Expert Calls PEI Problem Gambling Website Missed Opportunity

Efforts toward responsible gambling over the last few years across North America have expanded. Amid the growing popularity of online gambling and sports betting, a need is observed in education on the risks of gambling and the promotion of responsible gambling tools such as deposit limits or spending limits, among other methods that seek to reduce at-risk or problem gambling.

Recently, one of Canada’s thirteen provinces, Prince Edward Island (PEI), launched a new website that underlines its commitment to responsible gambling. The website of the PEI Department of Health and Wellness offers support for people suffering from problem gambling or at-risk gambling, providing information along with a toll-free line for anyone who wishes to speak to a professional.

The website reveals that there are nearly 10 signs that people can identify they are suffering from a gambling addiction. Notably, two signs stand out as the most important and apply to people who cannot control how much money or time they spend on gambling. On the other hand, people who continuously engage in gambling activities knowing that they lose money or cause harm to their families may also be suffering from problem gambling, according to the website.

Website Needs to Offer More Resources, Information

While the new website of the Department of Health and Wellness reaffirms PEI’s commitment toward responsible gambling, an expert on gambling addiction said that more needs to be done. As announced by CBC News, Elizabeth Stephen, a Halifax-based counseling therapist who specializes in providing support to people affected by problem gambling, the website is a “missed opportunity” for the province. She criticized the information shared via the new website, claiming that more resources need to be available for individuals from the province who seek help due to a gambling-related issue.

According to Stephen, the successful reduction of problem gambling would also mean reducing the profits from the activity. She was baffled by the links the new website offered to Atlantic Lotto, outlining that businesses or organizations that benefit from gambling activities should not be referenced via a website that seeks to reduce gambling harm. Stephen explained: “It’s a hard choice, you know, to reduce harm. It means that the profit’s going to be reduced.”

The Canadian Center on Substance Use and Addiction recently outlined its Lower-Risk Gambling Guidelines, describing in detail how individuals can reduce their expenses related to gambling. While those guidelines clearly reveal what percentage of their income can different individuals spend on gambling monthly depending on their annual income, this is not the case for the new PEI website, warned Stephen.