melodydurrant
04-03-2019, 05:46 AM
Did you know that Quebec has the highest rate of suicide in Canada — a number that has probably been increased by the ready availability of VLTs. For those who don't know what is Video Poker here is short article http://www.facecool.com/profiles/blogs/understanding-and-enjoying-video-poker . It was pointed out that the machines are in some 4000 sites in the province, including bars, family restaurants, even in the back rooms of some arcades. I believe that the disingenuous nature of the machine — the “illusion of control” that VLTs afford the user over what is actually a predetermined outcome — means that her son was not the victim of a compulsion, or even an addiction..
If users of VLTs were told the truth about the machines — that the chances of getting the jackpot are not controlled by anything the user does, nor affected by the amount of times the game is played — they could make informed choices. That they don’t know that the outcome is set the instant their money is put in the machine, is the result of a moral failure of the provincial government. One man spoke of how he lost $75,000 he couldn’t afford, at the Montreal Casino. His reward?
The government may soon have to pay the price of that moral failure. It was concluded her talk with an exhortation for the assembled — many of whom had been affected in some way by gambling addictions — to take action. Maître Roger Garneau, followed with an example of how action might be taken.
Garneau is a lawyer from Quebec City whose firm has launched a $579-million class-action lawsuit against the provincial government and Loto-Québec on behalf of the estimated 119,000 people who have become addicted to VLTs in this province since 1993.
Garneau spoke movingly of his lead client, Jean Brochu, a lawyer with a successful practice and father of two children. Brochu became so hooked on VLTs — losing $500 a day — that he would forget to meet with clients, or even eat. Eventually, his compulsion was so great he defrauded his legal association of $50,000.
“He was on the edge of suicide, he had lost his job, he was disbarred and charged with fraud,” said Garneau.
Brochu came to Garneau’s firm for help. They helped him avoid prosecution and regain his licence to practice law but Brochu wanted to do more.
“He said, ‘I would like to help these people, who were like me but have no help,’” related Garneau.
They hope the class-action lawsuit will force the Quebec government to compensate victims for damages, and create a fund for counselling. Garneau said that he expects that the suit will likely be resolved within the year.
If users of VLTs were told the truth about the machines — that the chances of getting the jackpot are not controlled by anything the user does, nor affected by the amount of times the game is played — they could make informed choices. That they don’t know that the outcome is set the instant their money is put in the machine, is the result of a moral failure of the provincial government. One man spoke of how he lost $75,000 he couldn’t afford, at the Montreal Casino. His reward?
The government may soon have to pay the price of that moral failure. It was concluded her talk with an exhortation for the assembled — many of whom had been affected in some way by gambling addictions — to take action. Maître Roger Garneau, followed with an example of how action might be taken.
Garneau is a lawyer from Quebec City whose firm has launched a $579-million class-action lawsuit against the provincial government and Loto-Québec on behalf of the estimated 119,000 people who have become addicted to VLTs in this province since 1993.
Garneau spoke movingly of his lead client, Jean Brochu, a lawyer with a successful practice and father of two children. Brochu became so hooked on VLTs — losing $500 a day — that he would forget to meet with clients, or even eat. Eventually, his compulsion was so great he defrauded his legal association of $50,000.
“He was on the edge of suicide, he had lost his job, he was disbarred and charged with fraud,” said Garneau.
Brochu came to Garneau’s firm for help. They helped him avoid prosecution and regain his licence to practice law but Brochu wanted to do more.
“He said, ‘I would like to help these people, who were like me but have no help,’” related Garneau.
They hope the class-action lawsuit will force the Quebec government to compensate victims for damages, and create a fund for counselling. Garneau said that he expects that the suit will likely be resolved within the year.