were to measure the socioeconomic impact based on the following:

   • Community attitudes towards gambling, including aspects such as participation in gambling activities, reasons for abstaining and gambling as a leisure activity; access to gambling facilities and expenditure on gambling.
   • Propensity to gamble and expenditure displacement.
   • Problem gambling.
   • Size and contribution of the gambling sector.

   The summary of findings begins on page 159 and continues to page 166.
   
   tinyurl.com/hbcdb

5. Casinos Continue Resurgence Post Katrina

   The Beau Rivage, one of many Biloxi, Mississippi area casinos damaged by Hurricane Katrina, will re-open on August 29th, 2006 according to its parent company MGM Mirage. The reintroduction of poker at Beau Rivage follows three Biloxi casinos opening their doors in December 2005.
   
   This appears to be development with a narrow view. . . the alternatives remain largely unexplored in an area hard hit by economic loss.
   
   tinyurl.com/kvupu

6. Australia: Anglicare Review of Rehabilitation Programs

   Anglicare SA is one of the largest not-for-profit organizations in South Australia and provides services in aged care (high care, low care, independent living, community aged care packages and day therapy services) family and community services and a range of other services. Anglicare carried out an ?Inquiry into the Effectiveness of Gambling Rehabilitation Programs?, March 2005.
   
   tinyurl.com/gkltz

7. Sports Betting and NewYork

   This 2005 Partnership Issue Brief explores the issues related to sports betting, existing games and recent legalization efforts. The political fight to legalize sports betting has proven difficult in the past. The authors note that ?there are numerous requirements and a united front in New York is necessary for any effort to overturn federal law and expand gaming at the state level.?
   
   The authors go on to say that ?the basic calculations suggest that legalizing and operating sports betting could generate anywhere from $290 million to $1.9 billion annually for New York State in tax revenue.? The following caveat is provided for the benefit of the reader: ? The primary purpose of this report, which was prepared by the Research and Policy Department of the Partnership for New York City, is to educate the general public and is not intended to be partisan or used for specific lobbying activities.
   
   tinyurl.com/hneuk

8. Vegas Poker Boom/Renaissance

   The Venetian Casino will introduce one of Las Vegas's largest poker rooms in the spring of 2006, with a floor space of over 10,000 square feet. Caesar's Palace, (December 05), the Las Vegas Hilton, (September 05), and the Stratosphere, (June 05), are notables among many strip casinos that have re-opened their poker rooms.
   
   The established presence of on line poker, Texas Hold?em for one, has caused many land-based operations to review their position on the once less popular ?family? of poker based card games.
   
   tinyurl.com/kvqz9

94th Edition: On Line Debate,
Gretzky and Canadian Prevalence Rates

1. Word from LaRocque: VLT Challenge

   John LaRocque was formerly with the Nova Scotia office of Health Promotion. He was critical of the government's attempts to help those living with problem gambling. He is now saying the only way to solve the problem is to outlaw video lottery terminals.
   
   tinyurl.com/dag2m

2. Stats on Prevalence, Revenue, Participation

   The Canadian Partnership for Responsible Gambling has produced a useful guide. The contents includes Canadian prevalence rates for problem gambling, provincial revenues and other helpful information.
   
   tinyurl.com/aedjf

3. Personal Perspective: On Line Gambling

   This item is provided to offer the personal perspective of Ryan Hammer related to on line gambling. I found some interesting comments. Questions that have been addressed (item was written in 2001) are well catalogued in the piece. I also found some hyperbole and some comments that will not help the debate such as ?The research performed on pathological gambling has often been half-hearted.? p (. 121)
   
   tinyurl.com/b4n6j

4. Washington State 2003 Needs Assessment Survey: Problem Gambling

   The report offers, ?statewide, 3.9 percent of adults are at risk for or meet the criteria for problem or pathological gambling. Although participating in gambling is more common among adults above 200 percent of the federal poverty level, adults at or below this poverty threshold are slightly more likely to be at risk for or meet the DSM-IV criteria for problem or pathological gambling (4.7 percent). (p. 6-2)
   
   tinyurl.com/cuhx4

5. Of Gretzky, ?News? and Gambling

   Wayne Gretzky can be called one of the most skilled players to ever play professional hockey (for those who may not follow the game) The Las Vegas Review story is one of many floating through the blogs and flotsam on line. I find it fascinating as questions are being raised . . . Why are we so quick to remove from the pedestal those heroes we also elevate? If Wayne Gretzky or a family member gambles, when does it become a problem? Clinical perspectives would abound on that issue. Does the National Hockey League have a responsibility for prevention? Does the Player?s Association have a greater or equal responsibility to address problem gambling?
   
   tinyurl.com/cauq9

6. U.S. Congress Raises Flag on Internet Gambling Ban Once Again

   A total of 115 House lawmakers co-sponsored a bill February 16, 2006 that if passed would outlaw the $12 billion (7 billion pound) Internet gambling industry. The legislation would specifically prohibit a gambling business from accepting credit cards, checks, wire and Internet transfers in illegal gambling transactions. It also would set a maximum prison sentence of five years for violations.
   
   tinyurl.com/b2ho9

93rd Edition: ADHD and Gambling,
Asian Communities, Campus Impacts

1. ADHD and Pathological Gambling

   Given the central feature of impulsivity in the motor, emotional, social and attention manifestations of ADHD, it is not surprising therefore to find preliminary evidence suggestive of a strong link between ADHD and gambling problems both in adolescent and adult populations. Blaszczynski, Sharpe, Walker, Clarke, and Kohn report their study investigated the prevalence and nature of gambling in samples of adolescents and young adults with a diagnosis of ADHD compared to a non-clinical group drawn from schools.
   
   tinyurl.com/azong

2. Poker Backlash

   With poker's growing popularity has come greater scrutiny by law enforcement agencies, and arrests and crackdowns are taking place from Baltimore and New York to Monterey, Calif. In October, a business group in San Jose was warned that it would break the law if it hosted a poker tournament to raise money for a library.
   
   tinurl.com/exnvn

3. Aging Yet Relevant: Whistler Report

   The Review has made reference to the Whistler symposium on several occasions. The symposium was planned and held in Whistler, British Columbia from September 24-27, 2000. The Symposium was funded by provincial addictions agencies, government gaming departments and lottery corporations, and private gaming industry donations.
   
   Eminent gambling researchers and economists from Canada, the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Europe were invited to interact with public policy-makers (politicians, government department and agency officials) to discuss and debate various perspectives, definitions, and methods for assessing the social and economic impacts of gambling to society. In total, about sixty people participated in the Whistler Symposium.
   
   tinyurl.com/a4kaf

4. Concern in Asian Communities

   A 1999 poll in San Francisco's Chinatown, commissioned by a social services agency, found that 70% of 1,808 respondents ranked gambling as their community's No. 1 problem. In a follow-up poll, 21% of respondents considered themselves pathological gamblers and 16% more called themselves problem gamblers ? rates significantly higher than in the overall population.
   
   Numerology also plays a crucial role in many Asian cultures. The number 8, for example, is considered extremely lucky by many Chinese, while 4, when spoken in Mandarin and Cantonese, sounds like the word for death and is avoided.
   
   "An astronomical amount of money leaves the Asian community for gambling industry coffers," said Paul Osaki, a member of a gambling task force created last year by the state Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs. "It's not all discretionary money. It's quality-of-life money, food-on-the-table money, college education money."
   
   Activists say California's Office of Problem Gambling is under-funded and disorganized. The agency's $3-million budget is derived from contributions from 26 Native American-run casinos. Thirty other tribal casinos do not contribute. Nor do card rooms, race tracks or the state lottery.
   
   tinyurl.com/bt3d3

5. Ebb and Flow of Poker Growth

   The various venues for poker continue to morph. The face, location and options can boggle the mind . . . and the bankroll.
   
   In the second season of the WPT (World Poker Tour), seven of the fourteen events paid out a million dollar first place prize. Season Three consisted of sixteen events and eleven of those reached the magic million-dollar mark. So far in Season Four, only two of the ten events that have been completed haven't paid the winner a million dollar prize, the Grand Prix de Paris (traditionally a smaller event due to the size of its location at the Aviation Club de France, and its proximity to the WSOP) (World Series of Poker) and a current event at the Gold Strike.
   
   Almost 1400 players took part in a $500 No-Limit event at the WSOP Circuit stop in Tunica and slightly over 400 played in a similar event during the WPT stop. The opening event of the LA Poker Classic just hosted 1,150 entrants.
   
   tinyurl.com/aq2rq

6. Screening Tools On Line

   Thanks to Rhys Stevens (www.gamingresearch.blogspot.com/) for this link to the Arizona Office of Problem Gambling. Standard screening tools are offered on the site. The ?additional links? provide contacts that may be helpful.
   
   tinyurl.com/8llct

7. Campus Gambling in the U.S.

   Among young American men ages 14 to 22, the number who said they gambled once a month rose by 20 percent from 2004 to 2005, according to the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania. Of the 2.9 million young people who gamble every week, 80 percent are men.
   
   "In our view, much of the media glamorization of gambling has been done without any responsible gaming message," says Keith Whyte, executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling in Washington, D.C. "Can you imagine a world series of drinking?" he says, alluding to the televised "World Series of Poker." "It would have warning signs and responsible consumption messages. You see almost none of that with televised gambling shows."
   
   tinyurl.com/ctzam

8. Availability of Treatment in Ontario

   The study by Brian Rush, Edward Adlaf, Scott Veldhuizen, Larry Corea, and Susan Vincent considers the need for treatment and the availability of treatment. The stated objectives of the study is the assessment of:

   1. the geographic variation in the need for treatment for problem gambling in Ontario;
   2. factors associated with the need for treatment;
   3. geographic variation across Ontario in the availability, accessibility, and use of treatment services for problem gambling;
   4. the relationship between need for treatment and accessibility of treatment, taking into account exposure to gambling venues and other demographic risk factors; and,
   5. factors associated with seeking treatment for problem gambling in Ontario in the context of geographic variation in need.

   
   tinyurl.com/8a2m4n

9. Linked Bingo in Nova Scotia

   Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation (NSGC) launched a new pilot project January 25, 2006. SuperStar Linked Bingo is an electronically linked game that connects participating bingo halls and offers players larger jackpots for one game a night.
   
   Some observers feel that bingo is a benign indulgence with little risk for problem or pathological gambling. In reality, bingo is indeed part of the gambling landscape with it?s own inherent risks. Significant numbers of players are moderate-risk to problem players. The duration of play and the significance play has in a player?s life are two key elements to monitor in bingo play.
   
   tinyurl.com/9sfv8

92nd Edition: On Line Summit,
Oregon Resource and Gambling and Technology

1. Oregon Awareness Week Resource Guide

   I recommend a visit to this well designed guide. The OPGAW has produced the guide. Three key messages are planned to be conveyed during the U.S. awareness week:

   1. Problem Gambling is a serious public health issue in Oregon.
   2. Oregon?s investment in addressing problem gambling reduces harm and helps the economy.
   3. Treatment in Oregon is free, confidential, and it works.

   
   I found the ?facts on gambling? portion of the guide to be very helpful. ?Vulnerable populations? are identified and four sample presentations are shared in the piece.
   
   tinyurl.com/9rhou

2. 2007 Prediction?

   Matthew Miller at Forbes.com offers his somewhat bold prediction. ?Internet gambling will be regulated by 2007 at (the) latest. Lawmakers will be forced to take morality out of the online-gambling debate and license, regulate and tax the industry.? The piece provides a subjective thumbnail of major players that include MGM Mirage, Harrah?s, and Wynn Resorts.
   
   tinyurl.com/cq9xs

3. Harrah?s Expansion

   Harrah's is taking yet another step in furthering it's giant gaming conglomerate with the recent announcement of its partnership with Glu Mobile. In a multi-year contract, Glu will create and publish World Series of Poker-branded mobile content, including graphics, ringtones, and other applications for Harrah's. This deal comes on the heels of an earlier move that saw Harrah's and AOL join forces for an online gaming venture.
   
   tinyurl.com/drddh

4. River Belle Casino: Technology and the Game

   Here is an example of the diversity of options that on line poker play offers . . .with the increased option for playing longer and losing more as time passes by . . . features allow players to pre-select their seat at the tables and locate a specific player or search for their favorite table. For more advanced players, they can play at ten tables at once watching each game via the "Mini View" feature.
   
   tinyurl.com/dyxq3

5. Australian Inquiry

   General scope of this inquiry is as follows . . .the Authority must report on the introduction of gaming machine entitlements, the operation of the trading system for gaming machine entitlements and the effects on the gambling industry. The Amendment Act was the end product of a very extensive debate in Parliament on a Bill to implement the recommendations of the Independent Gambling Authority in its Report of Inquiry into the management of gaming machine numbers, the most notable one being the recommendation to reduce gaming machine numbers by 3,000.
   
   tinyurl.com/8ck4v

6. Summit: On Line Gaming

   The UK will stage the world's first international summit on online gambling later this year. The event - expected to take place in London in the fall of 2006 - will attempt to find ways to increase regulation of the booming industry. Australia, South Africa and New Zealand are reported to have welcomed the UK's idea of a summit, and online jurisdictions such as Malta, Costa Rica and Antigua will also be invited.
   
   tinyurl.com/c45bb

91st Edition: Changes in Russia, Post-Flood Developments,
British Tension and Nova Scotia Review

1. Russian Impact

   The growth of gambling in Moscow and various communities poses great challenges. Six Gamblers Anonymous groups now meet regularly in Moscow, while two others meet in St. Petersburg, one meets in the Moscow region and one meets in Kazan. Ten to 15 people attend each meeting. Not many gamblers, however, realize that they have a problem because the addiction is widely regarded as a personality flaw, said Oleg Zykov, head of the organization No to Alcoholism and Drugs foundation and a member of the Public Chamber. He likened public attitudes toward gambling to what attitudes were toward alcoholism before Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev began addressing widespread alcohol abuse in the 1980s. Thanks to Steve Christensen for passing on this link.
   
   tinyurl.com/c1581

2. World Count of Machines

   Thanks to Rhys Stevens (www.gamingresearch.blogspot.com) for passing on this link. I echo his caution when looking at the numbers. There appears to have been a ?missing link? when Canadian figures were considered. However, the overview provides a helpful source. The following definition of a gaming machine was used as the study benchmark: ?Any machine that is used for gaming purposes (whether mechanical or electronic) and offers the user a potential return on a single ?game? that is greater than the amount risked on that game.? The machine categories listed included slots, VLT?s and pachinkos. The estimate provided by TNS for a worldwide count is 7,620,258.
   
   tinyurl.com/b62xg

3. Televised Royal Flush?

   This televised ?game encounter? will have twelve players participate in Blackjack, baccarat, roulette, craps, Pai Gow, Caribbean Stud, horse racing and other challenges. First prize will be $1 million decided over the course of 10 weeks.
   
   tinyurl.com/abjk7

4. Investing in the Future?

   The powers that be in New Orleans and Mississippi continue to bank on gambling. The review has noted the commitment to rebuild with some disappointment. There are development alternatives that could be explored. Pity that they seem not to have made it to the drawing table.
   
   tinyurl.com/az6na

5. Boston Common?

   I provide this link to offer another glimpse at the human face of gambling. During fiscal 2005, $380.4 million worth of lottery tickets were sold through 725 agents in the 37 cities and towns in the Globe West circulation area (Boston) according to data provided by the Massachusetts State Lottery.
   
   tinyurl.com/82a87

6. $3 Billion Project

   Las Vegas-based rivals MGM Mirage, Las Vegas Sands Corp and Harrah's Entertainment Inc appear to be the key bidders for Singapore?s first casino to focus on South China. Malaysia's Genting Bhd is the remaining bidder. Development not for the faint of heart. Merrill Lynch estimates the downtown casino-resort may cost US$3 billion to develop.
   
   tinyurl.com/dqysv

7. Tension in Britain-Gambling Commission

   Peter Dean, the chairman of the new Gambling Commission, has directly contradicted the Culture Secretary?s claim that supercasinos will not create more gambling addicts. In an exclusive interview with The Times, he said that this was ?an exaggeration? . . . Major Bill Cochrane, of the Salvation Army, said: ?(We) took encouragement from the Government?s assurances that the Gambling Commission would be a new-style, tough independent regulator. We are now very concerned. The suggestion that gambling is ?the same as any other activity? ignores its potential to be highly addictive.?
   
   tinyurl.com/9s4yp

8. National Awareness Week in U.S.

   Problem Gambling Awareness Week in the U.S. is slated for March 6 ? 12, 2006. Drop by the site for details and resources.
   
   tinyurl.com/7u9ot

9. National Indian Gaming Association Calendar

   The calendar of events provides an overview of some events in the life of the U.S. Association.
   
   tinyurl.com/dbufu

10. Nova Scotia: Restricted Hours of VLT Play Reviewed

    Corporate Research Associates (CRA) was commissioned by Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation (NSGC) to conduct this study. The study was conducted via telephone interviewing. The primary goal of the study was to help assess the impact of the shutdown of video lottery terminals at midnight. Initial assessment of VL sales, since the change mandating that the VLTs be turned off at midnight, indicates that sales are down. This is evident whether comparing to the previous months (immediately prior to the change) or to the same time period last year. The decline is estimated to be between 5.1% and 8.7%.
    
    tinyurl.com/7t7bv

90th Edition: Older Adults, Newfoundland
Prevalence, Norway Action Plan

1. Key Conference on the Way

   The 5th Annual Alberta Conference on Gambling Research "Social and economic costs and benefits of gambling" will take place on Friday, April 21 & Saturday, April 22, 2006 at the Banff Centre, Banff, Alberta.
   
   tinyurl.com/9sc71

2. Slovenia Bound Dollars

   Thanks to Steve Christensen for passing on this gem . . . Harrah's Entertainment, the US gambling giant, is investing $1.37bn (?795m) in Las Vegas-style casinos in Spain and Slovenia after its ambitions to build in the UK were frustrated by a change of heart by the Government. Subscription to the site needed to view article in full.
   
   tinyurl.com/7fgv8

3. Seniors and Gambling

   This paper is posted on the Ontario Problem Gambling Research Centre site. The two-fold purpose of this research was: (1) to describe the extent and nature of gambling and problem gambling among older adults in Ontario; and, (2) to identify the sociodemographic health determinants and mental health-related problems, including alcohol and drug dependence, that predict gambling problems among older adults in Ontario.
   
   tinyurl.com/7d77b

4. Newfoundland Prevalence Study

   The 2005 study reports the following: ?6.1% were low-risk gamblers, 2.2% were moderate-risk gamblers, 1.2% were problem gamblers and 90.5% of survey respondents were placed in the non-gambler or non-problem gambler categories defined by the CPGI.
   
   tinyurl.com/bcsfb

5. Norway Action Plan

   The governmental action plan focuses on two main goals; the prevention of problem gambling and the reduction of negative effects of gambling. Published by the Ministry of Culture and Church Affairs.
   
   tinyurl.com/855ut

6. BetandWin Challenges Partygaming

   Betandwin, the Austrian-quoted internet gambling group aiming to establish itself as the main rival to PartyGaming, December 9/05 said it is in takeover talks with Ongame, the Swedish owner of poker website Pokerroom.com
   
   tinyurl.com/96ca8

7. BlackJack Has Arrived

   Partygaming introduced blackjack online in October. The game has quickly surpassed roulette as the site's most popular non-poker game and news of the rapid take-off prompted across-the-board profit upgrades by analysts. Blackjack's popularity enabled PartyGaming to predict that it would easily beat City forecasts for both revenues and profits. Morgan Stanley now expects cash-based operating profits of $560m for 2005.
   
   tinyurl.com/7eu15

89th Edition: Marketing to Women,
Informed Choice and AGA Reviews Record

1. Informed Choice

   The paper provides one perspective on the varied way of seeing the role of gambler, industry and varied stakeholders. Noting the author?s words ?the primary objective of this paper is to clarify the issue of personal responsibility and the role of industry in providing relevant and full information necessary for informed decision-making.? Written by Alex Blaszczynski, PhD, Robert Ladouceur, PhD, Lia Nower, JD, PhD, Howard J. Shaffer, PhD.
   
