As Loto-Quebec prepares to launch its own internet gambling, the province’s government has put together a panel of experts to study the effects of gambling online.
Although Quebec’s government is anxious to launch its new website, which would allow residents to play casino games online for real cash, Finance Minister Raymond Bachand wants to ensure that the fight against gambling addiction continues. The website will go live in September, and the expert panel will monitor it’s development, providing the government with advice and guidance to cut down on problem gambling.
On the committee, there will be several professors from universities across Quebec, in addition to gambling addiction experts and members of Quebec’s Ministry of Public Security. Louise Nadeau, psychology professor at the University of Montreal, will assume the role of the committee’s chair.
As the new website develops, the committee will monitor the progression, offering suggestions to help the operator eliminate and reduce suspicious behavior. However, the advice is only offered as recommendations, and the government is not required to do everything that the committee says.
Nadeau believes that profits from the online gambling website will be useful in building strategies for the prevention of gambling addiction. Because all revenue will go directly into the province’s pockets, rather than to offshore operators, the government can spend more money on gambling addiction treatment and problem gambling prevention programs.
