29-Jan-07. It’s fun… to win! Calgary Sun, B6.

This article notes that there have been few research studies related to fantasy sports in comparison to other forms of gambling. A recent study by Dr. Bo Bernhard, an assistant professor of sociology at the University of Nevada – Las Vegas reported that there can be some positive social networking aspects associated with the activity. Garry Smith, a gambling research specialist at the Alberta Gaming Research Institute, notes that the skill element of sports betting seems to mean that people are less likely to become addicted to that form of gambling.

27-Jan-07. $10 says the kids are alright. National Post, A20.

This editorial comments on the results of youth survey released by the Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) of Ontario which questioned 2,140 teens on the role that gambling plays in their lives. Despite profound technological and social changes pertaining to gambling, the results of the survey indicate that the gambling habits of teenagers are little changed from years past. The editorialist warns that continued efforts should be made to equip students with the ability to properly understanding the true chances of winning in a casino setting.

25-Jan-07. Gambling starts early, study finds. Lethbridge Herald, A7.

A study released Thursday by the Responsible Gambling Council reports that more than one-third of Ontario teens aged 15 to 17 gambles. Of the 2,140 teens surveyed, 40 per cent of those who gamble said poker is their preferred game.

25-Jan-07. ‘Net no threat to lotto tickets. Edmonton Journal, F3.

John Pollard, the co-CEO of Pollard Banknote Income Fund says the Internet and other technologies show no sign of undermining the scratch-and-win lottery business as each attracts different clientele. Growth in North American instant-ticket lotteries was about nine per cent last year and has consistently averaged eight per cent or more annually for the past decade.

24-Jan-07. Betting the farm on the lottery. National Post, FP7.

The state of Illinois this week took the first steps in selling its state lottery system, hoping to attract as much as $10-billion from investors. Under the proposed sale, Illinois would receive a multi-billion dollar one-time payment, and the new owners of the lottery would receive all revenue and profit for 76 years. The lottery collected revenue of about US $2-billion and profits of around US $630-million last year.

23-Jan-07. U.S. probe hits shares in online gambling firms. Globe and Mail, B11.

The U.S. Department of Justice has sent subpoenas to about 15 investment banks across Europe and the United States, requesting information as part of a probe into gambling companies including Britain’s PartyGaming PLC and payment networks such as Neteller PLC. The United States effectively banned online gambling last fall when Congress added a provision to a bill aimed at improving port security to make it illegal for banks and credit card companies to settle payments to online gambling sites.

22-Jan-07. A double standard wins race. Lethbridge Herald, A6.

In this editorial, the author discusses the $190-million of financial support provided by the provincial government to Alberta’s horse racing industry. As the Alberta Liberals noted this week, there does not appear to be any evidence that Alberta’s Racing Renewal Strategy is actually renewing the racing industry. The editorialist questions why the Conservative government, a staunch advocate of an open market and competitive forces, has not allowed horse racing to compete on its own for the entertainment and gaming dollars of Albeta.

19-Jan-07. Let’s axe horse racing subsidies. Red Deer Advocate, A4.

This editorial is critical of the $190-million in taxpayer subsidies that have been given by the provincial government to Horse Racing Alberta since 2002. It is noted that past Alberta premiers Ralph Klein and Don Getty were both prominent players in decisions made to support horse racing. Liberal MLA Maurice Tougas is now calling on the Convervative government to end the racing subsidy. The author contends that the racing industry is being subsidized for all the wrong reasons and that it was the Conservatives under Klein who vowed to get out of the business of subsidizing businesses.

19-Jan-07. VLTs labeled unfair. Edmonton Sun, 9.

The Gambling Watch Network has filed a federal complaint with the Competition Bureau alleging electronic gaming machines (EGMs) aren’t regulated to ensure fairness. The citizens’ group membership includes an EGM software expert, a former lawyer for EGM manufacturers and a mother whose son killed himself over gambling debts. The group alleges EGMs do not meet Canadian standards of consumer fairness, fraud or protection. They say on-screen displays convince gamblers they’ll win more than the machine is designed to pay out, which breaches parts of the Criminal Code and Competition Act.

19-Jan-07. Horsemen’s wages blasted. Edmonton Sun, 5.

