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No Increase in Video Lottery Terminals Says Mont Royal Mayor

Posted on December 26th, 2010

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Loto Quebec, the government entity that develops and operates lotteries in Quebec, Canada is now seemingly at war with Plateau Mont Royal’s Mayor Luc Fernandez. After the mayor had requested the agency to decrease the number of video lottery terminals and not increase the number of their terminals “A simple call to us would have allowed you to learn that in Plateau Mont Royal, 20 fewer establishments offer this type of amusement to their clientele,” responded Loto Quebec President Alain Cousineau in a public statement. As of March 31, 2003, 60 (VLT operating) permits were divided between 55 establishments housing 248 VLTs in the Plateau. Since March of 2009, there are no more than 38 permits for 190 VLTs divided between 35 establishments … a reduction … of 36 percent. Had you consulted the available documentation – whether on our website or at the Bibliotheque Nationale -I have no doubt you would have rejoiced at these results, rather than alarm those around you.” he added. Cousineau has made the remarks after Fernandez made a public request that Video Lottery Terminals (VLT) be decreased.

Plateau Mont Royal, known as a working class neighborhood, is also known for its cafes, book shops, brightly colored houses and the overall attitude of laissez faire. Laissez faire means “let do” in French. It is a kind of environment where private transactions are free from government intervention such as regulations, tarrifs, taxes, and enforced monopolies. Meanwhile, Loto Quebec is a government agency whose role is to assure the public of a systematic and effective online gaming. It offers a number of lottery options such as scratch games, weekly matrix lotteries, Lotto 6/49 and Lotto Super 7 which is run in whole of Canada. The same agency also finances programs for the prevention and treatment of compulsive gambling. Both parties claim to represent the people’s best interest at.

After claiming that the one third of the area’s populace lives below poverty level, Mayor Fernandez claimed, “Experts who have studied this question are unanimous in saying that this form of gambling has a particularly harmful effect on public health,” The mayor also says he is backed by eight local poverty groups on this, and is appalled at the move made by Loto Quebec to lift the eight year moratorium on the video lottery terminal licenses issuing. “It has been demonstrated that these machines … generate the largest number of cases of compulsive gambling in Quebec.” he added. Cossineau however claims that the number of existing video lottery terminals is essential to the balance of the scale of their operations. “Loto-Quebec does not wish to see this balance jeopardized,” he shares. He also claims that the same balance exists to prevent the spread of unlicensed machines.

The licensing of the video lottery terminals was being examined even before Mayor Fernandez pointed it out, and that it was a policy in their criteria to examine the level of poverty in the area on which it wil be installed.

When asked why the local government chose to address the public directly and not the management of Loto Quebec, City Councillor Alex Norris said, “We think that we should be alerting the public to the danger represented by these machines and to rally our anti-poverty organization partners to address this problem. Loto-Quebec has a terrible track record when it comes to this problem. … We think quiet conversation behind closed doors is not the way to handle this. Mayor Fernandez, on the other hand, did not go back on any of his previous statements and even criticized Loto-Quebec for their reply. He said, “You will understand … that we will remain resolutely opposed to the presence of these machines in our neighborhood and throughout Quebec.”

Spokesperson for Loto Quebec, Marie-Clause Rivet has stated that their agency wishes only the best for Plateau Mont Royal’s residents and that it would be best if the borough and the agency would agree. Loto Quebec has expressed that is has nothing more to add to its statement and if the Mont Royal council members chose to do so, they can contact the company directly. “It doesn’t cost anything.” she added.