Quebec creates online gaming committee

The Quebec government has put together an advisory committee of independent experts to study the effects of online gambling, as the province's gaming agency prepares to launch its own site.

"We have authorized Loto-Québec to develop online games but we are going to ensure that everything is done to maintain ... the fight against gambling addiction," provincial Finance Minister Raymond Bachand said at a news conference on Friday.

Loto-Québec is expected to launch its online gambling site in September.

The committee will monitor the evolution of the site and the games it offers and is expected to submit a written report to the minister within three years.

However, the committee can only offer advice and the government is not obliged to follow its recommendations.

'The finance minister is willing to sacrifice a couple lives for his bottom line.' —Phyllis Vineberg, anti-gambling activist

The committee will be comprised of professors from several Quebec universities, as well as the director of a centre specializing in alcohol and gambling addiction, and a policing expert from Quebec's Ministry of Public Security.

University of Montreal psychology professor Louise Nadeau will chair the committee.

Nadeau said it's preferable that the government controls gambling.

"Profits go directly to the state … and not to organized crime, and you can build in as many prevention strategies as possible," said Nadeau.

Public outrage

Phyllis Vineberg's 25-year-old son Trevor committed suicide 15 years ago after battling an addiction to video lottery terminals.

She said she's outraged that the government is going ahead with online gambling.

"The finance minister is willing to sacrifice a couple lives for his bottom line," said Vineberg.

"They have no moral compass."

Gambling critic Sol Boxenbaum said the public report the advisory committee expects to release will be useless.

"Three years from now, you're looking at suicides, you're looking at bankruptcies, you're looking at all kinds of things that can go wrong," said Boxenbaum.

Quebec wants profits

Loto-Québec announced its intention to get into the online gambling market in February.

Officials estimate the total gaming revenue in Quebec is currently $50 million a year, and will jump to four times that amount in the next five years.

Loto-Québec will be competing in that market, and would like to claim 40 per cent of the total gaming revenues in the province.