On the second day of a campaign urging the Alberta government to stop funding the horseracing industry, Liberal MLA Maurice Tougas attacked the $200,000 salaries of the agency’s chairman and the president. The province entered into a 10-year deal with the industry in 2005 that provides it with 51% of the proceeds of race track slot machine revenue. Horse Race Alberta chairman Dr. David Reid contends the province created a model agreement that is the envy of Canada to save the horse-racing industry from the expansion of casino and video lottery terminal (VLT) gambling.

19-Jan-07. Online gamblers crap out in U.S. Calgary Herald, D2.

This editorial-style article discusses the arrest of two Canadians for their involvement with British company NETeller PLC. NETeller charged fees which then allowed U.S. gamblers to transfer their betting money to offshore online gaming companies around the world. The author suggests that the U.S. government is most interested in protecting the tax revenues that it makes from land-based gambling facilities under its own jurisdiction.

19-Jan-07. Their gambling divide. Globe and Mail, A12.

This editorial says that two Canadian businessmen recently arrested as part of a U.S. crackdown on Internet gambling have broken no laws in either Canada or Britain, where the company there were involved with is based. The impetus for the arrests was legislation passed in October that made online gambling a crime in the United States. The editorialist says that permitting and encouraging gambling when it takes place at a physical venue in the United States but outlawing on the Internet is absurd.

19-Jan-07. Neteller to close Internet gambling services in U.S. Globe and Mail, B8.

Britain’s Neteller PLC closed its U.S. Internet gambling services yesterday. Neteller said it will stop handling gambling transactions from U.S. customers because of restrictive legislation and uncertainties about regulations.

18-Jan-07. Liberals want horse racing subsidy phased out. Lethbridge Herald, A5.

Maurice Tougas, the Alberta Liberal gaming critic, is called on Premier Ed Stelmach to phase out the subsidy given to Horse Racing Alberta (HRA). HRA has received more than $136-million in slot machine revenue since 2002 to revive the industry which was facing stiff competition from casinos and VLTs. Max Gibb, CEO of the Rocky Mountain Turf Club said the deal was necessary to revive live horse racing and continues to be needed in order to continue live horse racing in Lethbridge. Tougas point out that pubic attendance at horse racing events at Whoop-Up Downs in Lethbridge in 2005 was 63,860, down from 66,363 the year before.

18-Jan-07. Local non-profit groups receive funding. Lethbridge Herald, A5.

The non-profit John Howard Society of Lethbridge has received $50,000 from the provincial government via the Wild Rose Foundation. Funding will be used toward program costs for Life Without Gambling over one year to deliver a six-part community-based program to reduce the individual and social problems stemming from problem gambling.

18-Jan-07. Men caught in U.S. push to crush online gaming. Calgary Herald, A1.

University of Calgary alumni John Lefebvre and a business partner Stephen Lawrence, are accused of funneling billions of dollars in illegal Internet gambling proceeds to overseas betting operations from July 2000 until December 2006 through their online payment company NETeller PLC. Michael Lipton, a Toronto lawyer who specializes in gaming law, predicts the Canadians are in for a fight and are being used as examples by American authorities eager to stamp out online gambling in their country. According to the company’s 2005 annual report, payment services were provided to more than 95 per cent of gaming merchants around the globe, amounting to roughly $7.3-billion in financial transactions.

18-Jan-07. Stelmach urged to rein in horse racing funding. Calgary Herald, A4.

Alberta Liberal MLA Maurice Tougas believes it is time for the new government to come up with a plan to lessen funding to Horse Racing Alberta. Tougas said the government has provided $136-million in slot machine revenue into the industry over the past four years, will added another $60-million this year, and has extended the deal for another decade. Horse Racing Alberta chairman Dr. David Reid said the deal Alberta reached with the not-for-profit industry is seen as a model in North America for preventing horse racing from being negatively impacted by casino and VLT gambling.

18-Jan-07. Grits want Tories to stop horsing around. Edmonton Sun, 12.

Alberta Liberal MLA Maurice Tougas believes it is time for the new government to come up with a plan to lessen funding to Horse Racing Alberta. Tougas said the government has provided $136-million in slot machine revenue into the industry over the past four years, will added another $60-million this year, and has extended the deal for another decade. Horse Racing Alberta chairman Dr. David Reid said the deal Alberta reached with the not-for-profit industry is seen as a model in North America for preventing horse racing from being negatively impacted by casino and VLT gambling.

