A bill being considered by the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly would make it difficult for residents diagnosed as gambling addicts to take part in class action lawsuits against government-run casinos.
Bill 18 would amend the Lotteries Act of the Canadian provinces. One of its harshest critics, Independent Member of House Assembly (MHA) Perry Trimper, told CBC Radio, “Over $1 million a day is being spent by residents on gambling, and we are getting about a third of that back directly into our coffers.” He added, “It’s going to take away any ability for those who suffered in some way from actually pursuing a class-action.”
Trimper said individual actions could still be brought, but that those harmed financially by gaming addiction would find that difficult to do.
The bill would, “provide immunity for the government of the province, a minister, the Atlantic Lottery Corp.” and others from action related to “the performance of a duty or exercise of a power related to lottery schemes.”
It names such actions as being prohibited from being taken under the Class Actions Act.
Finance Minister Siobhan Coady has defended the bill as protecting the government, which has shares in Atlantic Lottery Corp. She commented recently, “If an action were to proceed and be successful against the ALC in an egregious amount, it could either force a bankruptcy of ALC or place the shareholders in a position to pay the amount of the award on behalf of the Atlantic Lottery Corp.”
Similar legislation protecting the gaming industry from class action lawsuits has been adopted in the other Atlantic provinces: New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia.
Derek Montague, a former politician and a gambling addict, told the Labrador Morning, “VLTs are the opioid of the gambling world … the government and the Atlantic Lottery Corp. has done absolutely nothing to protect people from the highly addictive nature of VLTs.”
