A casino advertisement in Prince Edward Island recently stirred controversy after charges that the effort was out of line with responsible gaming practices and which the province’s finance minister called “absolutely inappropriate.”
The ad in question was featured on the website of the Red Shores Racetrack and Casino and promoted an upcoming “Casino 101” weekend that offered tutorials to guests on how to play the property’s various games. The casino is operated by Atlantic Lottery, which regulates and offers lotto and gaming in the provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
The issue was even brought up in the provincial legislature. Finance Minister Jill Burridge said her department contacted Atlantic Lottery about the ad, which was later removed, and it appears the event may even see some changes to stress responsible gaming.
“What they’re looking to do is, it is a public education piece where they’re going to talk about the risks of gambling, odds, et cetera,” Burridge said. “They’re not looking to pull in new gamblers into the picture.”
The original advertisement included the logo for “PlayWise,” Atlantic Lottery’s responsible gaming program. A 2001 study reported that 9% of PEI residents deal with issues concerning gambling and that was a major point with some lawmakers concerning the ad.
“We all know that gambling is a very serious social problem here on Prince Edward Island,” interim Liberal leader Hal Perry said last week in the legislature, “and we know that gambling revenues are rising sharply under this government.”
