Hello,
My name is Ken Hanna and I am a reformed gambler. My life has been turned upside down as a result of my addiction to gambling. I used to gamble on horse races, cards, and other activities, but the one form of gambling that really got me into trouble was the Video Lottery Terminals (VLTs). They were the ones that were always there, easy to use, very addictive, and able to suck a ton of money out at each session. I wasted over $500,000 and lost my business as a result of my addiction to VLTs and ended up leaving the province I loved because of their addictive nature.
Before I left in 1997, I founded the Atlantic Foundation on Compulsive Gambling and acted as it first executive director. I took formal training in Minneapolis, MN, on the treatment of problem gamblers, attended seminars throughout Canada & the U.S., sat on Government Advisory Boards both on the provincial & local levels. I also organized the set up of countless G .A. groups in Atlantic Canada, operated the first 800 help line for the region, conducted awareness seminars, & counseled thousands of gamblers & their families.
Since 1997, I have kept a close eye on the gambling situation in Nova Scotia and Atlantic Canada as a whole. I think the Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation is actually moving in the right direction on some of what they are calling "responsible gaming" initiatives. Unfortunately I have not seen enough and I continue to be impacted by the stories of people whose lives are ruined, and in some cases ended, as a result of their gambling addictions.
That is the reason I am launching a Class Action Lawsuit against the Atlantic Lottery Corporation, the four Atlantic Canadian Provinces, the Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation, the Casinos, Racinos and likely individuals associated with those groups that have and continue to do little to help people manage their gambling habits.
I know prohibition will not work, but everyone involved in managing gaming machines like VLTs and Slots, needs to make more of an effort to save people, families, and lives.
If you or someone you know has been negatively affected by gambling addictions to these machines I want to hear your story. Eventually there will be a list you can join to take part in the class action lawsuit. I have had preliminary discussions with law firms who are willing to pursue this action.
The politicians and bureaucrats who run this stuff need to hear from the people. We need to send them a message that they cannot ignore. Please share your story or any thoughts you may have.
Sincerely,
Ken Hanna
ken_hanna@hotmail.com
905-243-2950
12 comments:
Why not just take responsibility for for your actions? It makes me sick to see people blaming others for their problems. This is why we live in a "we know what is better for you" society. You messed up now deal with it like the rest of the world does and move on!
This is not a problem you should be suing over! You should be taking responsibility for your past, and accept that YOU had the gambling addiction and no one is to blame for this scenario but you.
In the past, I have bet on horses, played at the casino, played VLTs and made AND lost a lot of money doing so, but I did it for fun.
The fact that so many can do these things, walk away and not obsess, and be responsible about it is clear proof that the system is not against you. If what you say is true, then a great deal of the rest of us - who've gambled as you have - would be broke too.
This is like asking for scalding hot coffee and then suing because you burnt your mouth!
I have sympathy for you and the trouble this has caused, but you could be doing far better just by reaching out and helping others, instead of suing.
I think Taximandon and J make good points that people should be accountable for their actions. What they are not getting is that if a business is making money off of people while knowing they are destroying their lives the business needs to be held accountable for that. I think the point Kenny is trying to make is very valid. The worst addiction here is the one the ALC has on gambling revenues. Kenny is just trying to make them be accountable for it. They could limit how much people gamble like they do for the online gambling and it would have a huge impact on addicted gamblers.
Taximan and J sound like social drinkers telling alcoholics to read the "drink responsibly" signs and stop drinking too much. People dont choose to become addicted, they choose initially to play or drink, but some people have addictive personalities and we should help them from becoming addicted in the first place. Its better for them and its better for our society. Keep up the fight Kenny!
I have several friends and family members that are addicted to gambling. They are all good people but they are now destroying their lives and the lives of their friends and families. They need help and this lawsuit could be the turning point for them. I am going to make sure they all sign up!
My mother is spending her life savings on vlts and so are her friends. I can reason with her but she keeps going back. She is sick and something needs to be done to block her out. I read her the article this morning at breakfast and all she could say was "My machine is hot, I need to get my money back".
