Dear Fellow Citizens,
I am writing to you today with a heavy heart, but also with a deep sense of urgency. Our province has a problem that too many of us either don’t know about or don’t talk about enough— the addiction to Vlts, Slot machines and online gambling. Many of you are unaware of the true nature of these machines and the devastating impact they are having on our fellow citizens’ lives and families.
For years, like most of you, I trusted our government to be transparent and to protect us. I assumed that their introduction of VLTs and slot machines was meant to 'enhance the lives of the people' and 'support charity groups.' I never questioned the decision, nor did I dig deeper to understand how these machines really work. After all, a government is supposed to serve its citizens, to provide the facts we need to make informed decisions. Sadly, it wasn’t until I lost over $400,000, nearly my marriage, and almost my life that I realized there was much more going on.
I started playing VLTs in 1995 while waiting to get onto a live poker game, and within a year, I was severely addicted. Despite recognizing the addiction four years later, nothing seemed to help. I tried everything—Gamblers Anonymous meetings, treatment programs, counseling, and years of soul-searching. Yet, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't break free. For ten long years, I was trapped in a cycle of shame, guilt, anxiety, and self-hatred because I believed the lie that I was the problem. I thought I wasn’t strong or faithful enough to quit.
What I didn’t know then, and what I’m here to tell you now, is that the problem wasn’t me. It wasn’t a lack of willpower or a character flaw. I was addicted to VLTs and slot machines, not because I had some inherent weakness, but because I was playing exactly as these machines were designed to be played, which is on a regular basis. As it turns out, VLTs and slot machines are programmed to lead players—normal people like you and me—into continuous play and financial loss. Research has shown that ‘losing control of time and money,’ ‘continuous play,’ and ‘impaired decision-making’ are all common and normal experiences for regular players of these machines. The machines are rigged to make responsible play nearly impossible.
Let me repeat that: these machines are designed to undermine our ability to play responsibly. Yet, every day, the government encourages us to ‘play smart’ and ‘gamble responsibly,’ while knowing full well that these machines are engineered to do the opposite.
In fact, our own government’s 2011 report states that 77% of VLT Revenue, 72% of slot machine Revenue, and 86% of online gambling Revenue come from people like me—addicts. We fund millions in daily losses, and these losses fuel a system that benefits everyone except the people who need protection the most. And this isn’t just an isolated issue. Studies show that VLT and slot machine players are 3 to 4 times more likely to develop gambling problems than those who engage in other forms of gambling. The machines have earned the nickname 'the crack cocaine of gambling' for a reason.
The most heartbreaking in the 2011 report is that an estimated 55 problem gamblers commit suicide every year in Alberta alone. This doesn’t even account for the thousands of others suffering in silence, living with constant anxiety, depression, or the families torn apart by this addiction. In 2010, there were an estimated 72,000 problem gamblers in our province—three generations of addicts since VLTs were introduced in 1994.
As Albertans, we need to ask ourselves: Which came first—the problem gamblers or the problem machines? The evidence speaks for itself. When South Carolina got rid of VLTs, the number of Gamblers Anonymous groups was cut in half within 90 days, and hotline calls dropped to nearly zero. Similar results were seen in South Dakota when VLTs were shut down. Yet, despite all the warning signs, our government continues to promote these machines under the guise of entertainment.
Why hasn’t there been a social impact study to assess the damage these machines are causing? Why aren’t there warnings covering 75% of VLT and slot machines, just like the tobacco companies are forced to label their products? Why is there no one or no thing warning the players that if they play on a regular basis, they will become addicted!
I now realize that the duty to protect citizens from these harmful machines has been neglected. Who is standing up for the players—the people who have unknowingly become pawns in a system designed to profit from their suffering? And why is the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission exempt from the Fair Trading Act, the law meant to protect consumers?
It’s time to face the facts. We, the people of Alberta, are part-owners of these machines. Through our government, we have become complicit in a system that profits off addiction, suffering, and financial ruin. The revenue from these machines goes toward things like education, healthcare, and community services, but at what cost? Lives are being destroyed. Families are being torn apart.
As fellow citizens, I urge you to consider the role we all play in this system. It’s time to demand change. It’s time to push for transparency, accountability, and protection for those who are being harmed. Let’s stop pretending that this is harmless entertainment and recognize VLTs, slot machines and online gambling for what they truly are—entrapment disguised as entertainment.
We deserve better. Our families deserve better. And the thousands of Albertans who have lost their lives, their livelihoods, and their loved ones to this addiction deserve better.
Let’s take a stand.
Sincerely,
Gisele
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