   Produced for the Australian Gaming Council.
   
   tinyurl.com/d8nb2

2. Marketing to Women

   Marketing continues to reach a variety of corners of the marketplace. This magazine is targeting women with a focus on poker.
   
   tinyurl.com/c9cy3

3. Wireless Gambling

   Nevada became the first state to allow the use of wireless, handheld gambling devices inside casinos during the summer of 2005. Concerns are raised by those who see at risk young adults having yet another challenge provided by this innovation.
   
   tinyurl.com/b4wbb

4. Gaming and Addiction

   An earlier edition of the review focused on gamers playing for days with few if any breaks. This piece (inflamed language included!) considers excessive computer gaming having the hallmarks of addiction, suggesting new experiments on "drug memory". The researchers argue it should be classified as such, enabling individuals at risk to start seeking help.
   
   tinyurl.com/89w53

5. Britain Marches On

   Matt Weaver in the Guardian reports on the current state of affairs in Britain . . .?First the number of megacasinos was cut to just eight - one for each region; then, in a last-ditch attempt to get the new gambling measures through parliament, culture minister Tessa Jowell cut the number of megacasinos to just one. A limit of eight has also been placed on the number of supercasinos, with eight smaller versions also to be built - bringing the total number of new casinos to 17.?
   
   tinyurl.com/84cxd

6. National Indian Gaming Association (U.S.) Reports Support

   Sixty seven percent of those surveyed support Indian gaming, an industry which has generated 553,000 jobs nationwide. The telephone survey of 1,000 registered voters was conducted by Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin & Associates and has a 3.1% margin of error. There remains the need to respond to short term economic gain and long term social cost; such is the reality in any community that bets on gambling as a source of revenue and solutions to a range of needs.
   
   tinyurl.com/bydxx

7. Empire and Party Gaming Jousting Continues

   British online gaming firm Empire Online (EOL.L: Quote, Profile, Research) said talks over a takeover by larger rival PartyGaming (PRTY.L: Quote, Profile, Research) had broken down and it was planning legal action against its would-be owner. The legal action follows PartyGaming's decision last month to ringfence its own poker players from those of four "skin sites" such as Empire -- Web sites that used PartyGaming's poker software to power their own online poker rooms.
   
   tinyurl.com/bmwkg

8. AGA Panorama

   Thanks to Rhys Stevens (www.gamingresearch.blogspot.com/) for the link to the ?white paper? on Promoting Responsible Gaming And Problem Gambling Research, Education and Treatment. (2005)
   
   The piece is a compilation of interviews with the likes of Frank J. Fahrenkopf, Jr., President and CEO, American Gaming Association, Bill Boyd, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Boyd Gaming Corporation, Kevin Mullally, Executive Director, Missouri Gaming Commission, Christine Reilly, Executive Director, Institute for Research on Pathological Gambling and Related Disorders, Division on Addictions, Cambridge Health Alliance, Harvard Medical School and others. The industry line remains evident.
   
   The first section of the paper describes the creation of an industry wide response to promote responsible gaming. The second section covers the efforts of the industry in the U.S. on responsible gaming and various problem gambling research efforts.
   
   tinyurl.com/a5ckm

88th Edition: Australian Facts,
Quebec Position, Gaming and Gambling Hazards

1. Dance Fever? Not Quite . . . Partygaming Buzz

   The Scotsman tells us PartyGaming, which recently lost a third of its value after warning growth in the sector was moderating, closed November 1/05 at 7.2 per cent, or 6.25p, higher at 93.5p after 888.com reported a jump in quarterly revenue and said that concerns about the sector were unjustified.
   
   The world of day trading, playing the market. . .certainly reinforces the reality of high stakes investment as a source of gambling . . .Hmm, gambling on the very survival of gambling . . .help line for portfolio managers around the corner?
   
   tinyurl.com/dwv81

2. Australian Centre Fact Sheets

   The Centre for Gambling Research provides a whack of fact sheets. The Centre for Gambling Research (CGR) is an independent research centre located at the Australian National University (ANU). The Centre is part of the Regulatory Institutions Network (RegNet) located in the Research School of Social Sciences.
   
   I found the ?hits and myths? item worth a read. Adobe Reader needed for these PDF files.
   
   tinyurl.com/89t61

3. Loto Quebec Weighs In

   Thanks to Rhys Stevens (http://www.gamingresearch.blogspot.com/) for this link to the Loto Quebec ?Social Responsibility Review?. I found the presentation a touch self-serving. The references to ?Excessive Gambling? was telling. The site attempts to present a balance between revenue generation and preventive measures. The formation of Fondation Mise sur toi is an important step. Formed in 2001, the Foundation?s mission and objectives have revolved around the promotion of healthy gaming behaviour, the prevention of the harmful effects of excessive gaming, and the protection of those who are vulnerable.
   
   tinyurl.com/a78fy

4. When that Bug Bites

   Thanks to Steve Christensen for this link . . . Mohegan Sun ? located on Mohegan tribal land in Uncasville, Conn. ? is offering anyone who visits the hotel and casino access to a flu and pneumonia clinic where shots for both are administered on designated days. There's a reasonable fee, but if you're a member of the casino's Player's Club, and have enough points, you can get the shots on the house.
   
   Marketing to the elderly gambler . . you bet!
   
   tinyurl.com/7rrnl

5. Die Hard Game Players

   A player of the ?World Of Warcraft? fantasy game died in October after playing the game for three days with barely a break during a week-long national holiday in China. The Daily Mail reports that several such incidents are raising concern. One reader noted that the ?anti-obsession? features developed by some game designers as a result of the deaths could have application for Internet and other gambling sites.
   
   tinyurl.com/8psjp

6. Prevention Resources

   Drop by the website of the Ontario Problem Gambling Research Centre. Click on ?Search Subject Categories? then on to ?Prevention Research?. I found a range of valuable pieces ranging from ?A community effort: Ideas to action - Understanding and preventing problem gambling in seniors? (Author(s): R. Govoni R. Frisch ) to ?Gambling on the Internet: Prevalence, Demographics, and Behaviour? (Author: R. Wood) Research varies from ?in progress? to ?completed? work.
   
   tinyurl.com/dzfj8

87th Edition: Norway Gambling Concerns,
First Nations Growth and Nova Scotia VLT?s

1. Singapore Prevention Action

   Singapore has launched a website for problem gamblers as part of the government's plan to address concerns over a possible rise in bankruptcies and gambling addiction, four years ahead of the scheduled opening of two casinos.
   
   tinyurl.com/e3tns

2. Sportingbet Poker Paradise

   Sportingbet, the online gambling group that owns Paradise Poker, announced a dramatic increase in annual profits October 12 and said its online poker business had a record September as punters continued to flock to its virtual tables.
   
   The number of games played daily on Paradise Poker has grown to 1 million from 600,000 in the previous year.
   
   tinyurl.com/99hzc

3. Problem Gambling Research Centre Framework

   The framework developed by the Ontario Problem Gambling Research Centre has been available on line for some time. However, the issues raised can be helpful in any context. There are 10 pieces outlined within the framework.
   
   tiinyurl.com/75akn

4. Norway Problem Gambling

   In a survey financed by Norsk Tipping, MMI and ?stnorsk kompetansesenter (Norwegian National Centre for Addiction Issues) have registered a marked increase in the number of people who have addictive or habitual gambling problems in Norway.
   
   Results from the survey show that in the region of 71,000 people have serious gambling problems. In addition to these there are around 133,000 risk players, i.e. players who are in danger of becoming addictive/compulsive gamblers.
   
   tinyurl.com/d99zg

5. First Nation Gambling Commitment Grows

   First Nation gambling is growing in a major way. An example of this is in the United States where 400 tribal gambling operations are now scattered across 30 states from New York to Louisiana to Washington State. One of the new ways the industry is growing is through what critics call "reservation shopping" - the push to build Indian casinos on nonreservation land. It's a big issue for many communities around the country, with foreign investors and wealthy tribes funding new Indian casinos on land with what some say are ?questionable historic ties? to native American groups.
   
   There is significant growth in First Nations gambling in Canada. It is in fact a ?roll of the dice?. The economic benefits are evident. However the growing social cost is also clear within First Nation communities that rely on gambling revenue.
   
   tinyurl.com/cujyw

6. Rebuilding Underway: Mississippi

   Thanks to Steve Christensen for passing on this link . . . now that Mississippi lawmakers have decided to allow casinos on solid ground, the Gulf Coast tourist industry could be at a watershed moment. Gov. Haley Barbour planned to sign the casino legislation October 17/05. Harrah?s and MGM are both on board with construction and reopening plans.
   
   I?ve noted this in an earlier edition of the Review. This represents a lost opportunity for making fundamental change in the landscape across the southern U.S. states. Housing, alternative job creation and sustainable development are all the big losers when the ?old way is the only way?.
   
   tinyurl.com/8twry

7. Betfair Reeling with Change

   The group has been without a CFO since Owen O?Donnell left on 31 August and without a CEO with the quick departure of Steven Hill. The market and the world of high stakes gambling constructs have much in common. Both are highly volatile and profits soar and sink at alarming rates. Communities suffer with top-heavy reliance on the perceived ?golden calf? of quick profits.
   
   tinyurl.com/d84v9

8. Nova Scotia, Tobacco and VLT?s

   Legislation that states cigarette makers had a responsibility to warn the public about the dangers of smoking could be used to buttress the case of anti-gambling advocates, said a Conservative backbencher and both opposition parties.
   
   Mark Parent, Tory member for Kings-North wonders whether some of the arguments about public responsibility and preventing addiction are going to be turned against the government in a planned class-action lawsuit by those opposed to VLTs.
   
   tinyurl.com/d4yhu

86th Edition: U.S. Internet Ban,
Saskatchewan Casinos, Nova Scotia and Ontario Reviews

1. ?Net Ban Dance Continues in U.S.

   The U.S. Senate on September 15/05 turned aside an attempt to restrict Internet gambling in a procedural move, but Sen. Jon Kyl vowed he would try again and said he expected the legislation would become law eventually.
   
   tinyurl.com/b8rfh

2. Games, Youth and New Zealand

   A new survey has highlighted the ease with which many teenagers can access computer games that they are legally not allowed to play. The Office of Film and Literature Classification and the Department of Internal Affairs have released the Underage Gaming Research report, which is based on a survey of 331 secondary school students aged 15 to 17. The study found that 62% of the participants had played at least one restricted or banned game. In almost half of the cases, they had bought the games themselves while, in a further third of cases, parents had bought them.
   
   tinyurl.dst7y

3. Nova Scotia Player Card Research

   The report includes the findings from the first of a four-stage research process designed to evaluate an RGD (Responsible Gaming Device). The RGD is a card-based system that allows the cardholder to track their VLT play and to set various limits on their play. The full 65-page report is worth reviewing. PDF file. Several of the conclusions include:
   

   • The pop-up trivia questions do not appear to be achieving their intended outcome
   • Participants recognize the need for one card to one person, but still want the process to be convenient and fast - approximately 5 minutes
   • Retailers do not want to be involved with the enrollment process and feel they should be compensated for their participation in the test

   
   
   tinyurl.com/ahr8o

4. AGA Summer 2005 Publications Listing

   The industry lobby group provides a listing of recent articles and programs offered by the American Gaming Association.
   
   tinyurl.com/8bw8j

5. Industry Report Sampler

   I provide this copy of Public Gaming International. Why, one might ask? The newsletter provides a window onto the industry. I also noted the close relationship between cutting edge technology and the gambling industry. The relationship is very clear and no doubt mutually rewarding. PDF file requires Adobe Reader.
   
   tinyurl.com/ccssu

6. Ontario Strategy Reviewed

   Thanks to Rhys Stevens (Alberta Gaming Research Institute Librarian rhys.stevens@uleth.ca) for the link to this PDF file. The REVIEW OF THE PROBLEM-GAMBLING AND RESPONSIBLE-GAMING STRATEGY OF THE GOVERNMENT OF ONTARIO by Stanley Sadinsky provides a pop pourri of recommendations and review. I found the following excerpt (p. 127) somewhat revealing. ?Many view problem gambling as the ?Achilles Heel? of Ontario?s gambling enterprise. The majority of the public has overcome its opposition to the Government being in the gambling business and, as a result, gambling has acquired a level of social acceptance that has not existed in the past. However, the public is becoming more sensitive to the social problems that have arisen as a result of the proliferation of gambling products and services within the Province.?
   
   tinyurl.com/cgw99

7. Labour Law and Casinos in Saskatchewan and California

   Recent events in Saskatchewan make this piece timely on the local scene. Saskatchewan?s Gaming Minister Eric Cline released in late September details of an imposed settlement that will see SIGA (Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority) pay Prairieland Park $2.6 million annually for 30 years in exchange for closing its casino and also offer an assurance of employment for Prairieland's staff. However, the government has been scolded by the Saskatchewan Government and General Employees Union for not imposing union succession rights as part of the agreement. The link that follows presents a U. S. case. Federal labor laws apply to employees at tribal casinos even if they are on reservations, the National Labor Relations Board has ruled. The case involved a union that had filed a complaint against San Manuel Indian Bingo and Casino in Southern California. Registration to the Boston Globe site required.
   
   tinyurl.com/76kjq

85th Edition: Bots On Line, ?Net Gambling in Ontario and Minnesota Review

1. The Bot Takes the Hand

   Ever since the aptly named accountant Chris Moneymaker parlayed a $40 Internet tournament buy-in into a $2.5 million championship at the World Series of Poker in 2003, card shark wannabes have been chasing their fantasies onto the Net.
   
   There's one problem, though, as CptPokr is about to demonstrate: The rules of the game are different online. CptPokr is a robot. Unlike the other icons at the table, there is no human placing his bets and playing his cards. He is controlled by WinHoldEm, the first commercially available autoplaying poker software.
   
   tinyurl.com/7kt3f

2. ?Net Gambling in Ontario

   A helpful piece reviewing Internet gambling among Ontario Adults. Provided by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.
   
   tinyurl.com/b5zaq

3. New Zealand Policy Applauded

   "The Green Party is to be congratulated on its progressive gambling policy," says John Stansfield, CEO for the Problem Gambling Foundation of New Zealand (PGF).
   
   The Green Party released their gambling policy to coincide with Gamble Free Day, and have dedicated themselves to reducing the harm being done to communities by pokie machines.
   
   tinyurl.com/d2fhn

4. Cutting the Wire

   Consider reviewing the following book by David Schwartz. I?ve referred to David?s work and his website, www.dieiscast.com many times. ?Cutting the Wire? examines the political, social, and cultural ideas that moved Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy to suggest the Wire Act (a law banning interstate transmission of gambling information), Congress to approve it, and President Kennedy to sign it into law, as well as the consequences of the law.
   
   tinyurl.com/brthz

5. Nebraska Challenges First Nation Expansion

   The state of Nebraska will be allowed to intervene in a lawsuit filed by the Santee Sioux Tribe challenging a decision that it cannot legally operate video poker, blackjack, roulette and other games at its Ohiya Casino.
   
   tinyurl.com/btnng

6. Gambling In Minnesota

   Thanks to Rhys Stevens (http://www.gamingresearch.blogspot.com/) for passing on this link. The Centre of the American Experiment provides this overview of the social and economic impact of gambling in Minnesota. The excerpt provides some direction for the reader. ?The social implications discussed . . . beg a very basic question for state policymakers to ask themselves before expanding gambling in Minnesota: would the costs of more gambling outweigh the benefits? While any casino discussion is likely be debated in terms of ?getting a better deal for the state,? this is a tangential issue to the question legislators should be asking themselves: is the availability of more gambling a good thing for the state?
   
   tinyurl.com/bouod

84th Edition: Games and Gambling,
First Nation Connections, Oregon Sources

1. PlayStation and XBox Join the Table

   Video game publisher Namco Hometek Inc. has announced the release of role-playing gambling arcade game Payout Poker and Casino? for PlayStation?2, Xbox?.
   
