27-Feb-09. U.S. could raise US$52B in 10 years by lifting Internet gambling ban, study says. National Post, FP12.

A new analysis prepared by accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers reports that the United States could raise nearly $52-billion in revenue over the next decade by lifting a three-year-old ban on Internet gambling and taxing the activity. Gambling supporters hope the study will help propel efforts in Cogress this year to repeal the 2006  Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act.

26-Feb-09. Brain chemical linked to addicts. Calgary Herald, 47.

Researchers at the Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI) have reported that the incidence of pathological gambling in treated Parkinson’s patients is eight per cent compared with one per cent in the general population. Alain Dagher  and his colleagues at MNI discovered that some of these patients might have been given too much medication to stimulate dopamine, a neurotransmitter in the brain. According to Dagher, one of the effects of this excessive dopamine stimulation appears to be the development of addictions – especially pathological gambling.

23-Feb-09. Bars want to bring back endangered species – VLTs. Globe and Mail, A4.

Tavern owners in the Alberta community of Rocky Mountain House 225 kilometres northwest of Calgary are petitioning to bring VLTs (video lottery terminals) back as the weakening economy has cut into profits. In Rocky Mountain House, population 7,230, all six bar owners are preparing to go door to door to secure support for their petition to hold a plebiscite on the issue. Last month, town council rejected a petition which attracted more than 800 signatures, collected from patrons at the watering holes. A coalition of 16 Christian churches promises to lobby residents to vote against a return of the machines and their “devestating effects.”

22-Feb-09. Gaming fundraisers to continue. Edmonton Journal, A6.

Edmonton’s Catholic schools will not stop fundraising through bingos and casinos, despite  moves by St. Albert’s school district to phase out the practice. The Greater St. Albert Catholic Schools District this month moved closer to eliminating fundraising from casinos, lotteries and bingos. Edmonton’s 84 Catholic schools raise about $3-million per year through casino fundraising. The money goes towards field trips, athletics, transportation and computer equipment.

14-Feb-09. Harness racing expected at track by April. Red Deer Advocate, A6.

The Alberta Downs horse racetrack near Lacombe has plans to open in mid-April if a development permit approval is granted by Lacombe County’s municipal planning commission on February 24. The project suffered a recent setback when the province did not approve an application for up to 150 slot machines for a proposed onsite racing entertainment centre. An Alberta Gaming spokesperson said on Thursday that new gaming licences are on hold until the end of March. A review of gambling and the province’s capacity for more venues is set to begin in April.

17-Feb-09. Hard-hit Texas port city eyes casinos to stay afloat. Calgary Herald, C5.

The Gulf Coast city of Galveston, Texas finds itself searching for ways to come back from the one-two punch of September’s hurricane Ike and the national economic crisis. Business leaders are hoping to legalize gambling and open casinos to attract tourists from passing cruise ships that dock inthe city’s port. Several casino-related bills are before the Texas legislature to allow gambling in Texas but are opposed by social conservative groups and governor Rick Perry.

10-Feb-09. Lottery fairness in doubt. Red Deer Advocate, A4.

A CBC investigation has found clerks in Western Canada are claiming more prizes than they should be if the laws of probability were functioning properly. A professional analysis of winners by a scientist hired by the national broadcaster determined that between Nov. 1, 2003, and Oct. 31, 2006, there were 67 insider wins worth more than $10,000 each in Western Canada when there should have only been about 34. Jeffrey Rosenthal, a statistics professor at the University of Toronto, found there’s less than a one in $2.3-million chance that retailers here would have legitimately won 67 of 1,586 prizes of $10,000 or more awarded to Western Canadians between 2003 and 2006.

6-Feb-09. Ombudsman considers ban on lottery insiders. Globe and Mail, A10.

Ontario’s Ombudsman Andre Marin warned that, if the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. cannot purge “rampant fraud” from the lottery system, he will ask the corporation and the provincial government to stop ticket sellers and their families from playing altogether. Marin’s comment follow a sweeping forensic audit that revealed lottery insiders in Ontario won jackpots totalling $198-million between 1995 and 2008.

5-Feb-09. Gambling business has two faces. Edmonton Journal, B1.

This article provides details about the current state of Alberta’s gambling industry. Staff at the Baccarat Casino in Edmonton say that the economic downturn has not had a major effect on business at the casino. The provincial government’s second-quarter forecast notes that gambling revenue is actually beating the estimates in last year’s budget and that the province should bring in $1.536-billion this year, up from a forecast of $1.516-billion. Garry Smith of the Alberta Gaming Research Institute cautions that the industry isn’t recession-proof and that most forms of gambling in the province have either stagnated or gone down slightly – with the exception of video lottery terminals (VLTs).

5-Feb-09. Lotto ‘insiders’ raked in millions. Calgary Herald, A11.

The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. said Wednesday that it has paid out more than $198-million to “insiders” – $92-million more than it had originally suspected. An auditor’s report released Wednesday found insiders claimed nearly 50,000 winning lottery tickets between 1995 and 2008. Chief executive Kelly McDougald said the discrepancy is due to the lotto company’s old definition of “insider,” which referred only to gaming corporation employees and retailers. By expanding the definition to include anyone with a name, address or telephone number similar to that of  lottery and retail employees, the auditors discovered that nearly double the estimated amount had been potentially wrongly awarded.