Kenny, even though she still playing we both support you and if you want me to give you names I can get a bunch. Thanks.
OK McDonald's sells fatty food that is helping to kill lots of people every year. Now these people have an addiction to food too but is it OK to take Mcdonald's to court becasue they are running the business that has the food these people are addicted to? I understand people are spending their money but why can't these people be the ones to work on their own issues?
The government cares more about making a buck than the health of the people that pay their salaries. They spin enough "responsible" talk and guys like taximandon and j lap it up without even thinking.
If everything else fails...SUE!
Why is that I should be told how I can spend my after tax dollars? why can't these people deal with their own problems. I see people with drinking problem that ruins their lives and the lives of their families but are they going to sue the NSLC for this? where does it end? Do we ban everything that people have problems with? What if I have a problem with Tim's coffee? Should I be able to sue tim's and have their coffee taken off the market?
ALC is the biggest addict of all. they advertise on tv all the time...show me your lucky dance...they announce jackpots all the time, they sell online gambling, they tell you to escape at the casino and show pictures of hot chicks to get you there....who has the addiction. the ALC would be a lot more responsible if they stopped jamming this stuff down our throats!
Now i hear ads where you have to buy booze on credit at 19% interest rate just to enter a contest. i wonder if they are working on a way to get crack addicts to pay a get high tax....were going in the wrong direction here. Its time for ALC to take one of its own yellow flag moments and get with the progam.
taximandon i dont think people should be suing everyone for everything but sometimes it makes sense. When people sued the tobacco companies it finally put a dent in the lobby effort that had blocked all attempts at having them see for what they were. Now it is out there and smoking is on the decline, people are better informed, access has been limited and the greedy tobacco companies who generated massive profits on the backs of addicts have been brought back in line with what is reasonable. Their profit generating is still putting a huge social cost on our healthcare system but it seems to be headed in the right direction since the class actions against them. Sometimes the person that is wrong is too powerful to be taken on by an individual, so groups need to form to level the playing field. the ALC knows that thier products are killing people and they could be more resonsible about how they run their business. They dont want to go far enought though because they are addicted to money just like the tobacco companies. I beleive our society needs to be more accountable and people need to take responsibility for their own actions but society also includes the people running the ALC and the people profiting from their business practices...Like Debbie said "if everything else fails...SUE"
(Gambling)- A highly addictive form of entertainment that effects most likley 10% of players in a negative manner(problem gamer)and another 30% or so of players whom are "at risk" of moving into that catagory.Have you been watching TV lately?first commercial telling us all to go play and have fun at the Casino.Next add telling us about the date that the lady sitting at as black jack table has planned for tonight,how she better be careful how much she is spending gaming because she will have to pay for the meal on the date because the guy has no cash and that her rent is due in three days"bla!bla! bla! "Yellow flag moment" Then five minutes later the lottery is telling me to dance, dance,dance for 20 million or so. And last but not least, Kenny Rogers is telling me I need to know when to hold um know when to walk away.
Talk about sucking and blowing at the same time. the Government is so addicted to the revenue that it can't even hide it through advertisement.
I am a gambler and most times spend more than I want to. I guess I could be a classic an at risk player. Never once while playing a slot machine feeling the next button press would be the winner or the next card would give me black jack, did I get a yellow flag moment.
I've been watching the debate brewing lately about this Technology that alllows me to set my own limits, see what I have spent over time and even lock myself out from playing the damm machine if I can't seem to walk away myself. And believe me I would have done so on many occasions. Maybe something like this may be the happy medium instead of suing. I halfway agree with the Taximandon. It is my problem, but it is also the governments responsibility to be socially responsible for its people. As i said earlier this is a highly addictive form of entertainment. I think all of us who gamble have every intention when we leave the house to only spend that 50 bucks.But when that last cherry was almost their out comes another 20.
sign me up for the lawsuit i hate these machines should never have been invented
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