Page
      13.
      November
      2008
     
    
   
   
    
     
      CAMPUS
     
    
   
   
    
     
      UPEI
      Cadre
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Know
      The
      Score
      aims
      to
      halt
      gambling
      addictions
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Political
      Studies
      professor,
      Peter
      McKenna
      says
      the
      government
      needs
      to
      do
      more
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Know
      The
      Score,
      an
      inter-
     
     
      active
      problem
      gambling
     
     
      awareness
      program,
      visited
     
     
      UPEI
      in
      October
      in
      an
      effort
     
     
      to
      inform
      the
      student
      body
      of
     
     
      gambling
      addictions.
     
    

    
     
      Kathleen
      Baldwin
      is
      the
      bi-
     
     
      lingual
      project
      coordinator
     
     
      for
      Responsible
      Gambling
     
     
      Council.
      She
      was
      part
      of
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      appeal
      of
      gambling
      in
     
     
      movies
      and
      television.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “Obviously,
      online
      poker,
      |
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      accessibility
      to
      it
      is
      an-
     
     
      other
      factor.
      And
      the
      glam-
     
     
      orization
      of
      it,
      again
      with
     
     
      celebrity
      poker
      and
      things
      of
     
     
      that
      nature,”
      she
      said.
     
    

    
     
      Know
      The
      Score
      informs
     
     
      the
      public
      on
      a
      topic
      that
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      education
      needs
     
     
      located
      in
      the
      “We
      wouldn’t
      to
      }8
     
     
      ee
      allow
      restaurant
      2
      <2"
     
     
      ere
      just:
      :
      some
     
     
      trying
      to
      pro-
      Owners
      to
      be
      their
      light
     
     
      vide
      the
      stu-
      shed
     
     
      dents
      with
      Own
      health
      on
      it,
     
     
      some
      informa-
      :
      Sie
     
     
      tion
      about
      the
      oe
      ectors,
      Vite?
      said.
     
     
      risks
      associated
      wouldn’t
      allow
      the
      ond
     
     
      with
      gambling
      in
      ‘a
      think
     
     
      so
      that
      they
      are
      Irv
      ing
      family
      to
      be
      Pts
     
     
      able
      to
      make
      pollution
      im
      -
     
     
      more
      informed
      :
      :
      por-
     
     
      decisions,”
      she
      inspector
      S,
      because
      tant
     
     
      said.
      ‘
      :
      foot
     
     
      Specificatiys:.
      TheFe’s:an
      ODVIOUS..
      244
     
     
      there
      seo
      we
      conflict
      of
      mnter-
      «
      °1%)
     
     
      tistical
      infor-
      one
     
     
      mation
      avail-
      est
      there.”
      -
      Peter
      to
      be
     
     
      able
      to
      show
      :
      aware
     
     
      how
      prevalent
      McKenna
      and
     
     
      the
      —
      problem
      that’s
     
     
      is
      within
      the
      why
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ‘school,
      but
      the
      numbers
      for
     
     
      problem
      gambling
      in
      P.ELI.
     
     
      are
      significant,
      with
      44
      per
     
     
      cent
      of
      Islanders
      having
      an
     
     
      addiction
      to
      gambling,
      some
     
     
      of
      which
      started
      when
      they
     
     
      were
      as
      young
      as
      15,
      she
     
     
      said.
     
    

    
     
      “They're
      going
      to
      have
     
     
      other
      situations
      that
      they’re
     
     
      faced
      with
      and
      gambling
      is
     
     
      just
      another
      one.”
     
    

    
     
      There
      are
      many
      factors
      that
     
     
      play
      into
      the
      problem,
      like
     
    
   
   
    
     
      we
      come
      to
      universities
      and
     
     
      college
      campuses
      in
      hopes
     
     
      that
      we’ll
      reach
      students
      and
     
     
      faculty
      alike.”
     
