Card trick planned to beat gambling addictions

Categories

Addiction Treatment
Alcohol
Drugs
Gambling
In the papers
On TV

News Archive

Home » News » Gambling » Card trick planned to beat gambling addictions

by Change | 5 May 2009

Bookmark

E-mail

Alberta in Canada is considering a radical new approach to help reduce the number of people suffering with gambling addictions in the state.

A new scheme is being considered by the authorities in Alberta, Canada, that could help tackle problem gambling in the state.

According to the Edmonton Sun, casino cards with set spending limits could be introduced by the local authorities as part of an effort to beat gambling addictions in the area.

It is hoped the move would reduce the number of people heading to rehab clinics by limiting the number of plays that could be made by gamblers.

Once the threshold on the card is reached, casinos in the province would refuse to allow gamers to continue gambling.

However, there are concerns that the scheme could be abused by casinos and may be used as a way to actually increase business, thereby undermining the efforts to tackle gambling addictions.

"In some places, they could be used almost like a loyalty programme," Lynn Hutchings-Mah, spokeswoman for the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission, told the newspaper.

Problem gambling has become a significant problem in Florida, in the US, over recent years, as the introduction of Blackjack to the state has proved hugely popular.

The state recently revealed more people are now heading to reahab centres with problems related to blackjack than poker.

Bookmark this: