Hon. David H. Tsubouchi, Minister of Consumer and Commercial Relations
35th Floor, 250 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON M5B 2N5

RE: Bill 75 Licensing Video Lotteries Terminals

With the Bill now in third reading, we again urge you and your colleagues not to license more Terminals than presently in place. We understand that there are currently thousands of unlicensed terminals under control of the criminal element. We appreciate the difficult decision you need to make. Further licensing of untold thousands of additional terminals, under the guise of controlling criminal activity, or empowering the Ontario Lottery Corporation to set quality standards for the equipment, will not exonerate you from your responsibility to govern wisely and justly.

We restate our August 29 submission: "The CCBF urges the Minister, the Cabinet and the House not to proceed on this track. You are by the very nature of this legislation exploiting those most vulnerable. While you are also nurturing the growing perception that money can be acquired by other means than honest work. This demeans work as the way to make a living, and the responsibility to provide for one’s needs and the needs of one’s family, and community. Because money can be gotten as easy as being lucky, having the right microchip connection connect at the right time, it is only a short step to obtaining money by fraud, theft, or other dishonest means.

The millions of dollars diverted from normal every day economic activities are no doubt responsible for a large percentage of the current unemployment numbers. Every dollar spent on gambling, whether VLT or otherwise, is a dollar diverted away from local retail businesses. Small businesses who are the primary economic engines, the primary jobs creators. Every dollar going to gambling, does not buy any product, does not create any employment. All that dollar does is give ten cents to the bar, where the VLT is located, and ten cents to a charity. The balance, eighty cents, goes directly to government. This diversion of precious dollars away from normal economic activity is, aside from the CCBF’s principal opposition to gambling, our organization’s primary reason for making this submission.

Government’s task is to enable, i.e., create the climate for, healthy economic activity. Government should take responsibility for the long term, for society’s well being and overall health. This government has done such a commendable job in reducing the deficit and tackling the debt. How can you be so two tracked, having fiscal vision yet lacking social responsibility, as shown by your position on gambling and now this legislation?"

The C.C.B.F urges you to reconsider your position and remove this gambling cancer from our society. Adjusting the mathematics, 15% to the house and an equal amount to a local charity, with the balance 70% to be applied to Ontario’s Debt, does nothing in addressing the problem.

The C.C.B.F. pleads with you not to grant any further licences, and to systematically reduce the number of terminals in place presently. We applaud Speaker Chris Stockwell’s rejection of the government’s proposal to close debate. We are encouraged by Premier Harris’ statement, "I have concerns about VLTs too." We hope his, and all of government’s concerns are based on a vision for Ontario similar to the C.C.B.F.’s.

Ontario is open for business, so says your Website. Yet the primary business seems to be gambling or other useless games of chance, an opportunity to get something for nothing. In many communities once thriving retail business locations have been transformed into Bingo Halls. Where at one time we would see people busy with work or going to work, any work. Now we can’t fill the lowest paying menial seasonal tasks, and asking people to work for their welfare cheque is an infringement on their rights. Yet Bingo Halls have people standing in line waiting for them to open up. Lottery Booths have long lines of willing victims, all hoping to get something for nothing. What is happening to our great province? What kind of mind set are you facilitating?

The Legislative committee, holding hearings on Bill 75, heard numerous presentations pleading and urging with you not to proceed with this legislation. The price to society is too high.

Sincerely,

J. Hans Vander Stoep, Executive Director
cc. P.C. Caucus