The Canadian province of Manitoba's legislature is arguing over whether allowing already installed slot machines to accept pennies as well as larger denomination coins and bills will lead to more problem gamblers. The article entitled "No 'cents' in claim" appeared today in the online version of the Winnipeg Sun newspaper.
"It's an age-old argument -- that if you smoke a joint then you're going to start taking cocaine," Lotteries Minister Scott Smith told The Sun yesterday. "That's sheer nonsense."
Tory gambling critic Ron Schuler said Smith is "trivializing" drug use with his comments and not taking the problem of gambling addiction seriously.
"I have never seen anyone who has come forward and said, 'I walked into a casino and within two minutes, I had an addiction to gambling,' " Schuler said. "They will all tell you it started in a very small way."
Gerry Kolesar, supervisor of problem gambling services with the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba said he doesn't know of any studies that show people who start playing penny slots move to higher denominations.
Interesting concept. I know when I first started gambling the amount I wagered was much smaller than toward the end of my gambling career, but I don't know if the difference between a nickel and a penny would stop someone from playing.
John
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