Gambling

You might win, but you probably, and most certainly, won’t. Even when the great one, Wayne Gretsky lies to us saying, “with the right attitude and positive outlook you can win too.” In the long run, the chances of successfully coming out ahead are really, really, pathetic. But Connor McDavid and Austin Matthews, two of the best young hockey players in the NHL today, don't mind filling their over-flowing pockets to coerce you into trying it. Pretty sad when they’re targeting younger generations. Gaming advertisements are plastered everywhere on TV, sports broadcasts, billboards, and social media. It’s a total disaster. Yet, the Attorney General of Ontario, Doug Downey, said “We are truly proud of this strong, responsible, competitive online gaming model.” The government continues to bolster this industry at the expense of the next generations well-being and prosperity. 

Even my husband admits he would have been in trouble at that age. Meanwhile, Paul Burns the President and CEO of the Canadian Gaming Association said we have nothing to worry about. "People will change the channel. I don't think any companies are intentionally trying to do anything untoward towards influencing or targeting young people." The “tsunami” of advertising makes me wonder if we don’t already have enough problems without adding compulsive gambling to the mix? I don’t remember voting for more gambling problems in Ontario. Aren’t we supposed to be helping the bottom, not creating the bottom? Gambling is a crippling addiction that rips through entire families and the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp (OLG) is promoting its App like it’s a public service. Am I the only one? They used the pandemic as an excuse to move the gambling online. They throw words around like “safe and protected,” such as here, where iGaming Ontario (iGO) Executive Director Martha Otton states, “every player who places a wager with a legal operator is doing so in a safe, regulated, and protected environment.” Safe and protected from what? iGO, siting concern about the "grey market" is a page right out of the tobacco industry’s playbook. 

The U.K. changed its advertising gambling regulations when the parents of addicted gamblers who died by suicide pushed back. Meanwhile in Ontario there’s a TV screen pointed directly in your face to purchase lottery when you enter places like Esso or Circle K. Retail lottery sales reached an all-time high of $4.5 billion during 2021-2022. $1.6 Billion in net profit to the province. Where did all that money go? Last year there was $7 Million directed by OLG to its responsible gambling programs, a small pittance for ruining a marriage, a family, a life. I will continue to lament about these atrocious disasters for society until someone starts using their brain. That includes you, Doug Ford, and all your less than brilliant colleagues at the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.