   Players can wander between four 3-D casinos, trying their luck at poker game variations, such as Texas Hold ?Em and Omaha, in addition to casino favorites including Red Dog, Blackjack, Baccarat, Roulette, Craps, Slots, and Wheel of Fortune.
   
   The risk to teens and inquisitive ?net surfers is clear. A ?culture of play? or a growing familiarity develops without the requisite awareness of the risks related to gambling. The gambling industry continues to push the envelope in reaching new markets.
   
   tinyurl.com/bkksr

2. Industry and the UK Bill

   Documents obtained by The Observer reveal how the Department for Culture, Media and Sport pressed the Treasury to change rules on money laundering to help US gambling corporations. The Observer has obtained a briefing note sent in May 2004 from culture department official Richard Beston to culture minister Lord McIntosh, who was in charge of the bill. This reveals that discussions about easing the rules on money laundering did take place between ministers and casino bosses and that Jowell's department tried to get the Treasury to give casino groups special exemptions.
   
   tinyurl.com/ddtns

3. First Nation Ongoing Experiment-GoldenPalace.com

   The Kahnawake reservation near Montreal is home to 20 of the 100 most frequented online casinos, according to a recent study by brokerage firm Desjardins Securities, making the indigenous group host to the largest number of popular gambling websites in the world.
   
   Band members claim the Canadian constitution recognizes their "ancient right" to operate casinos. The document does not refer to gambling specifically, but if the Mohawks can prove in court that commercial gaming was part of the first nations' cultural tradition when the first European settlers arrived in Canada, the government would be forced to respect their current gambling businesses.
   
   The debate will certainly continue in Canada and beyond.
   
   tinyurl.com/arsre

4. Creative Prevention Work in Oregon

   I realize that the Lane County Problem Gambling Prevention site has been highlighted here. However, it bears further review. The site is well designed. I highlight the poster gallery. A number of students produced some very creative visuals. The various links on youth gambling and ?tips for teachers and parents? is a great resource.
   
   www.lanecounty.org/prevention

5. Weblog to Remember: Gaming Research

   Rhys Stevens remains one of the great sources on line. His efforts with the Alberta Gaming Research Institute provide a wealth of helpful links. I make regular visits to his Weblog. Drop by and enjoy the reading.
   
   www.gamingresearch.blogspot.com

6. New Zealand Ministry of Health

   I recommend this site as a source for a range of resources. The relevant problem gambling information is worth a review. However, I suggest a regular visit to the ?News and Issues? link at the top of the page. Enjoy a whack of good material and related links.
   
   www.moh.govt.nz/newsandissues

83rd Edition: Personal Stories on Poker,
B.C. Report, College Athletes and Gambling

1. Personal Reflections: Rationale for the Big Gamble

   I provide this link for a variety of reasons. The World Series of Poker is one of many venues where poker play has grown exponentially. I found the personal stories shedding light on the motivation to play. . and the rationalizations for losing. A helpful glimpse behind the mask of the ?poker face?.
   
   www.slate.com

2. The Star Turn . . .Better than an Oscar?

   The marketing machine kicks into high gear. This story provides further examples of the presence of poker. ?Celebrities? from the corners of Hollywood claim that winning at poker is ?better than winning an Oscar?. I wonder how they feel when they continually lose. The nature of the question is odd. The disposable income of a Jennifer Tilly is far greater than most who often stake their life savings at the poker table.
   
   www.usatoday.com

3. EagleIntel Launched

   The National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA) on July 12 launched the Indian Gaming National Intelligence Network, known as ?EagleIntel.? The organization is a subsidiary nonprofit corporation of NIGA comprised of nine regions encompassing all geographic locations within the United States that have Indian gaming. The network database will file information, including photographs, on persons and their methods used to conduct wrongful or illegal activity at Indian gaming facilities. PDF file requires Adobe Reader.
   
   indiangaming.org/info

4. B.C. Auditor General Reports

   British Columbia is adequately managing the risks associated with the province's growing gaming business, says a report released on July 20, 2005. The casino industry in B.C. raised $893 million in revenue. That is more than double the amount raised in 1999. The trend to increased dependence on gambling revenue seems to cross national and provincial borders.
   
   www.940news.com

5. NCAA: Keeping Their Eye on the Prize?

   The NCAA formed a task force in 2004 to review gambling behaviour among athletes across the United States.
   
   www.ncaa.org/news
   
   The report from the task force responded to the 2003 study of college students and betting practices. The Study ?National Study on Collegiate Sports Wagering and Associated Health Risks? noted some major areas of concern. Findings from the study show that about 1.1 percent of football players reported taking money for playing poorly in a game, and 2.3 percent of football players admitted they had been asked to affect the outcome of a game because of gambling debts. Additionally, 1.4 percent of football players admitted having affected the outcome of a game because of gambling debts.
   
   A summary of the study findings may be found at the following link. . .PDF file requires Adobe Reader.
   
   www.ncaa.org/gambling
   
   The full 62-page report may be found at the following link . . .again a PDF file:
   
   www.ncaa.org/library

82nd Edition: On Line Casino Growth, Proximity
and Gambling, and The Telephone - Player?s Choice

1. PartyGaming Growth

   With a valuation of ?4.64bn, the owner of PartyPoker, set up in 1997, is worth more than established companies such as British Airways, J Sainsbury and ICI.
   
   Poker has become a cash cow for internet gambling companies, which estimate the size of the world internet gambling market at between $7bn and $12bn a year and say it is growing by about 20% a year.
   
   www.guardian.co.uk/gambling

2. On Line Controversy Revisited

   The legal morass related to online gambling remains . . . Under pressure from the Justice Department, services like Visa and PayPal have blocked payments to gambling sites, while media outlets and search engines like Yahoo Inc. (Nasdaq:YHOO - news) have declined to run their ads.
   
   Online casinos like Bodog.com sponsor glitzy Las Vegas conferences, and other payment services like e-gold have stepped in to handle the business that Visa and eBay Inc.'s PayPal are leaving on the table.
   
   It seems that the profit motive will dictate U.S. policy . . .all of that revenue, lost tax bases . . . oh so tempting.
   
   news.yahoo.com/news

3. Utah?s Take on ?Net Gambling

   "Because Internet gambling has no social component, it scares me. It seems a breeding ground for problem gamblers. I would be happy if Internet gaming were made illegal. It's hard to police, and it's done in solitude.? So says University of Utah English professor David Kranes.
   
   Psychologists at the University of Connecticut found in a 2002 study that online gamblers are more likely to have a serious gambling problem than those who play casino slot machines or the lottery. Although playing on the Internet was the least common gambling activity among the study's 389 participants, the majority of those with online experience had the most serious problems.
   
   desertnews.com/dn/

4. Proximity and Gambling

   It may seem obvious . . .the closer one is to a range of gambling options, the more one will gamble. That is not necessarily the case . . .the ?choice? to gamble is influenced by a range of factors. There is a need to consider a person?s history, his/her success in seeking treatment (if problem gambling is an issue), income and lifestyle choices.
   
   Individuals who live within 10 miles of a casino or in a disadvantaged neighborhood are more likely to experience problem gambling, according to new research from the University at Buffalo's Research Institute on Addictions (RIA).
   
   A casino within 10 miles of home has a significant effect on problem gambling and is associated with a 90 percent increase in the odds of being a pathological or problem gambler, said John W. Welte, Ph.D., principal investigator on the study.
   
   According to Welte, "Gambling behavior and problem gambling behaviors are multi-faceted. Social and environmental influences on gambling behavior and pathology are interesting in themselves. They have a special relevance to public policy debates. Because localities can control the location and density of gambling opportunities, such as casinos or lottery outlets, policy makers have some influence over the rates of problem gambling in our society."
   
   www.sciencedaily.com/releases/

5. That No So Long Distance Feeling

   Thanks to Steve Christensen, Saskatchewan Health, for passing on this piece . . .
   
   A new program for Internet capable cell phones is putting casino-style gaming in a U.S. gambler's pockets, allowing real money wagering from anywhere they can get a phone signal.
   
   www.local6.com/news/

6. Scratch and Wonder?

   A Las Vegas-based lottery and casino game designer has developed a scratch-off game that lets the two competing gambling disciplines serve the same customer.
   
   The $3 scratch-off ticket, developed by Vegas Games, offers lottery customers 11 different ways to win money with a top prize of $30,000. Another portion of the ticket has scratch-off field for the Santa Ana Star with prizes ranging from logo merchandise, meals in the casino's restaurants and cash awards of up to $5,000.
   
   Marketing strategies increase enticements to gamble and can impact an at risk player with the ?can?t lose? myth.
   
   casinocitytimes.com/news/

7. Wireless Life Goes On

   Dave Schwartz (www.dieiscast.com) provides us with this piece on wireless gambling.
   
   From www.iup.com The New York Times reports that Nevada has passed a law allowing gamblers to use handheld devices in public spaces to play Blackjack and slot machines.
   
   Yet another venue . . .clever marketing seems to be limitless.
   
   www.dieiscast.com/archives/

On Line Gambling and Problem Gambling Review:
81st Edition: Harm Minimization, Poker Pot
Skyrockets and Nova Scotia VLT?s

1. New South Wales Report on Harm Mimimizaton

   Thanks to Rhys Stevens for posting this link. . .In July 2003, the Acting Premier approved a request from the Minister for Gaming and Racing, the Hon Grant McBride MP, under the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal Act 1992, for the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) to conduct a review of the effectiveness of various existing and proposed measures designed to minimize gambling related harm.
   
   In December 2004, IPART was requested to prepare a report consequential upon the governance matters raised in the ? Administering the policy? chapter of the IPART report -including any changes that might be made to ensure better co-ordination of policy development relating to the delivery of current problem gambling policy and programs. The terms of reference for that further review are reproduced at Appendix B to this response. IPART presented the report of that further review (?the Consequential report?) to Government in February 2005. PDF file requites Adobe Reader.
   
   www.dgr.nsw.gov.au/

2. Further Detail on PokerGaming Value

   PartyGaming, the world's biggest online poker firm, reported June 15/05 it expected to be valued at between ?4.4bn and ?5.1bn when it floats on the London Stock Exchange.
   
   www.guardian.co.uk/gambling/

3. World Series of Poker Pot: Cool $100 Million

   With a total of 45 events, the 36th annual World Series of Poker is the longest and largest of its kind. The event growth necessitated its move this year from its longtime home in downtown Las Vegas to the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino just off the Strip, where the tournament is hosted in a 60,000-square-foot gaming area equipped with 200 poker tables.
   
   The series is indicative of massive growth of poker worldwide.
   
   www.onlinecasino.org/news

4. AGA Responsible Gaming Education Week

   Resources related to the week are posted on this link. The events will run August 1 ? 5, 2005. Sponsored by the American Gaming Association.
   
   www.americangaming.org/programs

5. CWF 2005 Report

   Thanks to Steve Christensen, Saskatchewan Health, for passing on news of this report. The Canada West Foundation June 21, 2005 released Gambling in Canada 2005: Statistics and Context. The full report warrants a close reading. I found the sections on ?Gambling Expenditure? and ?Problem Gambling? worthy of note.
   
   www.cwf.ca/abcalcwf

6. Nova Scotia Problem Gambling Website: Revisited

   The On Line Review has highlighted this site earlier. Drop by once again and consider the wealth of information on Video Lottery Terminals.
   
   www.gov.ns.ca/ohp

On Line Gambling and Problem Gambling Review:
80th Edition: Poker Phenom,
PartyGaming Empire and Internet Laws

1. The ?Net and Lawmakers: The U.S. Case

   Thanks to Rhys Stevens (www.gamingresearch.blogspot.com) for posting a link to this piece. Michael Cohen provides this well presented review of the legality of off shore Internet gambling. The review of credit card restrictions and other facets of law are fascinating. I find this excerpt of his concluding remarks insightful . . .
   
   ?If the government of the United States was really concerned with morality rather than tax revenue, would they not have spelled out the regulations more thoroughly before announcing the cost of licenses and the tax rate? It certainly leaves one to wonder about whether the true motive in curbing offshore Internet gambling is based in morality or perhaps more simply in dollars and cents lost to foreign governments by way of taxes and licensing revenues.? Cohen, 2005. p. 39
   
   PDF file requires Adobe Reader.
   
   www.fantasysportstrades.com/wp-content

2. End Run Around British Law?

   UK casino firms are rolling out plans to build up to 100 new casinos. Gambling developers are trying to take advantage of a loophole which could result in a huge number of gambling sites opening in Britain before the new Gambling Act comes into force. The plan includes building more than 100 ?old style? casinos with eight slot machines and ?500 jackpots. This certainly is a stop gap measure to ?fill a gap? before the super casinos arrive center stage.
   
   www.guardian.co.uk/gambling/story/619

3. On Line Poker Growth Continues

   The popularity of poker is very apparent. The presence of televised games is one obvious venue. The intense marketing and cross promotion with a range of products is gaining ground. Media, sports and entertainment personalities are lending further credibility to the campaigns. The recent Absolute Poker ?Win Your Tuition Tournament? is clearly targeting youth. I am sure that clinicians and treatment providers will see a resultant rise in clients due in part to poker. PartyGaming has posted shares on the London Stock Exchange. The presence of poker is pervasive. However, is it more so than the standard games played at casinos, high stake exclusive tables or smoky backrooms? I would argue that the marketing has certainly changed to attract younger people to the tables. Women are being target marketed as never before . . .This piece provides some observations on the growing popularity of poker and GameCare notes various risks.
   
   news.bbc.co.uk/

4. PartyGaming Empire Develops

   This piece is admittedly a touch on the gossipy side. However, charting the growth of one of the major on line gambling ?machines? is noteworthy. The PartyPoker website has led the company to be valued at $10 billion (U.S.) That?s more than the combined value of British Airways and the EMI conglomerate. Nils Pratley writes ?If the valuation seems implausible, look at the numbers. In three years PartyGaming's pre-tax profits have jumped from $5.8m to $89.2m to $372m. In the first three months of this year it made $125m, or $1.4m a day. That works out at $58,000 an hour, or about ?500 a minute.?
   
   Yes, there is a Canadian connection. The PartyGaming servers are based in Kahnawake the Mohawk nation.
   
   www.guardian.co.uk/gambling/366

79th Edition: Nova Scotia Waves,
Poker Resources and Touch Screen Roulette Warnings

1. Nova Scotia Flurry . . .

   Media, industry and clinical attention has been hot and heavy around Nova Scotia of late. The VLT controversy continues to bubble . . .drop by the site of the Office of Health Promotion, Nova Scotia. Helpful resources and well designed site. . .
   
   www.gov.ns.ca.ohp/gambling

2. NCPG Conference . . .Cajun Style ? June 23 ? 25/05 New Orleans

   The 2005 event offers keynote speaker Alex Blaszczynski and 4 theme areas. The focus of the conference will include Etiology of Problem Gambling, Treatment of Problem Gambling, Prevention, Policy and Public Health and the Considerations for DSM
   
   www.ncpgambling.org/events

3. Poker Guide

   Rhys Stevens of the Alberta Gaming Research Institute provides this resource. The helpful bibliography presents sources related to poker available on line and hard copy. The definitions in the introduction are particularly helpful. PDF file requires Adobe Reader.
   
   www.abgaminginstitute.ualberta.ca

4. Growing Pains: The Progression of gambling problems from Adolescence to young Adulthood

   The April 27/05 issue of the WAGER provides this resource. It is noteworthy to recognize that the piece offers, ?Gambling problem progression during adolescence appears to be a dynamic phenomenon?. Caution is a helpful tool when reviewing data and making assumptions about broad populations.
   
   www.basisonline.org/wager

5. Fahrenkopf Takes Aim on Bankruptcy Claims

   A study completed by Edward Morse, a law professor at Creighton University School of Law in Omaha provides valuable food for thought. The study is the first to look at the impact of casinos in the U.S. over a 12-year period, from 1990 to 2002. It compared the personal-bankruptcy rates in casino and noncasino counties and tracked the longer-term consequences of introducing gambling.
   
   Frank Fahrenkopf, president and CEO of the American Gaming Association provides his now familiar reply . . . ? . . . it?s questionable whether a 2 percent increase (in bankruptcies) is earth shattering when you balance that against the decrease in bankruptcies in the early years, plus the increase in jobs, economic development, and expansion?.
   
   www.csmonitor.com/2005

6. FOBTs Raise Their Heads and the Stakes

   Fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs) are gaining further notoriety in Britain. GamCare, a charity funded by the gambling industry, indicates that one in four calls to its helpline now concern touch screen roulette play. It also warns that gambling debts are soaring and young people are especially vulnerable.
   
   GamCare's recent report reveals that the number of first-time callers to its helpline last year rose 4% to 6,900. However, 22% of calls were related to FOBTs, compared to 13% in 2003. The average debt of first-time callers was up 24% to ?25,700.
   
   www.guardian.co.uk/gambling

7. Xanadu Review . . .Vegas Rise-Business as Usual?

   David Schwartz has written ?Suburban Xanadu?: The Casino Resort on the Las Vegas Strip and Beyond. Lloyd Fonvielle reviews the work. The book and the review are both worthy of a reading. What is the impact of the checkered past of Vegas on the present day? How do organized crime and standard business development patterns connect? Where is the fit and how in fact does development and growth occur? Drop by the site and give due consideration to the book.
   
   fabulousnowhere/com/

78th Edition: Discovery 2005, More On Line Antics,
VLT Self Exclusion and Wynn?s Palace

1. Discovery 2005: Proceedings

   Proceedings from the recent RGCO Conference are available on the Canadian Partnership for Responsible Gambling website. Knock yourself out with a wealth of reading . . .
   
   www.cprg.ca/search.cfm

2. Duty of Care

   The site holder presents the organization as ?an independent non profit consumer protection association representing gaming machine consumers and their families?.
   
