4-Feb-10. Quebec to add online gambling. Lethbridge Herald, B1.

This newsbrief reports that Quebec’s lottery commission will offer online gambling by the fall. It is allowing Loto-Quebec to set up poker and sports betting sites on the Internet. Quebec will join lottery commissions in British Columbia and Atlantic Canada to provide a common platform for online gamblers.

21-Jan-10. VLTs to stay in Saskatchewan. Lethbridge Herald, B1.

This newsbrief reports that the Saskatchewan government has cited financial reasons for rejecting a call to remove 4,000 video lottery terminals (VLTs) from bars, restaurants and lounges.

8-Jan-10. Gamblers get deal. Lethbridge Herald, B1.

Quebec’s lottery commission confirmed Thursday that it has reached a tentative multimillion-dollar agreement to compensate thousands of addicted gamblers, in a case with national implications. The out-of-court settlement stems from a class-action lawsuit filed against Loto-Quebec in 2001 by gamblers addicted to video lottery terminals (VLTs). Similar lawsuits are underway in Ontario, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland & Labrador and other jurisdictions are closely monitoring the Quebec case.

8-Jan-10. Addicts reach deal in lottery lawsuit. Calgary Herald, A14.

On Thursday Loto-Quebec confirmed it had reached a tentative multimillion dollar settlement in a lawsuit involving thousands of compulsive gamblers.  A spokesperson for Loto-Quebec said a notice of the tentative out-of-court settlement would be published in Quebec newspapers on  Jan. 16 with a hearing in Quebec City scheduled in March to determine whether the deal is accepted. A group of pathological gamblers filed a class-action lawsuit in 2001 against the provincial lottery agency seeking compensation for addicts, estimated by the plaintiffs to number 119,000 in the province.

6-Jan-10. Mammoliti bets on casino cash. Globe and Mail, A11.

Toronto Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti yesterday filed papers to run for mayor in the October 25th election. Mr. Mammoliti’s agenda counts on a lottery and casino, both of which would require provincial government approval, to solve the city’s fiscal woes. Though he estimates revenues of $300-million from these initiatives, the casino host cities of Niagara Falls and Windsor collect only $3-million a year from the province.

5-Jan-10. A cynical lesson in how to make controversy go away. Globe and Mail, A9.

This article comments on how Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty handled the wrongful dismissal suit filed by the fired CEO of the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp.

16-Dec-09. Ontario looks to unload Crown corporations. Globe and Mail, A1.

In an effort to raise cash to reduce its deficit, it is reported that the Ontario government is looking into the sale of all or part of its collection of Crown corporations, including the provincial lottery company. Sources close to the provincial Liberals say Mr. McGuinty is disenchanted with the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. (OLG) and would welcome an exit from the casino and lottery business as long as it guaranteed the province could continue to receive income from it. The agency put $1.7-billion into provincial coffers last year.

10-Dec-09. Schools end lucrative casino fundraisers. National Post, A8.

The Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton has moved to ban casino fundraisers held by Catholic schools in the city, raising concerns that parents will be forced to make up the shortfall. Casino fundraisers raise about $6-million every 18 months for Catholic schools in Edmonton according to Debbie Engel, chair of the board of trustees at the Edmonton District School Board.

8-Dec-09. Work resumes on grandstand at Lacombe-area horse track. Red Deer Advocate, B1.

Construction of the Alberta Downs grandstand is underway again and now the horse racing track’s owner Robert Allen is working to get approval for simulcast betting. Allen is hoping to get this approval from the federal government by the end of the year. Allen originally hoped to build a racing entertainment centre with up to 150 slot machines but the provincial government is not licensing any more slot machines until a gambling review is completed.

9-Dec-09. In a town haunted by Oka, nobody is ‘Canadian’. Globe and Mail, A3.

The main focus of this article is the Olympic Torch Relay through the Kahnawake reserve south of Montreal. It is mentioned that the Mohawk community has become a huge global player in the online gambling industry and is thriving. Kahnawake’s computer servers are home to more than 500 Internet casinos, an activity that is technically illegal under Canadian law.