Who is more addicted to gaming: the provincial government, cities and community groups that get payouts from gaming revenue or the 45,000 problem gamblers in the Fraser Health region?
The short answer is: They all are.
It's hard not to resist the $1.13-billion in net revenue commercial gaming generates in B.C. And for the average person, entreaties to purchase lottery tickets or gamble at a casino are everywhere.
Sadly, it appears people who can least afford to gamble - the poor or struggling immigrants - are most at risk of problem gaming, according to a survey of problem gamers.
To counter the risks and the very real harms caused by gambling addictions, the province has instituted a number of policies to educate people about the risks and encourage them to monitor and budget their gaming.
These are good steps but, for the B.C. government, participation in the gambling biz is a double-edged sword.