17-Jan-07. Uncle Sam nabs Net millionaires. Globe and Mail, B1.

John Lefebvre and Stephen Lawrence were charged yesterday with laundering billions of dollars worth of gambling proceeds through Neteller PLC, an Internet payment company they founded in 1999. Neteller enables people to transfer money from their bank accounts to merchants around the world and has proven popular with online gamblers. In complaints filed yesterday in a New York court, U.S. Attorney Michael Garcia alleged the Canadian businessmen knew that Neteller’s activities were illegal in the United States when they took their company public in 2004.

17-Jan-07. Critics fume over shelters for smokers at casinos. Globe and Mail, A10.

Ontario Health Promotion Minister Jim Watson said yesterday that government-owned casinos in Windsor and Niagara Falls are allowed to build outdoor shelters for smokers even though bars and restaurants cannot do so under a provincewide smoking ban. Casinos are not covered because their main business is not serving food or alcohol. Conservative finance critic Tim Hudak said the government is protecting its casino revenues at the expense of others in the hospitality sector.

17-Jan-07. Serve up a VLT reality check: Post the odds. Lethbridge Herald, A6.

This editorial discusses a complaint headed to the federal Competition Bureau by six individuals who say that video lottery terminals (VLTs) violate the Competition Act by engaging in deceptive marketing. One Halifax complainant says software in the machines creates near-misses that impel the gambler to keep playing. The author suggests that it would be helpful for VLT players to be better informed of the odds of winning and to post them on every machine and on the back of lottery tickets.

10-Jan-07. Medicine Hat passes smoking ban. Red Deer Advocate, A3.

The City of Medicine Hat, Alberta is going one hundred per cent smoke-free on May 31, 2007. A bylaw approved Monday night prohibits smoking in any public place, including bars and pubs, bingo halls and casinos, public vehicles, patios and home businesses. Opponents of the ban warned that it will hurt businesses and charities that rely on proceeds from bingos and casinos.

12-Jan-07. Gambling study need volunteers. Calgary Herald, B6.

A new study by University of Calgary PhD student Nicole Peden called Gambling Grief: Helping Gamblers’ Loved Ones is recruiting friends and family members who are hurt by the habit of problem gamblers. All participants must be close family members or friends of individuals with gambling problems and must be 18 or older. For their efforts, each participant will receive a $50 gift certificate from Safeway after the last phone interview.

10-Jan-07. Student bets therapy for loved ones works. Calgary Sun, 12.

University of Calgary Ph.D. student Nicole Peden hopes that a study she is conducting will decrease the distress experienced by loved ones of those who gamble and make treatment more appealing to problem gamblers. She says that evidence from the study indicates that the intervention has proven to be quite effective. It is even better than only self-help manual used in studies because those that have used a manual alone said they needed more guidance.

9-Jan-07. Bars defy smoke ban as complaints grow. Calgary Herald, A1.

On Wednesday, a group of Calgary bar owners who have VLTs on their premises are expected to ask for an injunction on the city’s smoking ban until their case is heard February 8th. They feel discriminated against because bingo halls and casinos are allowed smoking for an additional year.

7-Jan-07. Butting out blow to bingo revenue. Lethbridge Herald, A3.

After six days of the new anti-smoking bylaw, managers of two Lethbridge bingo halls fear that the resultant loss of revenues for the 72 community clubs they support will be substantial. Keith Preddy, president of the Southern Alberta Bingo Association, estimates that the bylaw has diminished revenues by $1,000 per day.

3-Jan-07. Thousands from Vegas of the north go big for the real deal. Edmonton Journal, A1.

Though Edmonton’s seven casinos are more than any other city in Canada, Las Vegas is Edmonton International Airport’s busiest destination and fastest-growing international route. In 2006, 60,000 people flew from Edmonton to Las Vegas, a 60-per-cent increase from 2005. A spokesperson for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Bureau said Edmontonians are coming primarily to experience the city’s entertainment options.

29-Dec-06. Banking on winning a jackpot? Yikes. Lethbridge Herald, A10.

The author of this editorial notes that, while gaming was once a moral grey area, today it’s just another pastime for Canadians. This turnaround occurred in only one generation. The author suggests that there will inevitably be problem gambling casualties as a result of the increased popularity of gambling. It is opined that there ought to be an informed societal discussion regarding the desirability of increasing the role that gambling plays in people’s lives.

