Poll: Canadians Frown at Internet Poker

OTTAWA, Ontario – As reported by the Canadian Press: "More than half of Canadians think playing Internet poker for cash is unacceptable, suggests a new Decima poll obtained by The Canadian Press.

"Fifty-six per cent were against such a pastime, one-quarter had no problem with it, and the rest fell somewhere in the middle.

"The poll, one of the most detailed snapshots to emerge of gambling attitudes, suggests great unease about online casinos. It also reveals a spike in public concern about addiction and lax regulation in regions where video lottery terminals are widespread.

"There's no shortage of foreign-based Internet commercial casino games. But such sites are illegal in Canada unless run by provincial governments.

"…The Atlantic Lottery Corp. - owned by the governments of Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland - started selling virtual lottery tickets last year. Similar sites are now gaining popularity in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia.

"Ontario-based Woodbine Entertainment Group offers a racetrack betting site, but a Federal Court judge has been asked to decide whether related regulatory changes were legal.

"…Canadians are more than twice as likely to say addiction is a problem in provinces where VLTs - dubbed electric morphine by their critics - aren't restricted to casinos or racetracks.

"…Overall, Decima's National Gambling Report suggests about half of Canadians think out-of-control betting is a serious issue…"