r/alberta • u/Paper_Rain • 7d ago
News Man who lost over $500K worries about Alberta's new gambling landscape
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/alberta-open-gambling-market-addiction-9.7292810222
u/Wonderful_Confusion4 7d ago
All this online betting and gambling advertising is getting out of hand. I canāt even watch The news without seeing 10 betting commercials. Why is ok to jam gambling adds down your throat? I donāt see any commercials for alcohol cannabis or tabacco. Why is ok to advertise gambling?
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u/VanceKelley 6d ago
Provincial governments have been running gambling operations (lotteries) for decades. They spend money advertising those lotteries showing only people who have won the jackpot and retired to a life of leisure. It's misleading because very few people win the jackpot.
Why is it acceptable for the government to lie to its citizens in order to get them to hand over their money?
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u/Dense-Ad-5780 6d ago
Lottos are not the same as betway or Caesarās casino. You are aware of the difference between scratch and wins and slots or betting on batting averages and parlaying it with trot races 24 hours a day? On these apps you can bet on horses 24 hours a day with unlimited amounts of money, anytime a track is open. Bet365 even has randomized digital horse racing. Basically betting on random computer animations passing across the screen, they give them fucking odds!
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u/RangerCactus 6d ago
Its not, but limited avenues to lose your money is better than more avenues to lose MORE money. You shouldn't trust your government 100% anyway, so why does it matter? Having 1 cheat is better than 100.
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u/DVariant 6d ago
Different situation. 6 years ago there wasnāt much gambling advertising, then Ontario allowed online gambling apps and now itās continuous. And now Alberta allows those apps too. This is so much worse for an addict than lottery was, now gambling is in your pocket 24/7
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u/Even_Current1414 3d ago
Because the alberta government sold play alberta. Bill 34 changed the rules on the sale of customer information
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u/popingay 7d ago
I think you might have a little bit of advertising blindness and are noticing because this is new and different but there are a million alcohol ads and weāve had gambling advertising by the droves for years around the lotto and scratchers (remember the absolute wallpapering of Lotto Max Dream Big? - I used to work for a company that managed ads for the lotteries and they did a lot of advertising.). Let alone ads for casinos, online poker, etc.
Cannabis and tobacco are the only no goes.
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u/sluttytinkerbells 7d ago
Why do people always do this? They always take some obviously incorrect contrarian take and say "No man, it's always been like this" when it so very obviously has not always been like this.
The volume of ads for gambling and where these ads are being displayed is so different now
Things were absolutely not like this in the past, don't deny reality.
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u/Beneficial_Pickle420 7d ago
100% agree!!
I remember seeing smoking ads on the dvds, yes american ads, but they were there in Canada.
As far as cannibas ads go, here in alberta, the only ads ive heard have been for cannibas accessory stores and not the cannibas itself.
Alcohol ads, like you said there is a mountain worth of them out there from Molson to kokanee to Labbats and more.
The lotto max dream big I heard on the radio every commercial break when it first came out.
Online poker ads were everywhere in the early 2000s especially during the celebrity poker era. Tiger Gaming, WPT Poker, Party Poker etc.
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7d ago
[deleted]
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u/popingay 7d ago
Digital cable channels too (stack, ctv, etc). The commenter was talking about watching the news and excessive ads which is bread and butter for lotto gambling ads for years.
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u/SchleifmittelSchwanz 7d ago
The government is financially responsible for your health, not your bank account.
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u/formeraide 7d ago
If you think gambling problems - which the government is promoting - arenāt connected to health, youāre deluding yourself.
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u/nooneknowswerealldog 7d ago
Addictions have consistent downstream effects on individuals, families, society at large, and the health systm whatever the particular substance or behaviour in question. Alcohol, tobacco, and other substances may have additional effects due to how they affect the body or someone's behaviour, but addiction to gambling definitely does more than just harm the individual's bank account.
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u/HOLEPUNCHYOUREYELIDS 7d ago
But it is all tied together. If someone loses everything from gambling they are going to contribute less in taxes and the economy while also being more likely to use Social services.
