Canada province studies Nova Scotia VLT cuts

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Changes in gaming policy for the Canadian province of Saskatchewan could result from the Saskatchewan liquor and gaming minister’s recent exploratory trip to Nova Scotia. The latter province started trimming video lottery terminal numbers, play time and player control in 2006, largely to counter addictive gambling.

“I want to talk to them about what kind of impact that has had, what kind of impact financially both for government and for the people working in the industry and what kind of impact that has had on gaming addictions,” said the Saskatchewan minister, Dan D’Autremont, after arriving in Nova Scotia.

The Saskatchewan government took in $175 million from VLTs in 2006-07, while hotel and bar operators kept $36 million from the machines. The province has 2,665 VLTs in play out of a maximum of 4,000 allowed. They include machines at five First Nations casinos, and 200 more will run at the Living Sky tribal casino nearing completion in Swift Current.