VLT opponents mark narrow win

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Published: April 10, 1997

A second Alberta community has voted to ban video lottery terminals.

The people of Sylvan Lake, by a margin of 10, voted to kick video lottery terminals out of the resort town east of Red Deer.

Only 18 percent of the town voted in the plebiscite held earlier this month, with 275 choosing to cast the VLTs out, and 265 calling to keep them in the town.

Mayor Ted Iverson said the results show there is no clear winner.

“It’s a split vote. It’s about as close as it can get.”

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It’s likely the VLTs will stay in the community for awhile. Until a court case by Rocky Mountain House bar owners is settled, VLTs will not be removed from any community.

The Rocky Mountain House bar owners are trying to stop the government from removing their machines. Residents of Rocky Mountain House voted overwhelmingly last month to remove VLTs from their town.

Iverson said Sylvan Lake town council will wait until the court case is settled before forwarding their plebiscite results to the provincial government.

Premier Ralph Klein has said he will remove VLTs within a week after receiving word a community no longer wants the machines.

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