Authors: Jason Azmier and Garry Smith

Since the publication of Canada West Foundation’s 1997 report, Gambling and the Public Interest?, new research findings have broadened the understanding of gambling’s impact on society. The Canadian gambling landscape is characterized by a patchwork of inconsistencies between the provinces, due to the fact that provincial governments are permitted to regulate and control legalized games of chance..

The State of Gambling in Canada: An Interprovinicial Roadmap of Gambling and its Impact is a first attempt at sorting out Canadian gambling policy. A summary of the latest research and public consultations on the nature and impact of gambling is also provided, which considers six factors:

What the latest gambling research tells us about the costs and impact of problem gambling;
The types of games available and net gambling revenues;
Charitable and non-profit funding from gambling;
Problem gambling and treatment subsidies;
New provincial gambling regulations and citizen consultations; and
Government accountability in regard to gambling policy.
In addition, a supplement to the roadmap examines the special case of Video Lottery Terminals (VLTs) and their role in Canada’s public policy debates.