Market saturation

I suspect that this latest expansion to on-line gaming is an attempt to overcome market saturation. It gives BC a momentary edge until everyone starts to do it then reality will catch up.

There are just so many addicted gamblers out there and the rest will get bored with one form of wasting money and just move on to the next.

War on gambling?

Yes, the BC Liberals are caught being two-faced (not the first time, won't be the last). But in spite of the rants from the usual NDP apologists, government-ran gambling makes sense. Addicts will find a way to satisfy their needs. Government may as well provide a relatively safe supply rather than leave the addicts at the mercy of criminals. Don't expect the BC government to get out of the gambling business regardless which party is in power.

Is Anyone Really Surprised By Any Of This?

I am not surprised at all. Sadly our government does not care about the people it is supposed to govern. That's the bottom line. I am not opposed to Gambling and it's a luxury and entertainment and nothing more. Once again another debacle from the BC Liberals. Mismangement, arrogance and complete denial or ignorance is really the power behind this throne. It is clear that this government is no longer capable or mature enough to govern this province. The evidence is clear. Mr Campbell and Co do not deserve the job any longer. Recall is fast approaching and by now even some of the backbenchers know that they're days are numbered. Regardless of the outcome these goons have to go.

...

"But in spite of the rants from the usual NDP apologists, government-ran gambling makes sense."

I think you will find the "rants" are more to do with calling the BC Liberals out on their hypocrisy over their well documented position on gambling before forming government. Not to mention the disastrous way they've handled the file to date... from the playnow website fiasco to the FINTRAC cover ups.

"Don't expect the BC government to get out of the gambling business regardless which party is in power."

I don't recall anyone in the NDP calling for a ban on gambeling - in fact, that sounds just like the BC Liberals would have said in opposition.

Hypocrisy strengthened by data

The Campbell government's utter hypocrisy on this issue is further underscored by the growing body of available scientific data on the addictive nature of online gambling, as well as casino gambling, which has become increasingly overrun by slots and rapid-fire computerized games.

Gambling today is not what it was 20 years ago. In BC, it's more accessible, more plentiful and with PlayNow it exists, officially, in new mediums (online). All of this is being pushed by governments (not just the BC government, it should be noted) with wilful disregard for the research that has long warned that online gambling truly is the "crack-cocaine" equivalent of gaming.

Shame on this government.

marlonbrando

Obviously your grasp of history could be better.

Please explain why it is that the BC Liberals should be given a pass on the charge of turning a blind eye to money-laundering because Glen Clark's neighbour leant a hand building his deck?

It'll be interesting reading.

Coleman gives away the store

My favourite quote from Richie Rich is one that I will bring back to haunt him and his ilk every chance I get.

VICTORIA — B.C.’s minister responsible for gambling jumped to the defence of the B.C. Lottery Corp. and its president Wednesday, saying the Crown corporation has exceeded industry standards in dealing with a privacy breach at its online gambling site, PlayNow.com.

“Other companies would just put a patch on and continue to run and fix the problem as they go,” said Minister of Housing and Social Development Rich Coleman. “Because they’re a Crown corporation, and they’re held to a higher standard, they shut down.”

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Rich+Coleman+backs+BCLC+gambling+website+despite+privacy+breach/3306931/story.html#ixzz0uwxd3Iti

So we can now look forward to repatriating our medical records from Accenture "because a Crown corporation is held to a higher standard" so they will take better care of our records.

We can count on ICBC to continue to supply our car insurance at discount rates to the broad majority of people, rather than cherry-picking the good drivers as private insurers are wont to do.

And we can count on getting BC Rail back for ourselves because they serve shippers and other customers "to a higher standard" instead of a private company like CN that would "just put a patch on it."

Bwaaaaa-hahahahahahaaaaa! Well I'm not holding my breath, but it'll be lots of fun to throw this in Coleman's face every few days.

Coleman's, and any other Fiberal supporter who hasn't the wits to figure out the pain in between his shoulderblades means he's just been hung out to dry....

Playnow

Let's see. We have Coleman and Graydon being less than forthright about why the Playnow site went down, from too high a traffic load to a software issue, and on today's news it was stated that there was a server malfunction.

With all the misinformation we have been fed by these two, how can we believe that the games they are offering are on the level. Who is entrusted to verify that the players are getting a fair shake. I assume that there is some government agency that polices the bricks and mortar casinos, but these are privately owned. Who keeps a government run virtual casino in line?

I like to gamble, but wouldn't even think of rolling their dice. I'll be quite happy spending my money in Las Vegas every once in a while.