30-Dec-06. Investigation of store owners delays $1M Ont. lottery prize for 6 weeks. Edmonton Journal, B10.

An Ontario couple from Fenelon Falls who co-own a store from which their winning lottery ticket was purchased had to wait for six weeks to claim their prize. A recent investigation by the CBC’s The Fifth Estate found lottery retailers were winning prizes at a statistically impossible rate and it prompted an investigation by Ontario’s ombudsman.

29-Dec-06. Racing fraternity honours Klein’s support. Edmonton Journal, B5.

Early next year, Standardbred Canada will honour fomer Alberta premier Ralph Klein with an award. Standardbred Canada, which promotes harness racing, credited Klein with revitalizing a sector that breeders and operators argued had been struggling for gambling dollars against video lottery terminals (VLTs) and casinos. In 2002, the Klein government reached a deal to give the industry a portion of profits from slot machines installed at race tracks. It gave horse racing a $33-million take that year, a number that has nearly doubled over five years.

26-Dec-06. Service clubs could be burned by new rules. Lethbridge Herald, A3.

Keith Preddy, president of the Southern Alberta Bingo Association, expects that once the new Lethbridge smoking bylaw takes effect January 1st, business at the association’s bingo hall will be dead. He says 85 to 90 per cent of the bingo players who go to Lucky’s are smokers. Preddy says that a reduction in revenues for the association will reduce funds available to community service clubs.

28-Dec-06. Gambling duo prove there’s no tax on luck. Globe and Mail, A1.

In the 1990’s, Brian and Terry Leblanc of Aylmer, Quebec managed a full-time betting operation which included wagering up to $300,000 a week on games such as the Pro-Line sports lottery. Their strategy involved betting huge amounts on events with incredibly long events and they often won big. In 2000, the Canada Revenue Agency took notice and sent them a notice of re-assessment for the years 1996 to 1999, saying their gambling was a business and subject to tax. The case ended up at the Tax Court of Canada and, last week, Mr. Justice Donald Bowman ruled in favour of the Leblancs.

26-Dec-06. So you think you could run a pro team? Globe and Mail, B5.

Big Bucks Footy is an online fantasy soccer game that allows players to manage their teams to compete for real prize money. Tim Lloyd, vice-president of BigBucks Games Interactive Inc., which has developed the game, says that it does not involve gambling and is 100-per-cent skills-based. A test version of the game is scheduled to go live on January 2nd. An increasing number of similar online skill games are being developed where players compete for cash prizes but few are profitable.

21-Dec-06. NHL opens door to Pens’ move. Globe and Mail, S1.

The National Hockey League has raised the possibility of moving the Pittsburg Penguins professional ice hockey team to another city after a state agency thwarted their plans to build a new arena. Yesterday, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board chose not to award a slot-machine operating licence to a company backed by owners of the team. The company, Isle of Capri, had pledged $290-million (U.S.) toward construction of a new arena if it won the licence.

21-Dec-06. Bars bet on butt loophole. Calgary Sun, 5.

A city council bylaw will prohibit smoking in Calgary’s public places in ten days except in smoking rooms, at places holding bingos and where the primary activity is the conduct of licensed gaming. The article author says some city bars may attempt to get around the bylaw by stating that they are primarily gaming establishments since they make most of their revenues from video lottery terminal (VLT) machines.

20-Dec-06. Penguins await key roll of the dice. Globe and Mail, B8.

Gambling regulators in Pennsylvania will today award 11 casino licences across the state, two years after legislators authorized slot machines in casinos. In Pittsburgh, the Pittsburgh Penguins professional ice hockey team and the Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc. are proposing a joint venture. Isle of Capri is offering to build a $1-billion (U.S.) casino complex, including a $290 million ice hockey arena.

20-Dec-06. Penguins await key roll of the dice. Globe and Mail, B8.

Gambling regulators in Pennsylvania will today award 11 casino licences across the state, two years after legislators authorized slot machines in casinos. In Pittsburgh, the Pittsburgh Penguins professional ice hockey team and the Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc. are proposing a joint venture. Isle of Capri is offering to build a $1-billion (U.S.) casino complex, including a $290 million ice hockey arena.