   Based in Australia the organization and their website are worth a visit.
   
   www.dutyofcare.org.au

3. British Action

   Labour sources have confirmed that the government could exploit a loophole in new gambling legislation that would give permission for up to eight regional casinos, despite its deal with the Conservatives to build just one.
   
   www.guardian.co.uk/gambling/story

4. On Line Wealth and ?Net Gambling

   Pradeep Karup provides a less than unbiased review of on line gambling. Helpful review of the history of ?net based casinos is provided. He also shares some tidbits worthy of note . . .? according to the Economist the online gambling industry has estimated revenues of $10 billion annually. . . of the estimated 14.5 million gamblers online, almost 30% are from Asia.? His review of online gambling in India is fascinating . . . ?Parthasarathi Pati of Asian School of Cyber Laws says that India has laws that ban all gambling transactions, yet internet users in India are easily able to make such transactions and pay for them using their credit cards . . .?
   
   economictimes.indiatimes.com/article

5. FNARF- First Nation Rehabilitation Foundation

   The mission of FNARF (administered by Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN) Saskatchewan, Canada) is to promote and maintain healthy lifestyles that enhance healthy individuals, families and communities. Also, to promote peoples well being through increasing use of social, emotional, spiritual and physical resources, and to provide cost effective, holistic alternatives to deal with problem gambling activity.
   
   Drop by their website. Many resources and helpful links are provided.
   
   www.fsin.com/Departments

6. Interactive Gaming Council

   The IGC, a not-for-profit organization, was founded in 1996 in the US, relocating to Vancouver, Canada, incorporating there in March 2000. The organization was established to provide a forum for interested parties to address issues and advance common interests in the global interactive gaming industry, to establish fair and responsible trade guidelines and practices that enhance consumer confidence in interactive gaming products and services, and to serve as the industry?s public policy advocate and information clearinghouse.
   
   An industry driven lobby group. . . stay in touch with their site.
   
   www.igcouncil.org

7. Nova Scotia Self Exclusion Program Process Test

   Wander through this site for a review of five primary issues that emerged related to a Video Lottery Self-Exclusion Program in Nova Scotia. The previous On Line Review noted the provincial government changes to VLT presence in the province. A source I trust stated that this is ?smoke and mirrors? . . .interesting times in Nova Scotia and in many jurisdictions related to EGM?s. PDF file requires Adobe Reader.
   
   www.gamingcorp.ns.ca/pdf

8. Die is Cast

   Visit this informative site developed by Dave Schwartz. I?ve cited Dave?s sources often in the Review. He is the Director of the Gaming Studies Research Centre at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. Much information on promotion of gambling sites . .check out comments on Wynn?s new palace . . .yes, that is what it is . . .
   
   www.dieiscast.com

9. Speaking of Wynn . . .

   Wynn Las Vegas is the state of the art. . the big enchilada of casinos. Price tag, $2.7 billion. .and climbing? A gamble to say the least. However, gambling is the lifeblood of Steve Wynn . . .some call him empire builder, investor, others . . .a living tribute to conspicuous consumption. Adds a new spin to pathology of consumption. . and we think pathological gamblers face challenges??
   
   abcnews.go.com

10. Everyperson?s Roll of the Dice?

    Matthew Benham, managing director of Smartodds, had placed just a handful of bets in his life before he became a professional gambler last year. He was a City trader for eight years before setting up his company, which bets exclusively on football. Matthew employs 13 full-time staff, mainly made up of mathematicians and statisticians. He also has 25 part-time employees around the world who collate data on their country's league. Once the analysis is done, he and just one other colleague decide what bets to place.
    
    news.bbc.co.uk

77th Edition: Odds of Winning, More WTO and First Nations Action

1. Policy Implications: Papers March 31 ? April 1 Event

   Thanks to Rhys Stevens once again . . .key papers from the AGRI Conference that was recently held in Edmonton.
   
   www.abgaminginstitute.ualberta

2. WTO Ruling

   Grey certainly remains grey . . .no real resolution to the WTO decision and the U.S. challenge. Stay tuned . . .
   
   www.theregister.co.uk/2005
   
   A touch more on the history . . . there have been many twists and turns. John Leyden provided this piece in November 2004. The article provides a quick summary.
   
   ww.theregister.co.u8k/2004

3. Britain Strikes a Deal

   One Super Casino now on the books. The decision can be revisited down the road. Salvage act just prior to the election call in Britain.
   
   www.guardian.co.uk/gambling

4. VLT?s in Nova Scotia

   Recent news from Nova Scotia . . .VLT numbers to be reduced by 1,000, playtime to end at midnight and rate of play to be reduced by 30%. An opposition group has formed an action committee to press for further changes. Website as follows:
   
   gameovervlts.com

5. First Nations and Problem Gambling

   I provide this link to the OPGRC report. The work was completed in October 2004. However the recommendations (pp. 111-113) and ?Talking About Gambling (Chapter 3) are worth a review. PDF file requires Adobe Reader.
   
   www.gamblingresearch.org/download.sz/

6. Odds of Winning and Losing

   The B.C. Partnership for Responsible Gambling provides this valuable page of resources. Various games and the odds of winning are posted.
   
   www.bcresponsiblegambling.ca/other/

76th Edition: Saskatchewan Resources, Britain Under Fire,
China Expansion - The Real Cost and Investment of Expansion

1. New Zealand Conference

   International Gambling Conference: Policy, Practice and Research - One Year On. The conference provides a forum to examine current international developments in gambling policy, practice and research. Dates May 27-28, 2005, Auckland New Zealand.
   
   www.aut.ac.nz/about/news

2. British Bill Bounces as Political Football

   It appears that the reform bill before British parliament is under siege. There certainly has been intense inquiry and opposition from a number of fronts.
   
   www/guardian.co.uk/gambling/story
   
   Further word from industry that portrays the perceived threat to their future. The Interactive Gaming, Gambling and Betting Association (IGGBA) claims that 17,000 jobs could be lost if the bill fails to become law.
   
   news.independent.co.uk/business

3. Saskatchewan Summit Summary

   The Review reported the Saskatchewan Summit earlier. The Centennial Summit brought together a select group of almost 400 leaders from a broad spectrum of experience and expertise from within Saskatchewan and representatives from the business and investment community from across Canada.
   
   There was some reference to casino development as a revenue source/support for First Nations development. The Summary report in PDF format can be found at the cited link.
   
   www.summit2005.ir.gov.sk.ca

4. Oregon Web Presence

   Julie Hynes and Lane County, Oregon offer a well-designed web resource. I found the youth gambling material particularly helpful.
   
   lanecountry/prevention/gambling

5. First Nations and New York Laws

   The issue appears to be 2001 law that approved three First Nation-run casinos in western New York, three more in the Catskills, video lottery machines at horseracing tracks and participation in a multi-state lottery. The law was passed in October 2001 after the Sept. 11 attacks sent New York's economy reeling. The challenge from opponents and competitors has heated up since the March 22, 2005 release of court positions and legal opinion re: state and federal jurisdiction.
   
   casinotcitytimes.com/news

6. Nova Scotia Resources

   The Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation material has been available for more than a year. However, a number of readers have requested the link. The piece looks at the responsible gaming features applied in Nova Scotia. PDF file requires Adobe Reader.
   
   www.gamingcorp.ns.ca

7. China Expansion

   A self-promoting piece by Paul Steelman of the Steelman Design Group. Reference is made to the recently opened Sands Casino in Macao. Glowing reports of his relationship with Sheldon Adelson, billionaire Vegas developer are also shared. The ?family fun? initiative is cause for concern. He states ?In a fully developed casino/entertainment site, gambling only makes up about 10 per cent of the attention of the family tourists, he says. "They are busy spending their time and money seeing a whole range of activities, including the shows, shopping, theme parks, restaurants and other attractions. Las Vegas is the leading casino city, but it also has attractions outside of gambling. This is also something that I see happening here."
   
   The cost to families can be extensive. I would hope that Steelman and company are aware of the potential losses to families and communities where gambling becomes the focal point of joy and life.
   
   www.chinadaily.com.cn/english

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75th Edition: China, Oregon, Turkey Policies . . .
Concurrent Disorder Information

1. Crystal Meth Strategy

   Saskatchewan Health has developed a strategic plan for Crystal Meth. We know that concurrent disorders are always a concern. Problem gambling can certainly be a greater challenge if a chemical dependency is also part of a person?s life. PDF file requires Adobe Reader.
   
   www.health.gov.sk.ca/mc

2. Oregon Resources

   Oregon invests over 3 million dollars annually to reduce the negative effects of gambling. Their public health framework incorporates prevention, harm reduction, and multiple levels of treatment for the gambler and family members.
   
   Oregon?s Problem Gambling Services incorporate strategies that minimize gambling?s negative impacts while recognizing the reality of gambling?s availability, cultural acceptance, and economic appeal.
   
   www.oregon.gov/DHS

3. New Zealand Initiative

   The New Zealand government is using $54m on a new gambling strategy. Informative to note that " More than 78 per cent of people who first received counselling in 2003/04 sought help as a consequence of gambling on gaming machines in pubs and clubs."
   
   www.onlinecasino.org/news

4. Borgata Follow up

   This piece is a follow up to the earlier story on the Borgata Hotel Casino policy on ?image? and their employees. The Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa has rejected a union grievance challenging the casino's weight policy for cocktail servers and costumed bartenders, officials said March 2, 2005.
   
   abcnews.go.com

5. RFID and Smart Card Implications

   Radio Frequency Identification has been a long time presence. However, the tracking technology does have implications for privacy. The talk of ?smart cards? being considered for problem gamblers and gamblers in general does raise questions. What information will be collected and how will that information be used?
   
   www.wired.com/news

6. Turkey Plans Strategy

   The number of illegal gambling and betting sites on the Internet is increasing day by day. Committees composed of various Turkish state ministries, the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BDDK), universities, Internet service providers and various nongovernmental organizations are pursuing efforts to combat such sites, reported the Anatolia news agency.
   
   www.turkishdailynews/com

7. China Policy Evolving

   Lawmakers and enforcers are divided over a proposed law to ban gambling. The division follows a motion presented March 8 to the National People's Congress (NPC) the country's top legislature, calling for a stand-alone bill to prohibit gambling activities. The challenge is massive for a nation with the diversity and population of China. Prohibition has not worked historically. . .the China case will be one worth following.
   
   news.xinhuanet.com/english

8. Cabazon Follow Up

   The On Line Review highlighted earlier Cabazon, A Ten Year Review of the U.S. Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. This follow up piece provides an annotated bibliography (2005) The authors note . . . ?It is our intention that this document be used as a guide to the literature on gambling?s impacts. Because the current body of research varies so widely in scope, intention and method, it is difficult to compare or aggregate studies in any synthesized or quantitative way.? (Leigh Gardner, Joseph P. Kalt, and Katherine A. Spilde Cambridge, Massachusetts January 2005) PDF file requires Adobe Reader.
   
   indiangaming.org/info

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74th Edition: Parents Impact,
Nevada Response, and Internet Action

1. Smoking and Gambling Overlay

   This article by L L Mandel and S A Glantz provides an interesting perspective on the tobacco industry. The focus of the piece is ?To describe and understand the relationship between the tobacco and gambling industries in connection to their collaborative efforts to prevent smoke-free casinos and gambling facilities and fight smoke-free policies generally.?
   
   There are equally interesting conversations occurring in Saskatchewan related to the implementation of the Tobacco Control Amendment Act. The implications for First Nation compliance and self-determination issues may have a significant effect on gambling venues in the province. PDF file requires Adobe Reader.
   
   www.tobaccoscam.ucsf.edu/pdf

2. Industry Continues to Grow

   The U.S. Federal Trade Commission on February 16 approved MGM Mirage's proposal to buy rival Mandalay Resort Group, a move that could create one of the largest gambling companies in the world and give the casino operator control of 11 resorts on the Las Vegas Strip.
   
   story.news.yahoo.com/news/20050217

3. Jackpots and Parenting

   The New Jersey Legislature has passed a measure aimed at preventing gamblers who owe child support in the state from keeping big slot machine jackpots to themselves. The bill would require slots operators to give names, addresses and Social Security numbers of major winners to the state, to uncover deadbeat parents and deduct what they owe before the jackpot is paid out.
   
   news.yahoo.com/news/2005021

4. More News Across The Pond: British Expansion

   Stephen Stewart reports February 22 that a Las Vegas-style leisure development planned for the banks of the River Clyde took a significant lead in the race to become the country's first super-casino. Developers aim to turn the quay, next to the Kingston Bridge, into one of "Europe's newest and most exciting, integrated entertainment centres " with a 65,000 sq ft casino, five restaurants and a multi-storey car park.
   
   www.theherald.co.uk/news

5. Nevada Moves Forward in Clinical Support

   Nevada Gov. Kenny Guinn has put forward a proposal to use $200,000 in state money over the next two years to help create a program for other problem gamblers. The governor considers the program a "first step," said his spokesman, Greg Bortolin, and hopes to get at least $200,000 in matching funds from the casino industry. Nevada's commercial casinos rake in nearly $10 billion a year, by far the highest amount of any state, according to the American Gaming Association's 2003 statistics. The profits generated in the state are noteworthy. Alan Feldman, senior vice president of public affairs for MGM Mirage, said it's appalling the state hasn't put up funding before. He called the proposed contribution small, especially compared to the $1.83 billion the state expects to collect over the next two years from gambling and live entertainment taxes. Advocates for problem gamblers note that there are significant numbers of problem gamblers in the state. Is there the political will to move forward in Nevada and other jurisdictions?
   
   story.news.yahoo.com/news/20050220

6. Scramble with Older Adults

   I came across this valuable resource for older adults. Addictions Services Kenora, St. Joseph?s Care Group and Addictions Foundation of Manitoba developed this series of puzzles and word searches ?To provide prevention and awareness information to older adults about Responsible Gambling and Problem Gambling with a fun, interactive approach.? Hats off to Sheila Toderian Evelyn Bakich for developing this piece in 2003.
   
   The creators ask that users credit the source and let them know any feedback users receive. PDF file requires Adobe Reader.
   
   www.mha.sjcg.net/media/pdf

7. On Line Gambling Promotion Strategies

   This year, revenue for the roughly 2,000 gambling Web sites will reach $9.8 billion, up from $7.5 billion last year and $5.7 billion two years ago, according to Christiansen Capital Advisors. With online gambling booming in popularity and poker, in particular, enjoying a newfound fan base, the companies behind Internet casinos have grown increasingly creative in their efforts to promote their products. Most print and broadcast outlets refuse to accept ads explicitly for Internet gambling, citing the government's assertion that it is illegal for U.S. residents to gamble on offshore sites.
   
   But that view is based on a 40-year-old law that some legal experts say is vague and might not stand up to a court challenge, and the gambling sites argue that refusal to take their ads is a freedom of speech issue.
   
   The on line gambling industry continues to stretch the envelope of available routes to reach potential gamblers. I wonder aloud if the industry will demonstrate the same zeal in promoting resources for prevention and education related to problem gambling.
   
   online.wsj.com/public/article

8. Bankrate.com is Proactive

   I include this link in large part for it?s uniqueness. There have been very few financial institutions in Canada and the United States that take any proactive action related to problem gambling. Bankrate.com is an on line service that provides a number of financial services. One service added to their roster is this piece from the Arizona Council on Compulsive Gambling. The information is not new; what is enlightened is that Julie Sturgeon of Bankrate.com provides information that appears clearly identified with a provider of financial services.
   
   biz.yahoo.com/brn

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73rd Edition: WTO, Reaching Teens and
Canadian Expansion

1. WTO Implications

   Thanks to Rhys Stevens of the Alberta Gaming Research Institute for this link. The piece provides a synopsis of the WTO decision related to Antigua?s position challenging the U.S. restriction on access to Internet gambling. The issue seems to revolve around the GATS (General Agreement on trade in services). A hornet?s nest of concerns including states rights in the U.S. are noted. PDF file requires Adobe Reader.
   
   www.policyalternatives.ca/documents

2. Data Mining and Smart Cards?

   I include this piece as an area of some overlap. The Wired News item considers health records of Canadians being processed by an American firm. The firm is bound by American laws to abide by the controversial Patriot Act. Under the U.S. Patriot Act, authorities can force U.S. companies to relinquish information while preventing companies from telling customers or employees that it has been seized.
   
   The fit here relates to current discussions related to the value of so-called ?smart cards? for gamblers. The cards could carry a preset limit that would prohibit the gambler from exceeding his/her limit. Who would have access to the information on the card? Who would hold right of censure of information and who, I would ask would inform the gambler? Very good questions . . .one must weigh the value of prevention with the cost of intrusion.
   
   www.wired.com/news/privacy

3. PEI Study

   Prince Edward Island is trying to determine what impact the Internet and more options are having on the level of problem gamblers. The study will be completed in June, and the recommendations will be forwarded to the provincial government.
   
   pei.cbc.ca/regional

4. On Line Guide

   This site is clearly designed to promote on line gambling. Be aware that the ?reviews? of various sites are designed to encourage play. A wealth of links to on line sites are provided.
   
   gaming-casinos.press-world.com
   
   The Feb. 13 link provides the following information. ?eCOGRA has recently started working with the Global Gambling Guidance Group (G4) to provide the online gambling community with tighter security and regulations. eCOGRA, along with other organizations like OPA, are on a quest to make the online casino industry as safe and responsible as possible.?
   
   www.onlinecasinoreports.com/news

5. NCRG Board Changes

   ?The National Center for Responsible Gaming (NCRG) (U.S.) has broadened its board of directors by electing a former lottery administrator, a Native American affairs expert and a former public official, all of whom have demonstrated a strong commitment to responsible gaming issues.? Press release by NCRG Feb. 7/05.
   
   www.ncrg.org/newsroom

6. Hitting on Magic: Reaching Youth On Line

   Daniel Terdiman provides this fascinating look at what works in reaching teens on line. It is certain that the gambling industry is well aware of key marketing tools in reaching a wide spectrum of potential players.
   
   www.wired.com/news/culture

7. Casino Windsor Expansion

   Economic Development Minister Joseph Cordiano said Feb. 14 that 400 million dollars will help Casino Windsor with increased competition from gambling centres in the Detroit region. There would be no increase in the number of gambling tables or slot machines but the plans call for a new 400-room hotel, a 5,000-seat auditorium and 100,000 square feet of additional convention space.
   
   www.theglobeandmail.com

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72nd Edition: Women, Children and Gambling,
On Line Gambling Growth and Varied Reports

1. Older Adults and Gambling

   Researchers surveyed 843 people aged 65 and older and found that 70 percent of them had been involved in at least one gambling activity within the previous year. Eleven percent could be classified as at-risk gamblers because they'd recently put more than $100 on a single bet and/or had bet more money than they could not afford to lose.
   