Virtuality

I have the kind of mind that just naturally wants to figure out where the magician was really keeping all those pigeons, and where the lady's legs were while the saw was cutting the box in two.

For example, I never buy scratch and sniff tickets because they never tell who they gave the winning tickets to. They just pretend they don't know where the winning tickets come from. The fairies bring them I suppose.

I read an article a few months ago about how Video Lottery machines are programmed. Apparently, since there are no mechanical parts, when the machine is set up to not pay off except when it's told to, it is also set up to pretend to "almost" pay off by showing a picture of a winning combination just above or just below the picture of the losing combination the hypnotized sucker just paid for.

This leaves the deluded mark with a subconscious impression that he might actually have a chance of coming out ahead without the express approval of whoever is running these machines.

A false impression, it would seem. Proof of this is the recent story about the guy who unexpectedly won $45,000 and was denied his prize, because he had signed a paper agreeing never to win. No doubt one of those tricky lawyerly contracts they don't want anybody to read too closely.

When I was a kid, there was an illicit trick called a punch card that you could find in bars sometimes. I suppose I shouldn't admit how much time I spent in bars when I was a kid, should I?

It was a piece of cardboard drilled with a hundred holes, each stuffed with a prize amount on a slip of paper. You'd buy a hole for a buck, and push out your slip of paper, and win whatever it said. Grand prize: $50, and many smaller prizes.

The bartender would buy the card from one salesman, then the salesman's confederate would come in soon after, punch out the grand prize, claim the fifty, and leave the bartender to then sell the chances to his customers. while carefully not telling them that the only good prize wasn't there any more.

Sound familiar at all, at all?

It's not only the Liberals who love on-line gambling.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/28/technology/28eurogamble.html?th&emc=th

I Agree with G West on this

Quote:
"The NDP did expand gambling - which is quite another matter and doesn't reflect well on their 'past'."

I suppose it's all bit like drugs. Should/can society stop people from self-destruction?

The liberals have expanding

The liberals have expanding gaming to the levels that dwarf any expansion under the NDP. This is a nonsensical diversion from what the real issue and liberal apologists here know it. Just compare gaming revenue then and now. Stver and Bailey are dead on in their analysis. This is all about a corrupt government that has lost any moral compass if it ever had one in the first place.

Excluding Locals

The residents of Monte Carlo are not allowed to gamble in the casinos there. Singapore has an interesting approach.

"Given the concerns many Singaporeans have about legalizing a casino, the government has taken several steps to ensure this does not become an epidemic problem.

An entrance fee to the casinos will be enforced for all Singapore citizens and permanent residents (PR). The fees are tentatively $100 a day and $2,000 a year. The monies collected will go to the Singapore Totalisator Board for charitable causes. Individuals that are undergoing bankruptcies or have poor credit reports will be excluded. Spouses and family members can also request exclusion. Locals cannot use credit cards, post-dated cheques or request house credit from casinos.

No casino advertising will be allowed in the local media.

The Home Affairs Ministry will set up Casino Regulatory Authority and a National Wellness Centre will also be constructed to help compulsive gamblers kick the habit.

The Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports is to develop public education programs on gambling addiction as well as a National Council on Gambling."

Trouble is that here in BC there are casinos just a few miles down the road in Washington, so some of the revenue for government services would be lost to the State of Washington if the same restrictions were imposed here.

r'man

I don;'t think we should worry about losing a few dollars to Las Vegas or Washington state.

The problems gambling causes (everything from money laundering to bankruptcies) are far more expensive.

Not at all surprising given

Not at all surprising given the history of our present liberal government.

Anybody remember

I remember when the gambling got started and there was a lot of opposition from segments of the public. The government finally got general public approval(best scam ever) to legalize forms of gambling by claiming the profits to be made were going to be used to fund amateur sport and the arts. Well yes the government did fund those items for a while but everybody knows how much funding amateur sport and the arts are getting now.

What about social expenses.

There have been lots of studies that show that for every dollar earned by gambling there is a social cost of two or more dollars.

This governmernt is corrupt and lacking any trust!

They have slashed taxes to corporations, banks etc to the extent that, in order to come anywhere near to having a budget they promote gambling. If you look at other revenue sources, there is literally no money left except gambling. Our taxes, including HST are all going to the corporate elite. The LIbERalS are bankrupt morally and financially.

ov

An "inconvenient truth" if ever there was one. But that is true of most policies endorsed by governments. Just have to read Ed Deak contributions.......