Problem gamblers contribute $1.6 billion to Ontario's treasury.LETGBRIDGE -- About 35 per cent of Ontario gaming revenues come from moderate and severe problem gamblers with even more revenue coming from gaming machines See video game console. and horse racing horse racing, trials of speed involving two or more horses. It includes races among harnessed horses with one of two particular gaits, among saddled Thoroughbreds (or, less frequently, quarterhorses) on a flat track, or among saddled horses over a turf course with says a study from the University of Lethbridge. The study was funded by the Ontario Problem Gambling Problem gambling is an urge to gamble despite harmful negative consequences or a desire to stop. The term is preferred to compulsive gambling among many professionals, as few people described by the term experience true compulsions in the clinical sense of the word. Research Centre, whose budget comes from the Ontario government. The researchers point out that although Ontario does more than other jurisdictions to minimize the negative impact of gambling, much more needs to be done, particularly since much of the gambling in Ontario is government sponsored and continues to expand. Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty Dalton James Patrick McGuinty, Jr., MPP (born July 19, 1955, in Ottawa, Ontario) is a Canadian lawyer and politician and, since October 23, 2003, Premier of Ontario. He is the twenty-fourth premier of Ontario, and the second Roman Catholic to hold this office. recognizes the problem but because of the provincial collects over $4 billion from gambling, he was not willing to commit the government to restrictions on gaming or any increase in funding of services for problem gamblers. The study's authors, professors R. Williams and R. Wood, note in 2003 about 4.8 per cent of Ontario adults were moderate or severe problem gamblers, which supports "converging lines of evidence indicating that a substantial portion of gaming revenues derives from people who are negatively impacted by their involvement in this activity." Even though government-sponsored gambling appears to be contrary to the interests of the general populace and contrary to the purpose of government, they note that the financial benefits of "gaming in Ontario may offset the social and economic costs" of problem gamblers. They also argue that the amount of money spent on treatment of problem gamblers by provincial governments "should be proportionate pro·por·tion·ate adj. Being in due proportion; proportional. tr.v. pro·por·tion·at·ed, pro·por·tion·at·ing, pro·por·tion·ates To make proportionate. to the amount that comes from people with gambling addictions," even though to date it has been difficult to determine exactly how much of gambling revenue derives from problem gamblers. However, their study, The Demographics of Ontario Estimated population of Ontario : 12,687,000 (2006 est) Percentage of National Population : 38.9% Population growth rate per year: 1.0% See: Demographics of Canada Source: Statistics Canada[1] Vital statistics Gaming Revenue, used different methods than previous studies in order to produce more reliable data about the amount spent by problem gamblers on gambling and to determine the number of Ontario adults who are problem gamblers. These included four-week diaries of gambling expenditures maintained by gamblers themselves, better worded questions to elicit e·lic·it tr.v. e·lic·it·ed, e·lic·it·ing, e·lic·its 1. a. To bring or draw out (something latent); educe. b. To arrive at (a truth, for example) by logic. 2. more reliable responses about monies spent on gambling and the exclusion of out-of-province expenditures as well as revenue from non-Ontario residents. |
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