Health Officials Put Spokes in Online Gambling Wheels
Public health officials in Quebec have asked the government to reconsider its plans to introduce an online gambling site in the province by this coming fall.
Recently, the Finance Minster of Quebec announced plans for Loto Quebec to launch poker and casino sites by September this year, in a bid to bring more than $50 million in revenue to the province.
However, health officials fear that problem gambling will increase as a result, and have asked the government to step back.
"It's too soon to go online," said Dr. Richard Lessard, the Public Health Director of Quebec. "We think there should be a moratorium on the implementation of online gambling, and during that one year or more period, we think there should be an expert committed to analyze the impact on health in particular."
Health officials said that after the one year period, if online gambling was found to be safe, the sites could be launched over a transitional period, with regular assessments over time.
However, Loto Quebec rejected this suggestion, and countered statistics quoted by health officials in their statement.
Loto Quebec said that online gambling is already a fact in the province, with thousands of Canadians already playing at over 2000 sites around the globe.
The group said that by introducing its own site, these players could be channelled into a "controlled, safe environment with irreproachable integrity."
Loto Quebec promised to uphold the strictest standards of responsible gambling, using age verification features, limiting wagering amounts and offering self exclusion options.
A monitoring committee will also follow the development of the new online venture closely.
