Self Exclusion Casino Ontario
This program is a voluntary self-help tool (“Self-Exclusion”) that offers players the opportunity to exclude themselves from playing on Ontario Lottery and Gaming’s (“OLG”) Internet Gaming website, OLG.ca (including OLG’s internet gaming mobile application(s)) (“OLG Internet Gaming”). The self-exclusion applies to all Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation and, in Caesars Windsor's case, Caesars Entertainment, Inc. Gaming facilities, including commercial casinos, slot facilities at racetracks and charity casinos. The OLG Self-Exclusion Program was designed for people who want to pause or stop their gambling.
In lieu of regulatory updates, Nova Scotia is encouraging all residents to participate in its self-exclusion casino program survey.
When it comes to law making, public consultation is generally a limited affair. Politicians, being the (supposedly) highly educated members of society that they are, tend to believe they know what’s best for the people. They take it upon themselves to debate issues among colleagues and enforce laws for the greater good.
In Nova Scotia, political figureheads and gaming regulators are looking to the people more than ever before. For the first time in many years, they’ve got permission to enforce new casino laws. In particular, they’re looking to update voluntary self-exclusion rights among casino patrons. And they’re asking for your help.
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At present, self-excluded gamblers are subject to an indefinite, lifetime ban. There is no option for a shorter time frame. Once a player signs up for the program, they are unable to enter either Nova Scotia casinos, in Halifax or Sydney. Nova Scotia is the only province in Canada that does not offer an optional length of time to be on the self-exclusion list.
However, those in the program do have the option to apply for reinstatement of rights to enter a casino. It’s a long and arguably invasive process, though. It starts with a psychological and financial assessment. Then, the individual is subject to a hearing in front of the Utility & Review Board.
History of Failure in Other Provinces
There’s no denying that other parts of Canada, where exclusion time frames are negotiable, are failing. Ontario seems to be the worst. Here, members of the self-exclusion program have been gaining entry to casinos for years. The situation was highlighted in a television report on CBC’s The Fifth Estate in December 2017.
Toronto gambler Joe Frieri was the center of that report. He says he’s been on the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp’s (OLG’s) voluntary self-exclusion list three times. The first was a 6-month stint in 2008, after he’d lost an estimated $300,000 to an uncontrollable gambling habit. During that time, he says he had no trouble visiting casinos about 10 times.
Frieri says self-exclusion was his away of acknowledging that he couldn’t stop on his own. Unfortunately, it didn’t help at all. Whenever he had the urge to go back to a casino, he did. “Nothing prevented me from going,” he told CBC. “No questions were asked.”
To prove the situation has yet to improve, a Fifth Estate team member went undercover. He entered an OLG casino, signed up for self-exclusion, then tried to enter four different OLG casinos in a single day. He was able to gamble on slot machines in all four, and cash out winnings, without question.
How To Revoke Casino Self Exclusion
Be a Part of New Casino Laws in Nova Scotia
The government of Nova Scotia is hoping to be first to employ a truly successful voluntary self-exclusion casino program. Watching Ontario waste half a million dollars on facial-recognition technology that’s clearly not working was an eye-opener. Now that they have a chance to write new casino laws to help problem gamblers, they want to make sure they get it right.
Nova Scotia is encouraging all adult residents of the province to take part in a special survey. It asks what route people think should be taken, and why.
Are optional ban lengths of 6 months, 1 year, 3 years, 5 years, and/or lifetime the right answer? Should those who sign up for self-exclusion be given instant access back into casinos if/when a ban expires? Should the existing review process remain intact?
These questions and many more await input from Nova Scotia’s residents. From December 3-31, 2018, you can be a part of that decision. Take the survey now.
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Self-exclusion programs have faced a mixed reception across the provinces, as people have often questioned their efficiency. Recently common suspicions of their questionable positive impact were proven right thanks to the discovery of gambling addicts still making it to the slot machines at land-based casino venues across Ontario.
Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation is the field leader and as such, its core objective is to provide the needed protection to each and every one of its players in need. When an individual participating in gaming activities often enough notices there is a pattern to their behavior, actions could be taken. Self-exclusion programs were invented for this very purpose.
Breach in the System
However, as it recently turned out, players were still able to enter brick-and-mortar casino venues across the province, as they have not been denied access to them. These revelations were unearthed during a probe conducted by The Fifth Estate television program. Casino venues overseen by Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation are supposed to deny access to all individuals listed in the system.
Joe Frieri is one of the participants in the program, who made the conscious decision to limit the time he spends at a casino venue and leave gaming activities behind him. What prompted his decision was the nearly CA$300,000 he managed to burn through prior to 2008. This was when he initially listed for the self-exclusion program, as he found himself unable to control his urges to play.
However, the program turned out failing to achieve this goal. In moments of weakness, Frieri was finding himself at the casino venue entrance, where no questions were asked as to any gambling addiction tendencies of his. This happened on more than 10 occasions over the span of half a year, solidifying the notion that the program is prone to serious breaches. Ironically, the one time the program appeared to be working was when he was offered a loyalty program card for his frequent visits.
Public Opinion on Such Programs
Facial recognition is the method currently utilized by the program, as it is supposed to prevent players from playing despite their self-imposed casino ban. In the past several years people within the province of Ontario have learned more about the program and many of them have expressed their personal opinion regarding its efficiency.
It should be taken into account that there are people prone to addictions and self-destructive behavior such as drinking and smoking, but shops offering such products have never featured such programs. The only way restrictions are imposed in this sector is via promotion bans. However, smokers and alcoholics do not need to see an ad to know they need to get their hands on their poison of choice. Over the span of the past six years of the program’s operation, a number of players have attempted to sue OLG for the program’s failure.
The gaming leader has to closely examine its methods of work and make sure it lives up to the expectations of players. In the meantime, Nova Scotia is a province actively trying to improve its self-exclusion program, via an amendment making it possible for people to list themselves for a limited amount of time only. This could be classified as a tricky move, as players battling their gambling addiction will essentially receive the permission to re-enter a casino venue regardless of whether or not they have fully cured their compulsive gambling tendencies.
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They will be left to their own devices when it comes to making the decision to re-enter or not. The public is able to offer an opinion on the changes via the online platform specifically designed to facilitate the process of information collecting. Some 2,000 individuals participate in this program at the moment, which ranks the Nova Scotia province around the bottom of the rank list across Canada.