   The study, by researchers at Pennsylvania State College of Medicine and the University of Pennsylvania, is the largest to examine older adults' gambling habits.
   
   story.news.yahoo.com/news

2. First Nations Source Material

   Drop by this site to review a range of material collected by the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development. The site includes Joint Occasional Papers on Native Affairs (JOPNA), Cabazon, the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, and the Socioeconomic Consequences of American Indian Governmental Gaming, Field Reports and a range of other resources.
   
   www.ksg.harvard.edu

3. Newfoundland Prevalence Study

   Health and Community Services Minister John Ottenheimer announced January 25, 2005 that the provincial government would proceed with a prevalence study to measure gambling and problem gambling in Newfoundland and Labrador.
   
   www.gov.nl.ca/releases/

4. Children and Slots in Scotland

   Under the British Gambling Law, Clause 58, ministers would be allowed to ban children from playing Category-D arcade machines.
   
   They include low-value fruit machines, old-fashioned coin falls, low-value electronic roulette, horse racing machines and the machines where people attempt to grab a teddy or other soft toy with a crane claw. The new regulations have prompted concern from arcade bosses of a massive loss of business, leading to a fall in the investment in new machines.
   
   edinburghnews.scotsman.com

5. On Line Growth in Britain

   A survey, compiled by the gambling website 888.com and the magazine Inside Edge, quizzed 2,726 people across the UK over three months. In the UK alone, the report claimed, four million people gamble online each month, and, since 2003, the amount of money staked online has risen by 566%.
   
   www.guardian.co.uk/gambling/57
   
   The growth of on line gambling is approaching exponential proportions. The need for prevention and education related to on line gambling is also very apparent. One offering can be found at the following site. The Regina, (Canada) Committee on Problem Gambling developed this awareness raising piece. Adobe Reader required.
   
   www.cmhask.com/gambling/InternetGambling.pdf

6. Bill May Get Rough Ride in Britain

   The British government will be forced to make further concessions to secure the passage of its battered bill to reform Britain's gambling laws, MPs and peers predicted January 24 as it cleared its final hurdle in the Commons. Its second reading in the Lords has been delayed to February 22 to give priority to the railway bill. The process will take at least three weeks, putting the bill at risk from the trade-offs that routinely occur when a parliament's end is announced.
   
   www.guardian.co.uk/gambling/story/67

7. British Bingo and Women

   Gala Group, the privately owned bingo and casino operator, said it had seen buoyant trading over the Christmas period with like-for-like sales for the seven weeks to January 7 rising by 5.9%. Total group sales rose by 6.9% to ?71.5m. The sales growth was largely driven by the success of its bingo halls, which attract an increasing number of younger women.
   
   As little as seven or eight years ago the vast majority of women at bingo halls were over the age of 50 but now 61% of Gala's female clients are under 45 and 37% are under 35, he said.
   
   www.guardian.co.uk/gambling/story/61

8. Interactive Site for Youth

   Keith Don (via the Gambling Issues International group) provided this link to an interactive website for youth. Various sections are designed for youth and teachers.
   
   The focus is on how games work and the odds and probability of winning. The site is a product of The Powerhouse Museum in Australia. The museum is located in Darling Harbour, Sydney.
   
   www.powerhousemuseum.com/gambling

9. Floating On Line

   The world's biggest online poker company yesterday said it may float on the London stock exchange as new figures suggested that 80% of Europe's Internet gamblers are British, and roughly a third of those are women.
   
   The YouGov research, for uswitch.com, suggested that 30%-40% of British players are female and that 14% are aged 18-29. That supports anecdotal evidence that women and students are among the most enthusiastic recruits to poker, the fastest-growing area of online gambling. The survey claims that almost 4 million people in Britain use the Internet for betting.
   
   www.guardian.co.uk/gambling/story

10. Centennial Summit in Saskatchewan

    The summit was held January 23 to 26, 2005, in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The summit facilitated discussion and analysis about the economic evolution of Saskatchewan. As well, it encouraged discussion about the challenges and opportunities facing the province, and examined the role Saskatchewan?s youth will play as we move into a new century. Problem gambling as an issue is not highlighted within the documents however the overview of the provincial economic ?health? is worth viewing.
    
    I found the facilitators summary reports noteworthy. The section dedicated to First Nations and Metis participation recognizes the success of partnership agreements. Casino development is noted within that section.
    
    www.summit.2005.ir.gov.sk.ca

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71st Edition: Dopamine Reprise, British Expansion and
Review in New South Wales

1. Optics or Direct Action? China Crackdown

   China launched a ?crackdown? January 11 on gambling junkets and the action of executives of state owned firms. There is a need to be culturally sensitive in our criticism of such action. However, is this another example of ?prohibition? and the lack of success in that North American experiment?
   
   english1.peopledaily.com.cn

2. German Research and Dopamine

   Nature Neuroscience reports the research of Dr Christian Buchel, Universitaets-Krankenhaus Eppendorf noting their findings "favour the view that pathological gambling is a non-substance related addiction". The researchers suggest the explanation could be that people with such addictions cannot maintain the amount of the brain chemical dopamine - which produces feelings of satisfaction and pleasure.
   
   More food for thought; there is a need to be aware of the full range of factors that can have an impact on gambling behaviour.
   
   news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health

3. Op-Ed. on the Internet

   The Christian Science Monitor provides an editorial piece on the growth of on line gambling. A common theme is one of vigilance. It would be helpful if observers would also be active proponents of prevention initiatives worldwide.
   
   www.csmonitor.com/2005/0206

4. Casino Expansion in Britain: Snags on the Horizon?

   The bill to reform gambling in Britain may die prior to an anticipated May 2005 election. Don Foster of the Liberal Democrats said his party and the Conservatives had agreed to fight for four main changes to the bill, including scrapping plans to cap the new casinos at 24 -- 8 new small casinos, 8 large and 8 regional Las Vegas-style super-casinos.
   
   www.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle

5. Culture of Responsibility: New South Wales

   Thanks to Deidre Paluck of the Saskatchewan Responsible Gaming Association for passing on this piece. Adobe Reader required; PDF file.
   
   On 29 July 2003, the Acting Premier of New South Wales approved a request under s. 9 of the IPART Act for the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (the Tribunal) to conduct a review of the effectiveness of gambling harm minimisation measures. The terms of reference for this review were wide ranging. They required the Tribunal to assess:
   

   • 14 specified harm minimisation measures, including community services such as counselling services
   • the harm minimisation measures considered in its ?First Determination? of April 2001.
   • further harm minimisation measures that have been identified or proposed for adoption

   
   Key recommendations fall into one of three areas:
   

   • Promoting the level of ?informed choice?.
   • Protecting gamblers to discourage risky behaviours and reduce the prevalence and negative consequences of problem gambling.
   • Improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the problem gambling counselling program in NSW.

   
   www.responsiblegambling.org/articles

6. ?Role of Roulette? in Britain

   GamCare, a gambling addiction charity largely funded by the betting industry, has linked rising numbers of calls to its help line to the spread of roulette machines in betting shops. GamCare's chief executive, Professor Peter Collins, said: "Our counsellors are receiving significant numbers of calls from people who indicate they have developed a problem in betting shops since the introduction of FOBTs. (fixed-odds betting terminals)
   
   www.guardian.co.uk/gambling/story

7. Slot Tensions in Florida

   Antigambling advocates have launched a campaign to identify the scope of alleged fraud they say allowed a pro-gambling initiative onto the November ballot in Florida. Proponents of the ?Florida Slot Petition Verification Project? claim that the criticism is unfounded.
   
   www.sptimes.com/2005/01/14

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On Line Gambling and Problem Gambling Review:
70th Edition: New Zealand Focus, WAGER Transformed
and Gambling and the Environment

1. Journal of Gambling Issues: New Zealand

   The Journal highlights New Zealand in issue 12 for 2004. The piece by Samson Tse, John Wong, and Hyeeun Kim outlines five principles for action and policy development. The authors conclude the informative piece by saying ?Treating problem gambling as an individual issue that ignores Asian values, traditions, and community connections tends to obscure the potential for change; while a contextual approach, on the other hand, encourages a greater utilization of Asian community resources and wisdom.?
   
   www.camh.net/egambling/issue12

2. What Happens in Vegas . . . Stays with PBS

   The somewhat shopworn line ?What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas? will have a new spin. PBS (public broadcaster in the United States) is in production of a documentary on the lives of people in Las Vegas. The piece is due for release in the fall of 2005. It will ?provide viewers with a glimpse of "the world beyond the Strip," according to Insignia producer Amanda Pollak.
   
   The lives of gamblers and the impacts on a community synonymous with gambling could benefit from a somewhat removed PBS overview.
   
   casinocitytimes.com/news/article

3. MECN Beckons

   Media and Entertainment Consulting Network provides evidence of the growth of gambling worldwide. Investors are seeing the multi-billion dollar growth potential worldwide. The parallel development of treatment and prevention options is crucial.
   
   www.registration.mecn.net

4. WAGER Transformed

   After 10 years of continuous weekly publications, The WAGER will cease to exist as an independent entity and will become the flagship science review of the BASIS (www.basisonline.org). Volume 9 Number 52- December 29, 2004 of the WAGER provides a number of retrospective/tributes to the resource.
   
   www.thewager.org/current

5. The Environment vs. Casino Expansion

   The Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs want to close a small casino on their reservation in remote central Oregon and build one on nontribal land in Cascade Locks, much closer to Portland. The Friends of the Columbia River Gorge, formed to protect the beauty of one of the nation's first designated national scenic areas, challenges the wisdom of such expansion.
   
   We often do not consider the physical environmental impacts of gambling. We tend to focus on the gambler, his/her family. This item carries the debate to other ?fertile ground?.
   
   story.news.yahoo.com/news

6. U.S. Action: Problem Gambling Awareness Week

   The National Council of Problem Gambling (NCPG) and the Association of Problem Gambling Service Administrators (APGSA) present Problem Gambling Awareness 2005, March 6 ? 12, 2005. Valuable resources and event timelines are noted.
   
   www.npgaw.org/023

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69th Edition: Debate in Britain, Internet Gambling
Sources and Canada Safety Council on Problem Gambling

1. Big Payout Issues Raised in Britain

   Debate continues in Britain related to the growth and nature of gambling venues. The ?Category A? machines being considered in Britain would allow gamblers to place unlimited stakes for unlimited prize money unless casinos set a limit. They are not currently legal in the UK but would be permitted under the Bill which would allow huge Las Vegas-style casinos to open.
   
   news.scotsman.com/latest
   
   Changes to the initial plans for as many as 40 Super Casinos have reduced the number to eight. Regional and small casino development will also be monitored.
   
   www.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle

2. Super Casino Debate Limited in Scotland

   ?Super Casinos? lead to a dramatic increase in problem gambling, according to a study released just a day before the Scottish Parliament is due to debate plans for casino developments. The underlying debate is the limited discussion occurring in Scotland, or so some MP?s would say . . .
   
   www/theherald.co.uk/news
   
   The intrigue grows with the use of the so called ?Sewel motion?. Sewel motions were intended to be used occasionally for minor bills that, if legislated upon separately at Holyrood, could delay the parliament?s law-making priorities. However, the instrument has been repeatedly used by the Executive and critics argue a raft of laws announced in the Queen?s Speech will be pushed through without full scrutiny in Scotland.
   
   thescotsman.scotsman.com/politics

3. Fall out From Gaming Industry and Public Welfare Conference in Beijing and Macau

   This piece by Zach Coleman and Pamela Pun reviews some of the outcomes from the conference. Gambling expansion is an issue of growing concern in China. There are cultural barriers and historical connections to gambling that muddy the waters for prevention and clinical support initiatives. Wang Xuehong Executive Director of the China Centre for Lottery Studies (CCLS) at Peking University says that CCLS intends to develop a gaming management MBA program to assist in the industry's professionalisation.
   
   www.thestandard.com.hk/stdn/

4. Internet Gambling Bibliography

   Thanks once again to Rhys Stevens of the Alberta Gaming Research Institute. I?ve highlighted this piece once before. However, well worth reviewing this excellent source on Internet gambling. Sources offered include journals and texts and on line offerings. The PDF file requites Adobe Reader.
   
   www.abgaminginstitute.ualberta.ca

5. Canada Safety Council, Consumer Protection and Problem Gambling

   The Canada Safety Council has released their position on the growing number of suicides related to gambling. Canadian media sources recently picked up words from CSC President Emile Therien that is reiterated on the CSC posting on line.
   
   The consumer protection perspective is growing in popularity in various corners of the prevention, clinical and education sectors . . .
   
   www.safety-council.org/info

6. Institute for Problem Gambling

   Rhys Stevens provided this link on the Alberta Gaming Research Institute Weblog. The weblog can be found at www.gamingresearch.blogspot.com
   
   The Conference papers from the Institute October 2004 event are posted here . . . www.gamblingproblem.net/presentations

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68th Edition: Teens and Poker, British Growth and
Gambling and Investing

1. Gambling Bill Tension in Britain

   Labour yesterday insisted a ?50,000 donation from an Internet betting entrepreneur had no influence on the controversial Gambling Bill now going through parliament.
   
   The party said the money, given on 18 July by Peter Coates, who has interests in betting shops and the gambling website bet365.com, was not linked to the legislation.
   
   thescotsman.scotsman.com/politics

2. High Stakes in Britain- a 15 Year Deal

   The British government has ruled that the next licence to run the National Lottery can last 15 years - more than double its current length. The government on November 26/04 'empowered' the National Lottery Commission to issue a single licence for the distribution of the lottery products - main game, scratchcards, mobile phones and the Internet.
   
   www.guardian.co.uk/gambling/story

3. Pennsylvania High Stakes

   Gov. Ed Rendell said he could not support Republican-penned amendments to the state's four-month-old slot-machine gambling law that passed November 20/04 following weeks of partisan jousting over the proposals.
   
   There has been wide spread expansion of gambling in Pennsylvania in recent months. The tensions that develop between various vested interests certainly colours the debate.
   
   www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin

4. Op Ed Piece on WTO Internet Decision

   The piece provides a brief thumbnail sketch of some of the issues raised related to the WTO decision on Antigua et.al. and the United States.
   
   www.economist.com/business/displayStory

5. Teens and Poker Popularity

   "It's fun. It's exciting. It's glamorized on TV and in the media in a way that other addictions are not," says Keith Whyte, executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling. "There's the impression that through skill you can beat the odds. But randomness is always going to have a bigger factor in determining the outcome than your skill.?
   
   The increased marketing of poker to young adults is apparent. The prevention and education work related to odds and probability of winning and losing are helpful tools that can be applied in any community.
   
   story.news.yahoo.com/news

6. The WAGER: Long Term Impact of Intervention

   Research suggests that many disordered gamblers do not seek treatment because they want to handle the problem on their own (Hodgins & el-Guebaly, 2000). For these people brief treatments and self-help tools are important treatment options and their efficacy should be a major topic for the field of gambling studies. Hodgins, Currie, and el-Guebaly (2001), in a study reviewed by WAGER 7(3), tested the efficacy of a self-help workbook and the workbook supplemented with a brief motivational interview. Volume 9 Number 48- December 1, 2004 in the WAGER reviews a report by Hodgins, Currie, el-Guebaly, and Peden (2004) on the 24-month outcomes of their intervention study.
   
   www.thewager.org/current.htm

7. British Columbia Upgrade Raises Opposition Concerns

   Premier Gordon Campbell says he can understand why some people feel his government has broken a promise and expanded gambling in B.C. "We have made choices with regard to gaming," he said December 2 following reports that the B.C. Lottery Corp. is looking for bids to upgrade its on-line gaming network.
   
   www.canoe.ca/WesterTicker/

8. Rate of Return: Investing in the Gambling Industry

   The MECN Gambling Industry Index, which tracks a representative group of 47 gambling companies, increased by 39% in the past 12 months. With this performance the Gambling Index outperformed most indices, including the Dow Jones, FTSE, and many other industry-specific indices. The gambling industry continues to be big business. The impact in the EU is perhaps most pronounced.
   
   www.pressreleases.be/script_UK/

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67th Edition: First Nations Investigation,
Nova Scotia VLT Features Report and CBC Coverage

1. Housing on the House?

   Casino operator MGM Mirage on November 10 reports plans for a residential complex on the Las Vegas Strip, beginning with a $4 billion casino and condominium development that would be one of the largest private real estate projects in America.
   
   The presence of the industry continues to diversify. Begs the question of how much related influence the industry will have in how communities develop.
   
   wireservice.wired.com/wired/story

2. WTO Ruling Favours Antigua and Barbuda

   I provide this piece once again. I posted this item earlier, however a number of readers requested an additional posting.
   
   In its final 287-page report, the WTO panel confirmed the preliminary ruling it issued in March 2004 in a dispute pitting the United States against the tiny Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda, saying the ban represented an unfair trade barrier.
   
   www.cio-today.com/story

3. Private Rooms Not Panning Out

   Industry officials said they anticipated gamblers betting millions of dollars in private parlors. Casino officials now say only a handful of players have found their way to the special rooms. Gaming Control Board member Bobby Siller stated at a Nov. 8, 2001, meeting, " ... The purpose of the international gaming salon was that we had a market out there of individuals who are high rollers, so to say, very wealthy individuals that did not gamble here in Nevada because of the lack of total privacy," Siller said. "I mean absolute total privacy. And they had their reasons for wanting this privacy, and it seemed logical and acceptable to me at that that time."
   
