A judge’s decision throws another wrench in the plans of Alberta communities wanting to oust their video lottery terminals.
“We’ve been fighting this for two years and who would have expected that in two years it would still be like this?” asked pastor Kirk MacNeil, who is working with the Lacombe and District Ministerial Association to get rid of the machines.
He remembers premier Ralph Klein saying two years ago that VLTs would be removed within seven days if government was given the proper mandate. Lacombe held two plebiscites and both showed a narrow majority of residents wanted VLTs out, said MacNeil. The last vote was held October 1998.
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But last month a Court of Queen’s Bench judge ruled the provincial government doesn’t have adequate legislation in place to direct the Alberta Liquor and Gaming Commission to remove VLTs. The commission is an agent of the government but operates at arm’s length.
“His (Klein’s) promise is just a paper tiger. It’s got no power to it,” said MacNeil.
“Usually when the government plans to do something it sets out all of the ramifications of its policy and does its thinking ahead of time. This has been mismanaged right from the beginning. It shows the government as inept.”
Considering an appeal
Bart Johnson, spokesperson for the liquor and gaming commission, said commission lawyers are reviewing the case and may appeal.
Another option is for government to introduce legislation allowing it to direct the commission, an option it is discussing. But for now, communities won’t likely be able to remove their machines.
“As much as I know now the VLTs will stay where they are for the time being. That’s as clear as it gets,” said Johnson, adding the commission will decide within a few weeks whether it will appeal.
He doesn’t know whether machines will return to Rocky Mountain House and Sylvan Lake, which had them removed in 1997.
Meanwhile, one hotel owner is pleased with the decision. Steve Keehm said the Shaughnessy Hotel makes about $30,000 a year on three machines. The County of Lethbridge, where the hotel is located, voted to have VLTs removed. Keehm thinks customers would just go minutes away to play if he lost his VLTs.
“I thought all along it should be a provincial issue. They’re either legal in Alberta or they’re not.”
Resigned to fact
He knows anti-VLT people aren’t happy with the court decision but says he hasn’t heard much from them and thinks the issue is calming down.
MacNeil said he will continue to fight to have VLTs removed from Lacombe. The machines take at least $2 million from the community of 8,000 every year, he estimated. He said some children aren’t being properly fed, dressed or cared for because their parents are addicted to gambling.
“There’s a very heavy human cost and it isn’t morally right to see others making money from the misery of others.”
He knows if the machines are removed from Lacombe most users will go to the next town to spend their money. But he feels other communities would soon follow Lacombe’s example.
“Every little bit of success gives a ray of hope to everybody else.”
He wants the government to introduce legislation making VLT removal possible.
“I believe that if there had been a will in the government to do what it said, those VLTs would have been out long ago. But the thing is the government continues to make a lot of money from VLTs.”
Legislation giving the liquor and gaming commission power to remove VLTs passed second reading in February 1998 but didn’t receive third reading and so couldn’t be enacted.
Other communities that voted to have VLTs removed include Canmore, Cardston, Coaldale and Stony Plain.
