His VLT addiction nearly led to suicide. Now, Derek Montague is speaking out
Montague has the backing of MHA Perry Trimper, who calls VLTs a 'scourge'
While he was a journalist working in Labrador, Derek Montague couldn't stop gambling.
It started at a poker table, after the death of a close friend. The thrill of winning sent a sort-of signal to his brain, giving him an emotional distraction.
"When I was gambling, and especially when I was winning, my mind was off grief and anger and rage and all the other emotions you don't want to deal with. Time kind of melted away."
But poker is a slow game, and the shine soon wore off. Looking to keep the good feelings going, Montague moved to video lottery machines.
The bright lights and sounds gave him a rush he couldn't replicate with any healthy habits. He was hooked.
"VLTs were No. 1 with a bullet in terms of how destructive and addictive they are," Montague said. "No matter how much I lost, I felt like I had to keep going back into the bars to play the VLTs."
I couldn't agree with him more on the scourge.- Perry Trimper
Montague is far from alone. A 2009 study conducted by the province estimated there were 2,800 problem gamblers in the province.
Some 30,000 Newfoundlanders and Labradorians who used slot machines are now set to sue the provincial government, saying the machines do not fit the guidelines for legal slot machines, fair games of chance or lottery schemes as set out by the Criminal Code of Canada.
Montague isn't one of the plaintiffs joining the class-action suit, he said, but he hopes it gets people talking — especially people in government.
"If these people win money from the lawsuit, good. Good for them. But I'm really hoping this will open eyes where they need to be open. That's the ultimate goal."
MHA calls machines a 'scourge'
Montague voiced his frustrations with trying to get government on his side, fighting against the spread of VLTs.
Speaking to CBC's Labrador Morning, Lake Melville MHA Perry Trimper said he does stand with Montague.
"I couldn't agree with him more on the scourge," Trimper said. "I actually have a personal problem with these — not so much in myself using them, but watching their destructive aspect on society."
I knew I had to go to rehab or just, you know, kill myself.- Derek Montague
Two decades before he was a member of the House of Assembly, Trimper was the president of a golf course. In the clubhouse were VLTs, with desperate people filling the seats day after day.
Trimper said he made the controversial decision to throw out the machines, despite angering some people on the board.
"I made some enemies. Cut off a lot of our revenue source, so I took a lot of heat for that," he said. "We cannot be contributing to what I saw 20 years ago as a serious addiction problem."
The course is still struggling financially, Trimper said, and there's been talk of bringing VLTs back.
"I will personally do what I can to stop that. If we're going to run a golf course, let's run a golf course."
Thoughts of suicide resulted in rehab
Montague's gambling addiction came to a head when he left work late one night and went to a local bar. Before long, he'd lost the little bit of money he had left in his bank account from his last paycheque.
"I went back to my office and sat alone, and basically broke down in tears. I knew I had to go to rehab or just, you know, kill myself."
After waiting to get into rehab, he spent three weeks at the Humberwood addiction centre in Corner Brook. He's relapsed several times since, but has steered clear of VLTs for the last several months.
He credits the help he received at Humberwood as saving him.
"The addiction counsellors we have in this province are overburdened. Once you get through the waiting lists, luckily we have some amazing addiction supports."
Problem not just with VLTs
While speaking with Labrador Morning, Trimper raised his concerns with other forms of gambling as well.
"Over in the Department of Finance, we may be seeing and enjoying these great revenues," he said. "And by the way, another problem I have is the promotion around Atlantic Lottery — the celebration, and all these little happy dances and so on. It's just further feeding that whole 'I gotta go buy my lottery tickets.'"
What started as a thorn in his side at the golf club has now become an issue he sees in his region as an elected official.
"I can tell you, in my office and certainly in health care, we see the downside of this. The broken homes, the lost businesses, the personal bankruptcies.… While there's great revenue coming into the Department of Finance, I can just imagine what's being paid out in health care."
With files from Labrador Morning