   Big spending players seem to take their money where they choose . . .
   
   www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories

4. CBC: You Bet Your Life

   The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation aired a one hour special November 17 across Canada. The piece offered a somewhat sensational view of gambling in Canada. I saw the piece. There were many examples of lives ruined and references to the ?dependence? of government on gambling. The missing pieces were the effective work of those committed to prevention, education and clinical support. The impression left was one of hopelessness; not a helpful message for someone struggling with problem gambling. The segment included a helpful connection with two bar owners with radically different approaches to having EGM?s on site.
   
   The website provides some useful information.
   
   www.cbc.ca/fifth

5. Tension mounts in Britain: Casino Development

   As reported in ThisLondon.com: A senior staff person of Minister Tessa Jowell has resigned after it became known that he applied for a position within the gambling industry. Gideon Hoffman stepped down from his position. He was also the author of an email sent to betting giants, which Michael Howard claimed in the Commons was evidence that the Government was offering to relax laws on money laundering as part of the gambling deregulation. Tony Blair said Mr. Howard was "completely absurd" to suggest the Government had engaged in "corrupt discussions to let them launder money".
   
   www.thisislondon.com/news/articles

6. Singapore Development

   Singapore has invited a dozen gaming operators to submit proposals for a casino resort here, a newspaper reported November 17, even though the government has yet to decide whether to proceed with the controversial project. The report didn't suggest a price tag for the casino project, although officials have previously said it could cost more than 700 million Singapore dollars (US$426 million; euro328 million).
   
   But the project has not been greeted with wholesale enthusiasm ? some individuals and religious groups have voiced concerns that a casino in the island nation could create problem gamblers and might encourage organized crime.
   
   www.chinapost.com/tw

7. Switzerland Growing Gambling Mecca

   For most of the past 70 years casinos have been illegal in Switzerland. This changed a decade ago when the Swiss approved a controversial referendum to allow a new round of casinos to be built. In the past two years, some 19 casinos have sprung up across Switzerland's mountainous cantons - including the Allegro, which opened in July 2002.
   
   The Swiss developed a plan to provide help to pathological gamblers . . . Faced with the need to help problem gamblers, the casinos turned to J?rg H?feli, a professor from the University of Applied Sciences in Lucerne who specializes in addictive behaviour.
   
   Prof H?feli came up with a plan: casino staff would be taught to identify problem gamblers as early as possible. ?Every casino in Switzerland has a responsible gambling manager. It is a different model from the US and Canada," Prof H?feli said.
   
   www.guardian.co.uk/guardianpolitics/story

8. Nova Scotia: Report on VLT Responsible Gaming Features October, 2004

   The Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation released a report on their evaluation of responsible gaming features on Video Lottery Terminals. The 75 page report provides sections on the response to the features, the impact of the features and recommendations. PDF file requires Adobe Reader.
   
   A key recommendation in the report is to ?Develop an interactive player tracking system for the video lottery network. This would allow for players to be recognized individually and to interact with the system through the use of a player card. The ability of the player to monitor their own activity, set limits or restrict access at the machine level is the ultimate empowerment model for responsible gaming and appears to be the ideal ?tool? for effective play management.
   
   www.gamingcorp/ns/ca/pdf

9. First Nations Investigation in the U.S.

   Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell the Senate's only native American, told a Washington consultant November 17 that he represented the kind of people who have been defrauding American Indians for four centuries. The hearing came hours after the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana filed a lawsuit in a state court against Michael Scanlon, Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff and Abramoff's former law firm, accusing them of overbilling, negligence, fraud, taking tribal money for personal use and unfair trade practices. The tribe paid Scanlon and Abramoff $32 million to prevent another tribe from opening a competing casino nearby.
   
   news.yahoo.com/news

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66th Edition: Harvard Draws Fire, Insight Papers Available,
Recent Ontario Study gets Politicians Responding & Calgary Study

1. British Columbia Steps Up On Line Access

   The British Columbia Lottery Corporation offers a wide range of games to play on line. The appeal is to all gamblers. However, students are often drawn to such sites. Where is responsible gambling in the mix of such promotion?
   
   www.sportsactionbc.com/BCCF

2. British Plan Draws Fire

   Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell came under cross party fire as she defended plans which would allow huge Las Vegas-style casinos to open in Britain.
   
   news.scotsman.com/latest

3. Insights Offered

   Valuable presentations from the Insight Nova Scotia Conference (October 4 ? 6, 2004) may be viewed on line. PDF and Word files throughout. I found the pieces by Roger Horbay and the World Insight Panel to be most helpful.
   
   www.nsgamingfoundation.org/main

4. Gambling and Addiction: Common Causes,
   Managing Consequences. Dec. 5-7, 2004

   The conference will explore the following considerations and a range of perspectives . . (From the conference posting on line) A common belief is that certain drugs or objects are ?addictive.? This idea assumes that the martini, the slot machine, cocaine and other objects of addiction have the innate power to lead a person down the inescapable path of addiction. This popular thinking is indirectly reinforced by the American Psychiatric Association?s diagnostic manual, which treats different excessive behaviors, such as alcohol dependence and pathological gambling, as distinct disorders. Some scientists liken this view of separate addictions to the thinking during the early days of AIDS diagnosis, when rare and distinct diseases were not yet recognized as opportunistic infections caused by a shared underlying immune deficiency syndrome.
   
   www.hms.harvard.edu.doa/institute

5. The Other Side of the ?Yard?

   The Institute for Research on Pathological Gambling and Related Disorders, founded four years ago, has received nearly $5 million in industry money . . . They point to the Harvard research all the time," said the Rev. Tom Grey, a Methodist minister who heads the nonprofit National Coalition Against Legalized Gambling. "It's a good investment. They're getting Harvard cheap at this point." Dr. Howard J. Shaffer, the institute's director, said its work is unbiased and its research is reviewed by independent scientists before publication.
   
   story.news.yahoo.com/news

6. Demographic Sources . . Ontario Perspective

   The full study carried out by Williams and Wood may be viewed. The PDF file provides insights into methodology, findings and policy implications. The report has had much media attention. Premier McGuinty has weighed in . . . and recognizes the heavy reliance on gambling by his province. Ontario certainly is not alone in that reliance.
   
   www.gamblingresearch.org/download

7. Becoming a Winner: Defeating Problem Gambling

   A team of researchers at the University of Calgary, including Dr. David Hodgins, a professor in the clinical psychology program, is currently conducting a national research study looking at self-help approaches to overcoming problem gambling. Participants will be provided with the self-help manual ?Becoming a Winner: Defeating Problem Gambling? and some participants will also receive support calls from a therapist.
   
   Problem gamblers are being recruited throughout Canada. All contact with the study is via telephone and mail. Participation is free and confidentiality is guaranteed. Researchers are looking for participants who:
   

   • Are 18 years of age or older
   • Think they have a gambling problem right now
   • Are not presently in any other treatment for gambling
   • Are interested in a self-help approach for defeating their problem

   
   For more information call toll free: 1-877-437-3777 or on line at www.addiction.ucalgary.ca

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65th Edition: Self Exclusion, First Nation Tensions and
Schools take on Gambling Revenues

1. Self Exclusion Developments

   Thanks to Rhys Stevens of the Alberta Gaming Research Institute for this link. Alex Blaszczynski, Ph.D. and Robert Ladouceur, Ph.D. provide this paper on self exclusion/self banning procedures. ?Self-exclusion represents one important industry-based strategy that has been introduced to assist problem gamblers.? The paper proposes a model for consideration. Adobe Reader required.
   
   www.austgaminghcouncil.org.au/research/files

2. Vendors Option

   A back issue of the WAGER provides a review of an innovative program in Quebec that focuses on awareness workshops for gambling retailers. The issue of the WAGER considers the results of a study that monitored retailers? impressions of gambling problems before and after one of those workshops (Ladouceur et al., 2004). Volume 9 Number 41- October 13, 2004
   
   www/thewager.org/Backindex/vol9pdf

3. Terminator Stirs the First Nation Pot

   Governor Schwarzenegger has taken up the line to convince California voters to reject a tribe-backed initiative on the Nov. 2 ballot that would allow rapid expansion of American Indian casinos in the nation's most populous state. The action could derail the governor's own effort to manage casino growth. Some observers have raised claims of racism.
   
   news.yahoo.com/news

4. Cato Institute Considers First Nation Gambling

   Doug Bandow provides this overview of recent developments in First Nation gambling expansion in the U.S. As of the end of 2003, 222 tribes ran 356 gambling operations in 30 states. Negotiations over state approval often are tortuous and lead to big-time political confrontations. Two complicated initiatives affecting existing gambling compacts are on California's November ballot. One initiative has set First Nations against Governor Schwarzenegger. The other pits other gambling interests at odds with First Nation action.
   
   www.spectator.org/dsp_article

5. Two Responses to Schools and Lotteries

   The debate continues related to educational institutions accepting gambling revenue. Harry Themal in Delewareonline.com provides his perspective on the University of Delaware and the history of the school. . .
   
   www.delareonline.com/newsjournal
   
   A charter school in Idaho turned down cash. The source? The Idaho State Lottery . . .
   
   story.news.yahoo.com/news
   
   The debate continues across many jurisdictions. Post-secondary institutions and public schools continue to be squeezed. What is the cost to communities where the risk of problem gambling is very apparent?

6. Nannygate or Responsible Policy?

   American Express and Citigroup took the decision to block the use of their cards because of concerns over fraud and fears that people might run up debts. AmEx follows a growing procession of credit granting bodies taking a similar stand.
   
   casinocitytimes.news/article

7. Nova Scotia Policy Paper

   The paper invites readers to provide feedback (deadline Oct. 31) on this discussion of the direction of gambling and problem prevention. Ten guiding principles include the affirmation that ?Gaming decisions will be supported by well-founded objective analysis and/or research, including experience from other jurisdictions? and a commitment to ?minimizing the adverse social implications of gaming and maximizing adherence to overall Government policy objectives (that) will be integrated into all gaming decisions?.
   
   Adobe Reader required. www.gov.ns.ca/govt/gamingstrategy

8. Poll Results Challenge Blair?s View of Britain

   Tony Blair faces public opposition to the gambling shake-up which will bring in a new generation of super-casinos. A clear majority, 53%, are opposed to the reforms, an ICM poll found. Only a third, 34%, backed the plans and opposition was even stronger among women who are split 57% to 28% against. The recent commitment to gambling expansion in Britain will certainly change the face of the nation and prevention strategies.
   
   www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles

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64th Edition: Gender Differences, Global Reach and
Popular Culture Marketing

1. Gender Differences in Participation and Attitudes

   The department for Culture, Media and Sport undertook a review of attitudes and participation in gambling. The survey was based on 2,945 adults over the age of 18. The findings indicate to the researchers that there is a significant difference in the participation rate between men and women. (women participate less) They argue that the ?feminisation? of gambling has yet to occur in the United Kingdom. Adobe Reader needed for this PDF file.
   
   www.culture.gov.uk/gambling

2. Economist Piece on Global Reach of Gambling

   Thanks to Rhys Stevens for passing on this link. The piece provides a thumbnail overview of some issues that are changing the face of gambling worldwide. The challenges facing Europe are noted. The growth of on line gambling is also catalogued in the September 30 effort.
   
   www.economist.com/business

3. The More You Know, the Less You Learn?

   In the second of a two part series, the WAGER reviews an article by Evans, Kemish, and Turnbull (2004) which showed that people with more education have a harder time than their less-educated peers in learning from experience on a gambling task.
   (Volume 9 Number 40- October 6, 2004)
   
   www.thewager.org/current

4. Pamela Anderson Slots

   The link between gambling and sexuality continues to be present in the marketplace. The article refers to the Bally Gaming and Systems release of a slot machine that features a ?get lucky? representation of Pamela Anderson.
   
   www.lasvegassuh.com/gaming
   
   Similar slots have been developed featuring the images of soccer great Pele and actor Clint Eastwood. It is important to see the very close links between popular culture and gambling in a number of guises.
   
   http://casinocitytimes.com/news

5. Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse 03 ?04

   The mission of CCSA is to provide objective, evidence-based information and advice to help reduce the health, social and economic harm associated with substance abuse and addictions. The annual report provides an important overview of the work done by the Centre. There is no direct link to problem gambling in the report. However awareness of the work of colleagues is always valuable.
   
   www.ccsa.ca/pdf

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63rd Edition: Canadian Partnership,
Older Adult Lifestyle Choices and Racino Opposition

1. Older Adults and Gambling

   Thanks to Bill Bray (program staff in the Prince Albert, SK. and area region) for this link. Yale epidemiologist Rani Desai reports that recreational gamblers 65 and older reported being in better health than their peers who don't gamble. The survey of 2,400 people relied on the participants to report their gambling habits, health and other personal information. A survey firm called all the participants, and Yale researchers crunched the numbers. The findings were published in the September issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry.
   
   http://story.news/older_gamblers

2. Best Practices Guide

   The American Gaming Association released a ?best practices guide? on line during the late summer. The most extensive portion of the resource guide offers a clearinghouse of best practices that are currently in place at AGA member companies.
   
   www.americangaming.org/press_releases

3. One Chosen Field? Diversifying

   A mathematics graduate from Belfast, Northern Ireland, who snubbed a 40,000 pound a year banking job to earn a mere 4,500 a week playing internet poker, is all set to earn 234,000 pounds a year as earnings. Thus goes the way of gambling. Such incidents occur. However, the reality of odds, wins and losses indicate that gambling remains a high risk activity for those people living with problem gambling as their gamble in life.
   
   www.webindia123.com/news

4. Risky Business . . .A Report on Christmas Island

   I provide this link to a review carried out by a parliamentary committee. The review considers a range of elements brought forward to determine the fate of the Christmas Island Casino and Resort. The interesting element is the dissenting report of non-government members. (( pp. 151-162) Adobe Reader required for this PDF file.
   
   www.aph.gov.au/house/committee

5. Racinos on the Way

   Racinos are coming to the Maritimes in Canada and proponents of the racetrack gaming centres say they're a sure bet to save the region's troubled harness racing industry. Opponents warn no good will come from what they consider an unholy union between the flashing lights of electronic gambling and the pounding hooves of the race track.
   
   www.940news.com/news

6. Canadian Regulators

   The Canadian Partnership for Responsible Gambling provides this catalogue of regulators. Bingo, casinos, electronic gambling machines, horse racing, licensed charities and ticket lotteries are noted. Adobe Reader required for this PDf file.
   
   www.responsiblegambling.org/articles/management

7. What is the Partnership You Ask?

   In June 2001, the Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) sponsored a national forum that brought together a group of Canadians to identify issues and actions to further the aims of responsible gambling in Canada. As a result of that meeting and under the leadership of the RGC, a diverse group of representatives from several provinces established a founding steering committee and have pursued the creation of a national member-driven initiative to provide services to members and affiliates in support of responsible gambling research, education and policy development.
   
   The document provides core functions of the group, work plans and details on the members of the founding committee.
   
   www.responsiblegambling/org/CPRG

8. Op Ed Piece from Sports Business News

   To wager or not to wager, that is one of many questions on the mind of Chris Isidore. He argues for regulation and legalization of on line gambling within the United States.
   
   www.sportsbusinessnews.com

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62nd Edition: Advocate?s Challenge, Homelessness
Connection and Smoking Impact

1. The Grey Campaign

   Tom Grey is a United Methodist pastor in the United States. He is currently on leave and is the Executive Director of the National Coalition Against Legalized Gambling (NCALG). The piece is dated (1998). However, the overview is helpful in terms of connecting the reader to this national body. Grey is in a difficult position. There are conservative and liberal churches with a range of concerns related to gambling. Their positions on a range of social issues vary widely. Grey and the leadership of NCALG seem to navigate the challenges of the varied perspectives regularly.
   
   www.religion-online.org/showarticle

2. Australian Peak?

   A study by URS Finance and Economics, which looked at the economic contribution of the country's 13 casinos, found overall revenue for 2002-03 was flat at $3.14 billion - up just 0.4 per cent on the previous year. While the study does not delve into the reasons why gaming revenues have plateaued, the market is considered mature in Australia and regulatory moves in the interests of health and problem gambling, such as smoking bans, have also curbed income.
   
   www.heraldsun.news.com.au

3. Oregon Upsurge

   With more Oregonians than ever playing video poker and visiting tribal casinos, a record number also are seeking treatment for problem gambling, state health officials reported August 31/04. More than 1,500 gamblers -- in debt for an average of more than $19,000 -- enrolled in state-paid treatment programs during fiscal 2003, the report found. But that's a tiny fraction of the estimated need. About 2 percent of adults in the state are thought to be problem gamblers.
   
   www.oregonlive.com/news

4. Homelessness and Gambling

   Research by academics from the University of Sheffield looked at homelessness problems among over 50s in Boston, Massachusetts; Melbourne, Australia; and four English cities. The findings revealed patterns of homelessness in over 50s to be broadly similar, except in Australia where it identified a link between homelessness and gambling that appeared not to exist in the other study areas.
   
   http://casinocitytimes.com/news

5. Treating the Source, the Symptoms, or the Correlates? Bupropion in the Treatment of Pathological Gambling

   Volume 9 No. 35 of the WAGER looks at the value of Bupropion A recent preliminary study conducted by Black (2004) tested the efficacy of the psychostimulant bupropion (Wellbutrin) for the treatment of pathological gambling. Adobe Reader required.
   
   www.thewager.org/backissues

6. Smoke Get?s in Our Eyes?

   The level of cancer-causing particles is much higher in the air of smoke-filled bars and casinos than on truck-choked highways and city streets, according to the first U.S. published comparison of indoor air quality before and after smoke-free workplace legislation. The study, conducted in a casino, six bars and a pool hall in Wilmington, Delaware, is published in the September 2004 Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine.
   
   www.innovations-report.com

7. Pay Pal Takes Aim

   Thanks to Steve Christensen of Saskatchewan Health for passing on this action related to Pay Pal. PayPal will start fining customers up to $500 for using the online payment service on gambling, pornography and illegal sales of prescription drugs. Pay Pal has been barring gambling transactions for several years. However the fines are a new wrinkle. A fine balance between responsible action by a vendor and looking after their legal liability perhaps?
   
   www.siliconvalley.com/mid

8. Singapore Plot Thickens

   Past reviews have noted the significant debate between legislators in Singapore. This piece notes that CEO?s of various corporations weigh in and state their case. The profit motive appears to be quite apparent.
   
   http://straitstimes.asia1.com

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Special Edition: Social Costs of Problem Gambling

Bill Ursel, Director
Problem Gambling Community Program
Saskatchewan
September 9, 2004

The Problem Gambling Community Program purpose is to strengthen the capacity of communities to respond to the negative impacts of gambling. The program works in collaboration with Saskatchewan Health to deliver the public education and community development components of Saskatchewan's problem gambling program.

