To the editor:
Re: “Problem gamblers difficult to identify, says health officer, says health officer,” Jan. 9.
The fact is, casinos are exploiting the often-debilitating weaknesses of many of its consumers — especially those suffering with OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) — sometimes to the point of appalling callousness.
There’s much post-secondary psychology literature stating that addict gamblers purposely, though unconsciously, play and lose money on games of chance — indeed, they will not or even cannot get themselves to leave until all funds in their possession for that day is lost — and then kick themselves around the proverbial block afterwards just to mentally punish themselves. Sadly, it’s basically a form of psychological masochism.
Such is a very good reason why all means of gambling, be it lottery tickets to poker tables, should be (along with all tobacco and alcoholic beverages, for that matter) entirely government-owned, so that 100 percent of monetary proceeds remains in public coffers, to be utilized only for the benefit of all Canadians — especially those requiring gambling-addiction counseling.
Frank G. Sterle, Jr.,
White Rock
