Online gambling “a recipe for disaster”
GUELPH, ON—While the Ontario government has promised to bring safe and responsible online-gaming to the province in 2012, Christian support groups wonder if the government will make good on its claims to protect problem gamblers.
In a news conference announcing the decision, Provincial Finance Minister Dwight Duncan said they would be exploring a well regulated, "socially responsible and secure Internet gaming program."
Paul Godfrey, chair of Ontario Lottery and Gaming (OLG) told the same news conference that measures would include age and identity verification software.
"In its current form, Internet gaming in Ontario does not return proceeds to this province," said Godfrey. "It does not offer ways to protect minors or ensure they're not gambling online. It doesn't offer tools to support players to control and limit their play."
But John Peterson, a member of the Celebration Recovery Team at Lakeside Bible Church, is worried legalizing online gambling may further increase the likelihood of people developing a gambling addiction.
"Gambling has always been online," says Peterson, himself a recovering gambling addict. "It's the legitimization of it that is really concerning to me. Coming from an addiction side of things, the coupling of anonymity and compulsion is toxic."
At the time Peterson became addicted to gambling he was a leader in Celebration Recovery—a Christian support program which helps people address "hurts, habits and hang-ups" including addictions like pornography, alcohol, drugs and gambling.
He says while being in leadership exacerbated his drive to hide the addiction, having to physically drive to a local casino—a full hour off his normal route—helped provide some of the needed accountability to address it.
"Making the effort to physically go to a casino building is a limiting factor," he says. "You do have to actually wander around at a casino and make contact with people, which I can't see happening online.
"There are people watching you. I had a few cashiers who were quite helpful to me [in overcoming the addiction]. There were people who actually suggested to me that I go home. Whenever you win a large amount of money over a period of time you need security to validate who you are, so your driver's licence comes out… There are all these layers of security and reminders that time has passed.
Even so, Peterson says an estimated 10 per cent of gamblers suffer from gambling addiction, and he's concerned that with the province's legalization of gambling those numbers may rise.
"Online gambling lacks that human connection—similar to online pornography," he says. "When there is the combination of total access and the privacy of your own home, it's a recipe for disaster.
"But on the Celebration Recovery side—I want people to know there is hope for people wanting to recover from addictions and past hurts."
Ontario is now the third province to announce the legalization of online gambling, following British Columbia and Quebec. Nova Scotia is expected to follow suit later this fall. It is estimated online gaming could net some $100 million annually for the province.
Dear Readers:
ChristianWeek relies on your generous support. please take a minute and donate to help give voice to stories that inform, encourage and inspire.
Donations of $20 or more will receive a charitable receipt.Thank you, from Christianweek.