The social and economic impact of problem gambling can be very significant. The need to calculate the cost is evident. However, the process for calculating the cost is a challenge. There are a wide variety of factors that need to be considered. I provide a range of pieces that address the issue of calculating and noting the costs of problem gambling for individuals and communities.

I caution the reader to be aware of various perspectives in each of the pieces. There are objective pieces based on empirical data. There are subjective pieces based on narrative and often anecdotal information. The review is not intended to be exhaustive. Rather, the review provides a range of material that relates to determining the social costs of gambling.

1. Final Report on the Prevalence of Problem Gambling. 2002

   This piece is a very important resource in Saskatchewan. The findings are of interest to any reader considering the social impact of gambling behaviour. The report is current. It provides very helpful information related to gambling and problem gambling in Saskatchewan. PDF file requires Adobe Reader.
   
   www.health.gov.sk.ca/ps_fin_rep

2. The Whistler Report. 2000

   This report is the record of proceedings and action steps from the first international symposium on the economic and social impacts of gambling. Fourteen agencies/firms/government departments participated as sponsors and substantive supporters. The goal of the event was ?to derive best practice guidelines? for conducting future gambling cost/benefit impact studies. Discussions have continued. Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming recently reported in the media that ?the time frame I?ve seen anticipates another two years until they actually have a methodology defined for doing a proper social impact study.? (Jim Engel, Executive Director, SLGA) PDF file requires Adobe Reader.
   
   www.ccsa.ca/pdf

3. Prevalence Research. 2004

   Rachel Volberg provides her review of the ?rapid growth of problem gambling prevalence research in North America and internationally?. Published in the Journal of Gambling Issues (February 2004).
   
   http://cgr.org/Files

4. Policy Making and Social Responsibility

   Jan McMilen, University of Western Sydney provides this 13 page Power Point overview. Interesting discourse on the factors that influence gambling policy.
   
   http://gaming.uleth.ca/agri

5. An International Perspective

   David Korn presented this paper/presentation in 2003 in New Zealand. Korn discusses the growth of gambling, public health perspectives on gambling and a public health model. He concludes by saying that ?gambling is an emerging public health issue based on epidemiology, social costs (and) quality of life concerns?. PDF file requires Adobe Reader.
   
   www.teennetproject.org/pdf

6. Gambling, Harm and Health: Problem Gambling Committee of New Zealand and the Gambling Studies Institute of New Zealand. 2001

   Robert Brown and John Raeburn provide two papers with thought provoking content. Brown presents ?The Harm Minimization Strategy: A Proposed National Responsible Gambling Policy for New Zealand?. Raeburn provides ?A Health Promotion Approach to Gambling in New Zealand?. The second paper is helpful in defining gambling as a public health issue.
   
   This perspective includes a focus on whole populations and demographic groups and a review of the social and policy factors related to overall health and wellbeing.
   
   www.gamblingstudies.co.nz/content

7. Gender Differences. . and Social Costs of Gambling Disorders c. 1999

   James Westphal and Lera Joyce Johnson provide this overview of a number of factors used to determine the social costs of gambling in Louisiana in 1999. PDF file requires Adobe Reader.
   
   www.responsiblegambling.org/articles

8. The United Church of Canada

   The United Church of Canada issues this position on the Economic and Social Impact of Gambling Expansion.
   
   www.united-church.ca/economicjustice

9. British Interchurch Coalition

   Helena Chambers, Director of Quaker Action on Alcohol and Drugs (QAAD), Jennifer Hogg, for the Evangelical Alliance and a representative of Guildford Churches, Rachel Lampard, Secretary for Parliamentary and Political Affairs for the Methodist Church and Jonathan Lomax, Public Affairs Officer of The Salvation Army, gave oral evidence to a committee which is made up of a cross-party group of MPs and Lords in Britain.
   
   www.salvationarmy.org.uk

10. Jehovah?s Witness Perspective. 2002

    This ?official website of Jehovah?s Witnesses? provides their perspective on gambling and problem gambling. The item poses the following questions: ?Even if you feel that gambling does not adversely affect your financial or physical health, what impact does gambling have on your spiritual health? Are there good reasons why you should avoid gambling??
    
    www.watchtower.org/library

11. A Personal Perspective: Kathryn Gabriel. 2000

    The article noted ?is a compilation of papers written at the request of two Native American groups exploring the pros and cons of gambling, in terms of spirituality. The article is based on the book, Gambler Way, and was not written to endorse either side of the issue? . . . readers are asked to notify the author when the article is cited and referenced.
    
    http://kathryngabriel.com/articles

12. Personal Perspective: Carl Bechtold. 2004

    This piece was written for the National Coalition Against Legalized Gambling. The author walks through a number of issues from prevalence rates, causal connections and suicide related to gambling behaviour. An estimate for ?the social costs for problem and pathological gamblers? is provided. PDF file requires Adobe Reader.
    
    www.ncalg.org/library

13. An Industry Perspective

    Frank Fahrenkopf of the American Gaming Association provides this overview of gaming in the United States. Thought provoking perspective on the social costs of ?disordered Gambling?. Mr. Fahrenkopf remains a controversial figure in the community across many borders. PDF file requires Adobe Reader.
    
    www.nagra.org/handouts

14. GAO Impact of Gambling. 2000

    The general accounting office of the United States provides this report on the impact of gambling. A wide range of factors are noted. Included are the perceived impacts of gambling on bankruptcy frequency and effects of gambling on tax revenue. There is provided an appendix (p. 26 ff of the piece) on the social effects of gambling on communities. PDF file requires Adobe Reader.
    
    www.gao.gov/new/items

15. The Benefits and Costs of Banning Interactive Gambling. 2000

    The firm Econtech developed this piece for the Australian Office for the Information Economy. It attempts to model the economic benefits and costs of banning interactive gambling. Four banning scenarios are offered. PDF file requires Adobe Reader.
    
    www.dicta.gov.au

16. A Snapshot and Localized Study: Hamilton, Ontario. 1999

    Atif Kubursi and Don Jaffray present ?The Social and Economic Impacts of a Permanent Casino in Hamilton?.
    
    http://home.nas.net

17. Impacts of A Casino: Moncton, New Brunswick. 2001

    A 2001 report by the Citizen?s Committee on Destination Gambling. The group of volunteers had the task of reviewing and analyzing the effects a casino would have on Moncton?s image, economy . . .crime and policing.? PDF file requires Adobe Reader.
    
    www.moncton.org/search/

18. Overview of the Issue: North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries.

    This bibliography includes reference to these and other offerings. . Unaffordable Losses: Estimating the Proportion of Gambling Revenues Derived from Problem Gamblers. Rachel A. Volberg, W. Lamar Moore, Eugene M. Christiansen, Will E. Cummings, and Steven M. Banks. Gaming Law Review Vol 2(4), p349 ? 360. 1998 and The Social Costs of Gambling: An Economic Perspective. Douglas M. Walker and A. H. Barnett. Journal of Gambling Studies 15:3, 181-212. Fall 1999.
    
    www.naspl.org/biblio11

19. Social and Economic Consequences of Indian Gaming in Oklahoma, 2003

    Kenneth Grant, Katherine Spilde and Jonathan Taylor provide this paper for the Native Nations Institute and the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development. The paper considers ?class II (two) gaming operations in Oklahoma?. The piece reviews the Economic and social implications of class II gaming (includes bingo, pull-tabs and technological aids to those games). PDF file requires Adobe Reader.
    
    http://udallcenter.arizona.edu

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61st Edition: Manitoba Meets Nevada,
Law Suits, Adolescent Gambling and China Arrives

1. Tribal Gaming in the U.S.

   Thanks to Rhys Stevens (Alberta Gaming Research Institute) for passing on this link. Reviews the economic impact of tribal government gaming in 2003. It will be helpful to review this piece in the context of First Nation?s gambling initiatives in Canada. PDF file requires Adobe Reader.
   
   http://indiangaming.org/info

2. Central Systems and VLT?s

   Worthwhile to review this report by Christiansen Capital Advisors. A review of a ?central system? for the operation of video lottery terminals is noted. Such a system has its supporters and critics. A central system may offer ease of reporting revenues and may offer better security. However, critics note the complex nature of slots and VLT?s and the need to have a generic system that meets monitoring needs. The problem gambling perspective would ask the following questions: Does a central system aid in any way re: slower pace of play? Do a vast array of messages and features raise awareness, highlight clinical resources available, etc? PDF file requires Adobe Reader.
   
   www.cca-i.com/central

3. Manitoba Lotteries and Education

   The Manitoba Lotteries Corporation has entered into a partnership with the University of Nevada. They have offered and continue to offer an ?Education Forum?. Next event runs September 20 ? 23, 2004. A shall I say unique session called ?Strategies for Dealing with the Gaming Patron? is offered at the event. Another PDF file.
   
   www.mic.mb.ca/MLC/info

4. Terminator Scales Back

   In the face of Democratic opposition, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Indian tribal negotiators have agreed to halve the number of slot machines they originally proposed for California's first urban casino. Readers need to examine the reasoning behind such a change. Is the opposition based on moral grounds, economic grounds, a combination of both? I shy away from conspiracy theories most times, however, the gambling industry in the United States remains a very, very powerful lobby.
   
   www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article

5. Litigation and Problem Gambling: Yes, it Has Arrived

   A Harrah's casino will pay $40,000 in state fines for marketing violations, including mailing promotional materials to problem gamblers who had voluntarily banned themselves from Missouri casinos. My sense is that we will continue to see such cases brought before the bench across the United States and Canada.
   
   www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories

6. Multibet: Gambling-Lite?

   This vendor appears to be making at attempt at furthering responsible gambling. The site offers the following maxim ?Gambling activity can be broadly divided into two classes: gaming and wagering; MultiBet is a wagering organisation. While there is far less evidence of major problems arising from persons' participation in wagering activity, MultiBet as a wagering services supplier fully recognises its responsibilities in this area and will take all reasonable steps to assist clients who may develop a problem in controlling their wagering?
   
   Hair splitting or legitimate position? You be the judge . . .
   
   www2.multibet.com/main

7. Adolescent Gambling

   The Volume 9 Number 34 - August 25, 2004 edition of the WAGER reports the results of a recent study by Hardoon, Gupta, and Derevensky (2004) that examined the risk factors associated with gambling in adolescents: the authors examined the relationship of psychosocial variables (e.g., lack of social support, substance use problems, and learning and behaviour problems) and the severity of disordered gambling among youths.
   
   www.thewager.org.current.htm

8. China: On Line Giant

   This piece provides insight into China?s growing electronic game fever. Fever is not too strong a term. The item notes ?president of the Organizing Committee of China Internet Gaming 2004 says the Internet gaming is a green game and healthy game.? The translation to English is rough hewn and continues . . .? The organizers believe that the game has surpassed the technical meaning to upgrade it into a social cultural phenomenon which advocates healthy intelligence.? Implications for gambling on line have yet to be explored.
   
   Ed. note: (I have been fortunate enough to have been asked to present a paper related to our prevention initiatives at the Gaming Industry and Public Welfare International Conference in Beijing, December 6- 10, 2004)
   
   http://news.xinhaunet.com

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60th Edition: Hackers Play Their Hand,
U.S. Expansion and Competing for Limited Resources

1. Prague: Crime and Gambling Connection

   A grenade attack outside a casino in central Prague that injured 18 people, most of them foreign visitors, has prompted efforts to tighten controls on the gambling industry and cut its suspected ties with organized crime.
   
   The links to less than credible backers of some gambling venues have been brought to light on numerous occasions. How do such links impact communities responding to the challenge of the social and economic costs of gambling? There is the continuing risk posed by this seemingly peripheral presence in a number of communities.
   
   www.praguepost.com

2. Flights of Fancy: Casinos and Space Flight

   In another first for the online casino industry, gaming site GoldenPalace.com will boldly go where no casino has gone before with the GoldenPalace.com Space Program: Powered by The da Vinci Project. "From a marketing perspective, this is an incredible opportunity for us . . .? said GoldenPalace.com founder and CEO Richard Rowe.
   
   www.sapcedaily.com/news

3. Pennsylvania Spin

   The recent expansion of gambling in Pennsylvania is causing a stir in Delaware. The impact is akin to that in many jurisdictions. Expansion in one community challenges another to expand to meet the growing presence elsewhere. Is there a domino effect of expansion regardless of the threshold that is reached? Can adjacent communities expand without overextending market share? What are the social costs of expansion based solely on keeping pace with competing interests?
   
   casinocitytimes.com/news

4. South Africa and BEE

   Thanks to Rhys Stevens (Alberta Gaming Research Institute) for this notice. The South African National Gambling Board provides a number of PDF files related to BEE (Black Economic Empowerment) initiatives. Sun International South Africa offers four principles for gambling expansion that includes ?Community Involvement?. The plans call for opportunities that presumably lead to ?community upliftment?. I would hope that authorities also monitor social costs and impacts on at risk gamblers.
   
   www.ngb.org.za/home

5. Denial of Service Revisited

   I provided several overviews of hackers mounting attacks against on line casinos. This piece provides further examples of the challenge to the industry. The growing presence of such attacks is assisting the exponential growth of companies that specialize in software to combat the hackers. The attacks seem to follow a pattern . . .hit an on line venue that is vulnerable, bleed it, and move on.
   
   The culprits enlist computers by reaching into unsuspecting homes, universities, and corporate cubicles worldwide. The first step is to locate poorly defended computers, preferably with always-on broadband connections. Next they circulate viruses that place tens of thousands of target computers under their control. These are known as zombies. The extortionists then mobilize their zombies to bombard the target server with torrents of requests for information.
   
   www.businessweek.com/magazine

6. AGA State of the States Report 2004

   Frank Fahrenkopf introduces this PDF report. Sections within the report include an overview of casino venues, perceptions of Americans on gambling, and a section on responsible gaming. Fahrenkopf argues that the report notes that ?public acceptability of casino gambling remains high.? He dismisses the ?small and vocal opposition? that ?persists in distorting the facts? about casino enterprises. Two sources have been used for the report: Hart Research Associates and Harrah?s Entertainment Worldgroup. The Hart piece used 487 interviews in gaming states and 713 interview in non-gaming states. Harrah?s used a mail questionnaire responded to by 66,579 from which 17,117 casino players was identified. Adobe Reader required.
   
   www.americangaming.org

7. California Roles On

   Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is close to signing an agreement with a Northern California Indian tribe that could create one of the world's largest casinos in the heart of the San Francisco Bay Area, two newspapers reported August 17/04. Expectations are that if the 259-member tribe opens as many as 5,000 slot machines, it could generate more than $125 million a year for the state.
   
   The social costs must be assessed. The photogenic governor rarely mentions such an assessment in his apparent rush to cash in on gambling revenue.
   
   www.sfgate.com

8. The Wager on Lottery and Approval Ratings

   The WAGER (Volume 9 Number 32 - August 11, 2004) uses Gallup Organization polls of nationally representative samples and historical information from the California Bureau of Research (Dunstan, 1997) to compare the current trends in casino gambling behaviour and approval to historical trends in lottery involvement and opinion.
   
   Interesting reading holding this in comparison to the AGA report on casinos. Methodology and outcomes are important to monitor when surveys are carried out. Social policy that relies in part on such reports should be developed with great care.
   
   www.thewager.org/current

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59th Edition: On Line Gambling,
Family Impacts and Passion and Play

1. Consumer Protection in France?

   Jean-Philippe Bryk is 43-years-old with a wife and two children. He is suing casino group Partouche claiming that the local casino is responsible for his gambling problem. His losses amount to between 4 and 5 million francs.
   
   We continue to see litigation gain an increased profile. Clinical diagnosis and treatment is raising the awareness level in various circles.
   
   news.bbc.co.uk




2. On Line Lottery- Atlantic Canada Flurry

   The Atlantic Lottery Corporation will start selling tickets online by mid August. Players will be allowed to spend between $1 and $99 on their online purchases.
   
