The British Columbia Lottery Corporation will be sued by a gambling addict. In British Columbia, this case is the first of its kind.
In B.C. Supreme Court, Joyce May Ross, 54, has filed a lawsuit that alleges that the lottery corporation practices negligence. The two casinos she frequents are owned by the British Columbia Lottery Corporation.
In a program aimed at helping individuals steer clear of gambling and online casino games, the woman took initiative and enrolled in the same. She was still able to frequently visit the casinos, despite being a part of the steer clear, self-exclusion program offered by the BCLC. In helping her work through her gambling addiction, she feels that the program was a failure and fell short.
The usage surveillance to monitor the activity of known compulsive gamblers is involved in this self-exclusion program. The casino security staff after identifying compulsive gamblers is supposed to quickly act to remove the individual from the facility. As a deterrent, an amount of $5,000 fines can be issued to compulsive gamblers caught in the act.
The woman gambled away over $330,000 during her three years of participation in the program. She tells CBC News, “I was totally out of control, and I knew I needed help”.
During her years of participation, Ross hopes to recover money lost in the self-exclusion program. She is also seeking damages that have caused because of British Columbia Lottery Corporation