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Province proposes gambling "snapshot’
Message was posted: 11:16 Aug 9th, 2006

User: beerstein Rank: Casino Gold: 1727CG Contributor rating: 3560 Status: Offline

Gambling news from http://thechronicleherald.ca/ The province is hoping to break new ground in finding the social and economic impacts of gambling in Nova Scotia. Bill Turpin, a spokesman for the Environment and Labour Department, said officials believe a socio-economic study to be completed by September 2007 will be the first of its kind in Canada. "We’re at the leading edge," he said Tuesday. "It will essentially give a snapshot of gambling in Nova Scotia in key areas." A request for proposals for the project says the consultant must describe and analyze video lottery terminals, the ticket lottery, casinos, online gambling, bingo, and harness racing. The document says each of those areas "will be examined from a societal perspective (including both public and private perspectives). This will include examining the impacts on individuals, households, communities, business, government and the economy." Mr. Turpin said it’s important to note the consultant will spend more time on types of gambling expected to have more impact. For example, VLTs will likely get more analysis than harness racing. The study, which will be made public, is supposed to cost a maximum of $250,000. The province’s gaming strategy released in April 2005 called for such a study, to be commissioned by Feb. 28, 2006. Mr. Turpin said it simply took longer to get the request together than originally thought. Opposition critics said they would have more faith in the new study if the government committee overseeing it included problem gamblers or addictions counsellors. The committee members are senior officials from the departments of Environment and Labour, Finance, Health, and Health Promotion, the Nova Scotia Gaming Corp., the Office of Aboriginal Affairs, and the Treasury and Policy Board. "It’s very much one-sided from the very beginning," New Democrat Marilyn More said. Liberal Leo Glavine said the new study is a good idea, but the lack of diversity on the committee leaves a question mark. "My fear is that this study of a quarter of a million dollars could be skewed to work to the government’s agenda here," he said.