    

    
     
      Baldwin
      said
      she
      would
      be
     
     
      unable
      to
      remark
      on
      why
      the
     
     
      government
      has
      not
      imple-
     
     
      mented
      significant
      means
     
     
      of
      deterring
      problem
      gam-
     
     
      bling,
      but
      it
      is
      good
      to
      have
     
     
      the
      government
      support
      pro-
     
     
      grams
      such
      as
      this.
     
    

    
     
      “All
      I
      know
      is
      that
      they
      rec-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ognize
      the
      importance
      and
     
    
   
   
    
     
      they’re
      in
      support
      of
      a
      pro-
     
     
      gram
      like
      Know
      The
      Score.”
     
    

    
     
      Political
      Studies
      profes-
     
     
      sor
      Peter
      McKenna
      has
      long
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _been
      an
      opponent
      of
      video
     
    
   
   
    
     
      lottery
      terminals
      (VLTs)
      on
     
     
      Prince
      Edward
      Island.
      The
     
     
      outspoken
      professor
      held
     
     
      nothing
      back
      when
      speaking
     
     
      of
      the
      issue
      he
      says
      is
      break-
     
     
      ing
      up
      families,
      and
      killing
     
     
      people.
     
    

    
     
      “They
      have
      no
      expertise,”
     
     
      he
      said
      on
      why
      the
      govern-
     
     
      ment
      has
      yet
      to
      fight
      the
     
     
      problem
      of
      VLT
      addiction.
     
     
      “These
      individuals
      (Know
     
     
      The
      Score),
      while
      well
      in-
     
     
      tentioned
      and
      decent,
      though
     
     
      they
      are,
      have
      no
      experience
     
     
      in
      the
      gambling
      field,
      and
     
     
      I’ve
      been
      studying
      gambling
     
     
      for
      15
      years.”
     
    

    
     
      McKenna
      said
      the
      govern-
     
     
      ment
      has
      not
      spent
      adequate
     
     
      funds
      on
      the
      prevention
      of
     
     
      VLT
      addiction.
     
    

    
     
      “The
      reason
      governments
     
     
      don’t
      spend
      much
      money
      on
     
     
      it
      is
      because
      they’re
      not
      con-
     
     
      cerned
      about
      it.
      And
      that’s
      a
     
     
      tough
      statement
      to
      make,
      but
     
     
      when
      you
      look
      at
      the
      actual
     
     
      revenues
      that
      are
      earmarked
     
    
   
   
    
     
      for
      problem
      gambling
      and
     
    
   
   
    
     
      counseling
      and
      research
      and
     
     
      kinds
      of
      steps
      that
      have
      been
     
     
      put
      into
      place
      to
      try
      to
      deter
     
     
      people
      from
      gambling,
      it’s
     
     
      one
      per
      cent
      of
      the
      overall
     
     
      gambling
      revenues.”
     
     
      McKenna
      described
      the
     
     
      government
      as
      being
      “ad-
     
     
      dicted
      to
      gambling
      reve-
     
     
      nues,”
      and
      are
      attempting
      to
     
     
      minimize
      the
      issue
      and
      “look
     
     
      the
      other
      way”
      because
      of
      the
     
     
      profits
      they
      reap
      from
      those
     
    
   
   
    
     
      addicted
      to
      gambling.
     
    

    
     
      “The
      best
      customers
      are
     
     
      those
      who
      are
      VLT
      addicts.
     
     
      So
      how
      can
      you
      say
      on
      the
     
     
      one
      hand
      that
      you’re
      con-
     
     
      cerned
      about
      responsible
     
     
      gambling
      when
      you
      know
     
     
      that
      those
      putting
      the
      most
     
     
      money
      in
      the
      machines,
      the
     
     
      people
      that
      you
      want
      sitting
     
     
      in
      those
      chairs,
      have
      a
      gam-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      bling
      problem,
      and
      a
      tax
     
     
      because
      those
      6614?
      on
      the
      fool-
     
     
      are
      your
      best
      It’s
      break-
      ish.
      You’re
     
     
      customers.”
      ;
      knowingl
     
     
      ing
      the
      golden
      sly.
     