   The increased accessibility to gambling venues of many types will call upon prevention and clinical resources to be ever vigilant. Yet another source of gambling and potential source of problems for the player.
   
   www.cbc.ca.story




3. Self Help Portal On Line

   This resource is not new, however worth noting. The Harvard Medical School Division on Addictions provides this ?portal to self-realization and self-guided change?. There are various links to a protocol and process related to gambling and other soon to be posted links on alcohol, tobacco, shopping and heroin.
   
   www.thewager.org/toolkit




4. Family Study: Impact of Gambling

   The purpose of this piece by Drs. Korn and Tepperman is to look at increasing public understanding of the role of gambling in the structure and dynamics of different families within different ethno cultural traditions. PDF file requires Adobe Reader.
   
   www.gamblingresearch.org/download




5. Passion and Play

   Ratelle, Vallerand, Mageau, Rousseau, and Provencher (2004) examined whether subjects who cited passionate feelings toward gambling specifically exhibited positive (i.e., ?harmonious?) or negative (i.e., ?obsessive?) passions about gambling. They also explored whether problem gambling was more common among subjects with obsessive passion toward gambling. The WAGER (Volume 9 Number 31 - August 4, 2004) presents their results.
   
   www.thewager.org/current




6. Vigilance by FTC? The MGM Merger

   Mandalay Resort Group and MGM Mirage said July 27/04 they had received a request from the Federal Trade Commission for additional information concerning their proposed blockbuster merger. I doubt that the FTC will inhibit this or the Harrah?s mega deal. What impacts do mega mergers have on the player and on local communities? Well worth observing as the demand to increase the number of gambling venues faces legislators and entrepreneurs.
   
   news.yahoo.com/news




7. California Dreamin?: Publicly Funded Treatment?

   A major expansion of casinos, the lottery, racetracks and card rooms is making California one of the major sites of gambling expansion in the United States. In 1998 the state created an Office of Problem Gambling but only last year gave it money to operate ? $3 million a year donated by Indian tribes. Despite the windfall, it still has no full-time staff and no plan of action, and has spent only $95,000 on a study.
   
   One critic is vocal . . . "They don't care. Pretty basic," said former Democratic Lt. Gov. Leo McCarthy, a national expert on gambling. "The people at the top are ignoring a very significant problem. You have a politically powerful industry and you have a lot of ignorance from elected officials."
   
   story.news.yahoo.com




8. New Name : Journal of Gambling Issues

   Drop by the July 2004 issue of JGI. Fascinating piece by Phil Lange on a First Nation hand game and the relationship between skill, the presence of a leader, collective efforts and the underlying spiritual values of a people. Chevalier and Griffiths share work on why adolescents don?t turn up for treatment. The Regina Committee on Problem Gambling was fortunate to have the Internet Risk Awareness Brochure published in this issue. Insight by Turner and Horbay on how slots work . . .insightful section related to the erroneous beliefs about winning held by problem gamblers.
   
   www.camh.net/egambling

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58th Edition: Kids on Line,
Older Adults Action and Australian Plans

1. Research Panel Report- Australia

   Thanks to Rhys Stevens of the Alberta Gaming Research Institute for providing this update. The status of Gambling Research Panel 2001-02, 2002-03 and 2003-04 provides PDF files and updates on research in Victoria and elsewhere.
   
   www.grp.vic.gov.au

2. Harrah?s Purchase a Bold Move

   Harrah's Entertainment Inc. on July 15 said it would buy rival Caesars Entertainment Inc. for about $5.2 billion in cash and stock in a deal that would create the world's largest casino operator and solidify its presence in Las Vegas.
   
   story.news.yahoo.com/news

3. Older Adults and Problem Gambling

   Evelyn Bakich of Thunder Bay, Ontario provides information on her work and that of colleagues with older adults. In February 2000, three sites in the province of Ontario (Sister Margaret Smith Centre, Thunder Bay; Lifestyle Enrichment for Senior Adults, Ottawa; and the Sault Area Hospital Addictions Treatment Clinic, Sault Ste. Marie) were awarded funding in support of a 3-year pilot program in response to the identified special needs of older adults. In the spring of 2004, the three sites mandated by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care (MOHLTC) came together to form the ?Ontario Resource Group on Problem Gambling and Older Adults 55+?. Please contact Evelyn Bakich (bakiche@tbh.net or (807) 343-2425 Ext. 2861) if you have an interest in the work of the resource group. The attachment is named Older Adults Post.

4. Brain Activity and Breakthroughs

   I?ve posted notices of increased research related to brain function and some links to pathological gambling behaviour. Dopamine levels and the impact of SSRI?s (Sellective Seratonine Reuptake Inhibitors) have caught much attention. However, this piece considers activity at the cellular level. Dr Alison Barth of Carnegie Mellon University reports that the research could be used to tell how drugs affect specific neurons involved in psychiatric disorders.
   
   www.webindia123.com

5. Four Year Plan: Australia

   This status report looks at planned research in Australia through to 2008. There are 16 projects contained within the plan. Each project relates to one of seven key priorities. The priority areas include and are not restricted to definitions, best practice for early intervention and prevention and harm reduction plans for rural and remote communities.
   
   PDF file requires Adobe Reader. There is work planned for a feasibility study on longitudinal studies of problem gamblers (item # NGRP ?4.1) and a helpful piece on an evaluation of ?Dicey Dealings?. The program is designed as a ?whole school? approach to reaching adolescents with a prevention message.
   
   www.gamblingresearch.org

6. Labour , Profit and Social Costs of Gambling

   Union leaders on tiny Christmas Island are promising to continue their war with the Federal Government over its decision to keep the island's casino closed. "The government is concerned about the impact a casino would pose to the social fabric of the Christmas Island community and the dislocation to families that problem gambling can cause," Senator Ian Campbell said. Organized labour seems to be placed in the awkward position of arguing for a venture that some feel poses a threat to the welfare of residents. There may be more than meets the eye in this campaign. Hidden agendas and vested interests may stand to gain behind the scenes.
   
   www.thecouriermail.news.com

7. Children Betting On Line?

   British Children?s Charity NCH is calling on betting sites to install better procedures to prevent underage gambling. It asked a 16-year-old girl to register with different sites using a Solo debit card, which can be issued to children from the age of 11.
   
   She was able to pass checks on 30 of the 37 websites visited by claiming to be 18. A challenge to on line sites to be vigilant and prepared to apply age restrictions that have some teeth with available technology.
   
   www.sky.com/skynews



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57th Edition: OCD, VLT?s and
Singapore Sounds Off

1. Australian Review

   The review announced by Gaming Minister John Pandazopoulos will consider the future structure of gambling licences in Victoria. Mr Pandazopoulos said the number of gaming machines and problem gambling was not in the review because they were "broader policy issues for government".
   
   http://news.ninemsn,com.au/article
   
   A related piece informs us that the InterChurch Gambling Taskforce welcomes the review and would press for socially responsible action by the government. ?However, the review should not be an excuse to delay vital reforms that will reduce the incidence of problem gambling within the state?, said spokesman Mark Zirnsak.
   
   http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx

2. More From Down Under- Australia and the ?Net

   Welfare organisations wanted the Government to ban Australian access to foreign Internet betting exchanges, warning they could create more problem gamblers.
   
   The currents and back water corners of the on line debate do surface. The Internet continues to be a frontier opportunity for the gambling industry. This could be a venue for vigilance and proactive socially responsible action. The Antigua and United States debate highlighted in past reviews presents a unique case. David, Goliath and the vagaries of the market place?
   
   www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems

3. Eggs by Any Other Name?

   The woman had manipulated the video lottery terminal at an Edmonton casino into letting her win on command, recalls Zues Yaghi, a computer programmer and gaming machine expert who watched the scene. Mr. Yaghi says the woman was tapping into what he and some other experts call an "easter egg": a line of digital code allegedly embedded on to the machine's computer chip by rogue programmers, allowing informed players to cheat the games out of their booty.
   
   www.canada.com/news/national/story.htm

4. From Day Trading to a Safe Bet?

   Prediction markets claim to deliver clear, accurate forecasts on almost any issue for corporations and media organizations. Some use them to predict sales, rank projects, monitor industry trends or customer satisfaction, others to mine the collective mind of their audience. The intriguing element here is chance, luck, doing the dance around a ?skill?. Chance remains a factor so the buyer should be wary.
   
   How does the system work? You define an outcome for which you would like a reliable estimate. Then you invite people with relevant knowledge to trade "virtual" stock based on their confidence in this outcome. The result is a trading price that tracks the consensus opinion (in contrast with the average opinion that a poll would yield). Because the market is online, it involves any number of participants, from anywhere, at any time.
   
   http://us.newsfutures.com

5. OCD and Problem Gambling

   This is an older piece from NeuroPsychiatry Reviews (2000). I found it helpful in addressing the impulse control connection to problem gambling behaviour. Eric Hollander, MD, spoke at the 2000 annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association. He noted that many patients have bipolar spectrum problems or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and are not getting optimal levels of stimulation; this leads them to pursue risky activities such as gambling.
   
   www.neuroopsychiatryreviews.com

6. Where are those Car Keys? Memory and Random Outcome

   The cognitive distortion called the gambler?s fallacy is widespread and a part of the conventional wisdom. Even people who understand that random events are independent seem to forget it when they gamble. Drop by the WAGER for this challenging research. Volume 9 Number 27 - July 7, 2004
   
   www.thewager.org/current.htm

7. The Lobbyists Continue: VLT?s and the U.S. Constitution

   In a 5-0 ruling, the Appellate Division, 3rd Department, declared that the diversion of revenues from the use of Video Lottery Terminals (VLT) was unconstitutional, but left the door open to use of the machines if the proceeds are allocated exclusively to education.
   
   What is at play here? Could there be a voice from the industry that does not have access to VLT?s? Simply one observers question …
   
   http://biz.yahoo.com/law

8. Placing Bets on … You Guessed it, Exercising that Franchise

   The predictions for a too-close-to-call race are a marked change from a few months ago, when Bush was favoured to win re-election.
   
   Bush's odds of victory have "basically been around 50 percent, though it's been staying just below the line for a while now," said Emile Servan-Schreiber, chief executive of NewsFutures, a site where people place wagers on elections and other events to win prizes. As of Monday, NewsFutures traders were giving Bush a 47 percent chance of winning re-election. The odds on NewsFutures aren't far off from those posted on two other exchanges in which players bet real money on the expected election outcome.
   
   At the Iowa Electronic Markets, an exchange run by the University of Iowa that allows participants to wager up to $500 predicting the election outcome, Bush and Kerry each have a 50 percent likelihood of winning. At TradeSports.com, a wagering site based in Ireland that has no betting limits, Bush's odds of winning are slightly higher, at 52 percent, compared with 48 percent for Kerry.
   
   There seem few limits on what people will do to place a bet.
   
   www.wired.com/news/business

9. National Council in Singapore … No to Casino

   The National Council of Churches of Singapore (NCCS) has come out strongly against the idea of having a casino. The Government has long resisted calls to allow a casino but will decide by January, after carrying out extensive consultations and a careful study of its social and economic implications. Singapore is not unlike so many other jurisdictions. There is a strong attraction to the revenue that gambling can generate for the public purse. Let?s match that zeal with commitment to meeting prevention and clinical needs of the public.
   
   http://straitstimes.asia1.com

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56th Edition: Canada?s Loto,
WTO Decision, Easy Credit

1. Revenue Where Art Thou?

   A Michigan state lawmaker has actually introduced a bill to put toll booths on roads around Indian casinos. If the bill becomes law, cars passing through the booths would have to pay a $5 toll. There is a tendency to reach new heights when some legislators try to swell the coffers via gambling revenue.
   
   www.detnews.com

2. New Zealand Restrictions

   Sweeping changes to the law that will control the growth of gambling venues and restrict Internet gambling came into effect July 1, 2004. It will be harder to get gambling licences and easier to lose them, the Department of Internal Affairs said in a statement today.
   
   Pubs, clubs and casinos will need policies to identify and approach problem gamblers and people under 18 years of age will no longer be allowed use poker machines.
   
   The Gambling Act 2003 replaces the Gaming and Lotteries Act 1977 and the Casino Control Act 1990.
   
   www.nzherald.co.nz

3. Exploitation by Any Other Name? . . Australia

   VICTORIA'S gaming watchdog will probe Crown casino after staff were caught calling in a prostitute for a high roller. The Australian Adult Entertainment Industry confirmed June 29/04 that Crown employees organised sex workers for some of Crown's high rollers and Crown Towers guests.
   
   Many believe that the risk of problem gambling behaviour is increased when easy access to sex compounds the matter.
   
   www.theaustralian.news.com.au

4. WTO Dance Continues with USA and Antigua

   The United States and Antigua have suspended litigation over Internet gambling and want to resolve the World Trade Organization dispute through negotiations, an American official said June 29/04. Antigua and Barbuda successfully challenged the U.S. ban on Internet gambling, U.S. trade officials said in April. At the time, the officials said the Bush administration planned to appeal the WTO confidential ruling.
   
   casinocitytimes.com/news

5. The Pennsylvania Story

   The lengthy push for slot machines ended July 5/04 when Gov. Ed Rendell signed a bill allowing Pennsylvania to have up to 61,000 slot machines -- a deal that could make the state the nation's third-largest gambling market behind Nevada and California.
   
   Legislators are drawn with increased speed to the draw of gambling revenue. Will the Governor act with the same haste in providing for prevention and clinical support to those who have a visible need?
   
   www.lasvegasun.com/sunbin

6. 6/49 Slump?

   National sales of Lotto 6/49 in Canada dropped by one-third when the price of a ticket increased, but lottery officials say they're confident the slump will prove to be just a blip.
   
   On June 1, the interprovincial lottery commission raised the ante for 6/49, raising the price of a ticket to $2 and offering bigger prizes.
   
   www.cbc.ca/stories

7. Will that be Cash or Snake-Eyes?

   Gambling giant MGM Mirage was scheduled to announce a new credit-card reward program on July 6/04 that will allow card holders to redeem points at the company's casino resorts. The deal is expected to be similar to one announced in December between Caesars Entertainment and Juniper Bank. Harrah's Entertainment launched its own program with MBNA in 2001.
   
   Easy access to cash/credits remains a challenge to those gamblers at risk.
   
   news.yahoo.com/news

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55th Edition: 2,000 Sites,
British Backlash and Ontario Slots

1. Spam Guard?

   The Interactive Gaming Council has approved an anti spamming clause in it?s code of practice. However, part of a voluntary buy in to the organization. Money does continue to talk on line. Adobe Reader required.
   
   www.responsiblegambling.org/articles/Group

2. Slots in Ontario

   Addictions Services of Thames Valley Ontario Bonnie Orvidas notes significant increase in client need. The cause may be the promotion of Western Fair slot machines in the province.
   
   www.responsiblegambling.org/articles/Rise

3. 22,000 Wondering?

   I provide this link as an example of the range of on line material related to lotteries. I would like to see the odds of winning noted on this site. . however, that might be pushing the envelope, or should I say, pulling the tab just a bit too much?
   
   www.lotteryuniverse.com

4. Rating in the Eye of Beholder . . .

   This site claims to ?rate? various on line gambling sites. Close to 2,000 on line bingo, casinos, and poker rooms are all noted. When visiting the sites (at your peril of pop-ups and consoles) I don?t see a critique of the given site. Much flash related to deposit methods and the currency accepted. Slick marketing; worth a visit if you don?t mind the clutter.
   
   http://online.casinocity.com

5. Industry Critical of New Bill in Britain

   The government?s tougher stance - which will also lead to the removal of fruit machines from around 6,000 chip shops and taxi offices - follows concerns that loosening betting rules could spark an increase in gambling addiction. Culture minister Tessa Jowell said: "Britain has one of the lowest rates of problem gambling in the modern world. This is at risk if we do not act now and bring our laws up to date.
   
   One analyst said: "This looks a lot harsher than we were expecting. The only good thing seems to be that at least the legislation looks like it will be pushed through quickly."
   
   http://thescotsman.com/business

6. Leaving Treatment

   Patient retention is a goal of both physical and mental health treatment providers. Recent research reports that treatment providers for disordered gambling experience patient drop-out rates between 40% and 80% (Grant, Kim, & Kuskowski, 2004 Drop by the WAGER (Volume 9 Number 24 - June 16, 2004) for more detail.
   
   www.thewager.org/current

7. Mega Merger

   MGM Mirage on June 16 said it planned to keep all its Las Vegas resorts after taking over rival Mandalay Resort Group and would not slow down on other expansion plans because of the deal, which will make it the world's largest casino company. MGM will own 28 properties that take in roughly $6.5 billion annually -- if Mandalay shareholders and regulators approve the $4.8 billion acquisition -- agreed to by both companies' boards on June 15.
   
   www.yahoo.com/news

8. Terminator Tests the Waters

   Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed new agreements with five Indian tribes June 21 that will allow a major expansion of tribal gambling in exchange for billions of dollars in payments to the state over the next quarter-century.
   
   The challenge remains . . .economic growth and the social costs that result from a reliance on gambling revenue.
   
   news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl

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54th Edition: At the Track,
Australian Resource, Vegas Downside

1. Take the Reigns

   Thanks to Lisa Thomson of Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming for passing on this link. The Ontario Horse Racing Association and the Responsible Gambling Council (Ontario) have launched an awareness program. ?Know When to Take the Reigns? includes posters and pamphlets with an eye to raise awareness about gambling at the track.
   
   www.ohria.com/news
   
   Further information from RGCO at www.rgco.org/index.cfm

2. Alberta Conference Papers Posted

   The successful 3rd Annual Alberta Conference on Research provides papers presented. You may view the various offerings using Adobe Reader. Thanks again to Rhys Stevens for his development of this timely resource.
   
   www.abgaminginstitute.ualberta.ca/Events

3. Keepin? It Real

   This site highlights a drug prevention program for students. We recognize the addictions model provided and the lack of transference to problem gambling prevention. However, well worth a visit.
   
   keepinitreal.asu.edu

4. Down Under

   An option to purchase should the reader so choose . . . Gambling in Australia: thrills, spills and social ills. The piece presents the subject of gambling through the Powerhouse Museum?s collection in an historical context.
   
   www.phm.gov.au/publications

5. The Vegas Downside

   South on Las Vegas Boulevard, well beyond the casino-scraped skyline, there is a three-story hotel where tourists seldom go. The Budget Suites require no long-term commitments or credit cards. While that means little to guests with financial resources, it opens the doors to legions of credit-unworthy Americans. They arrive with a basic yearning for a good job and a house, regardless of the bumps on the road that brought them here. The risks of reaching out to catch a dream are very real for those who may see gambling as a way to bankroll their future.
   
   casinocitytimes.com/news/

6. British Prepare for Invasion