     
      He
      said
      the
      fact
      g
      8
      :
      picking
      the
     
     
      the
      government
      rule
      of
      doing
      nO
      people’s
     
     
      is
      in
      control
      of
      h
      f
      :
      pockets,
      in-
     
     
      this
      problem,
      arm,
      O
      trying
      flicting
      pain
     
     
      as
      they
      are
      the
      to
      advance
      the
      and
      suffering
     
     
      benefactors,
      bi:
      55
      08
      them,
      and
     
     
      is
      part
      of
      the
      public
      interest”
      then
      _
      look-
     
     
      problem.
      ing
      the
      other
     
     
      “We
      wouldn’t
      -
      Peter
      way.”
     
     
      allow
      restaurant
      McKenna
      While
      —
      the
     
     
      owners
      to
      be
      province
     
     
      their
      own
      health
      does
      make
     
    
   
   
    
     
      inspectors,
      we
      wouldn’t
      al-
     
     
      low
      the
      Irving
      family
      to
      be
     
     
      pollution
      inspectors,
      because
     
     
      there’s
      an
      obvious
      conflict
      of
     
     
      interest
      there.”
     
    

    
     
      Even
      if
      the
      profits
      the
      prov-
     
     
      ince
      earns
      because
      of
      VLTs
     
     
      is
      significant,
      McKenna
      says
     
     
      we
      should
      examine
      the
      ef-
     
     
      fects
      of
      the
      problem
      such
      as
     
     
      family
      breakups,
      depression,
     
     
      suicides
      and
      personal
      bank-
     
     
      ruptcy.
     
    

    
     
      “It’s
      profiting
      from
      the
      peo-
     
     
      ple
      that
      put
      them
      in
      power.
     
     
      It’s
      breaking
      the
      golden
      rule
     
     
      of
      doing
      no
      harm,
      of
      trying
     
     
      to
      advance
      the
      public
      inter-
     
     
      est
      instead
      of
      undermining
     
     
      it”
     
    

    
     
      The
      question
      McKenna
     
    
   
   
    
     
      had
      is
      how
      the
      government
     
     
      would
      respond
      to
      those
      who
     
     
      may
      have
      lost
      a
      loved
      one
      to
     
     
      a
      gambling
      addiction.
     
    

    
     
      “What
      would
      they
      say
      to
     
     
      these
      people?
      What
      would
     
     
      they
      say
      to
      the
      families
      who
     
     
      lost
      a
      loved
      one
      who’s
      com-
     
     
      mitted
      a
      suicide
      because
      of
      a
     
     
      VLT
      addiction,”
      he
      said.
      “It’s
     
     
      basically
      a
      tax
      on
      the
      poor
     
    
   
   
    
     
      profits
      off
      VLTs,
      the
      ma-
     
     
      chines
      also
      cause
      the
      prov-
     
     
      ince
      money
      because
      of
     
     
      suicides
      and
      medication,
     
     
      McKenna
      said,
      noting
      there
     
     
      is
      no
      indication
      of
      whether,
      .
     
     
      because
      of
      this,
      VLTs
      actual-
     
     
      ly
      earn
      the
      province
      money.
     
    

    
     
      “We
      don’t
      know
      because
     
     
      provincial
      governments
     
     
      don’t
      want
      to
      know.
      And
     
     
      they
      haven’t
      conducted
      a
     
     
      systematic
      and
      comprehen-
     
     
      sive
      study
      of
      the
      social
      im-
     
     
      plications
      of
      gambling.”
     
    

    
     
      To
      stop
      the
      problem,
      we
     
     
      need
      to
      stop
      the
      source,
     
     
      McKenna
      said.
     
    

    
     
      “There’s
      a
      very
      simple
      so-
     
     
      lution
      to
      that:
      unplug
      the
      ma-
     
     
      chines.
      That’s
      the
      solution.”