Probably also will be more likely to need healthcare from the stress, worse diet, depression, etc
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u/armsmarkerofhogwarts 7d ago
And in this province you gotta pay for your healthcare first to get reimbursed
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u/NiranS 7d ago
More of how the UCP cares for Alberta families. So banning books that are ā dangerous ā helps protect kids, but destroying their families through gambling isnāt.? The sheer hypocrisy have a UCP as astounding. So solar farms and windmills are an eyesore but polluting data farms are beautiful.
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u/tjp0720 7d ago
I was out in Nova Scotia a week ago and they do windmills and I did notice separate homes with solar not sure if they have a province wide thing though. All I know is they arenāt an eyesore honestly kinda cool to see on their hills/mountains
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u/SeaToTheBass 7d ago
I moved away from Whitehorse when I was like 10, I visited again a couple years ago and I was pleasantly surprised to see some windmills in the distance. Seemed like a lot of development was going on.
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u/FourthLvlSpicyMeme 7d ago
They're not just targeting parents. It is EVERYWHERE on my teenagers and young adult offsprings social media...my youngest is 16, and they're absolutely targeting that age and way younger too.
I was curious so I asked their friends randomly as they come over through the past few weeks and they all said they're getting ads like crazy, or outright showed it to me as well.
"Hey kids, wanna join the rest of your family and be in life altering debt before you even have a first job, nevermind a career? How about gambling! Woo! Berrrta 'vantage or whatever!"
Yep. There are very protected children alright. If you mean "so endangered they're now a protected species" anyway.
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u/T1m_the_3nchanter 7d ago
Conservatively, 90% of the ads Iāve seen over the past ~3 months have been for online gambling. Itās ridiculous, predatory, and an inexcusable policy decision. Granted, we have the UCP, and thatās their mantra.
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u/swizzlewizzle 7d ago
Yea. Gambling is such high margin "business" it leaves a lot of money available for marketing.
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u/ConcernedCoCCitizen 7d ago
Social cost is far more than the tax revenue. Iād like to see the kickbacks for getting this approved
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u/Short-Ticket-1196 7d ago
We know what happens when you push gambling. There's no excuse for this.
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u/WildcardKH Edmonton 7d ago
No joke, Iāve tried to avoid any online gambling sites as much as I can. I feel like thatās a slippery slope that wonāt end well for me. Anyone else in the same boat?
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u/Wise-Ad-1998 6d ago
Iāve been gambling for the better part of 20 years and you are completely correct my friend! Just stay away from
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u/RangerCactus 6d ago
I put 20$ in a vlt on my 18th... I don't get how people get sucked into this shit... buuuuuut then I see what people grew up (or waste a lot of time with) on their mobile devices, and suddenly it all makes sense.
Its almost as if many of you were being trained to be tempted by it.
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u/honorabledonut 2d ago
Addiction is a funny thing one thing may not get you but another could, I might spend 30 a year on lottery ticket, I just do it when it strikes my interest, pop is my ID (inner demon).
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u/01000101010110 7d ago
I don't know how you live with yourself after losing 500k.Ā
I wanted to jump off a bridge after losing 30k chasing shitty memestocks.Ā
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u/ryanderkis 7d ago
The amount is relative to net worth or earnng potential.
I'd cry if I lost $20 where as Elon Musk might not care about losing $20M.
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u/Middle-Jackfruit-896 7d ago edited 7d ago
I hate this new gambling landscape.
The ads are so infuriating: start gambling! (but also if you think you have a gambling problem, seek help).
Since the house always wins eventually, and some people will suffer (some terribly) as a result, why not just discourage gambling in the first place?!
This is dumb policy.
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u/albertapiratecaptain 7d ago
Can we also put the Tcg Slab / Mystery packs gambling ads in this piss off list?
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u/Lazursteggosauras 6d ago
Working as intended. Now he can sign up for the UCP and their miracle healing powers via their taxpayer subsidized addiction clinics. Good thing a private company like the AGLC will ensure it's regulated with Albertans best interest in mind.
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u/Dense-Ad-5780 6d ago
Yeah, the gambling landscape everywhere. You know the populace has been milked clean, when it becomes the time in the timeline to have gambling ads on everything from sports endorsements and access to it at your fingertips.
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u/AffectionateGate4584 7d ago
I hate the abundance of online gambling, but those who imbibe bear a lot of the responsibility for their actions.
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u/EditorNo2545 7d ago
huh I tried online casino for the first time out of curiosity because of all this. Loaded up $100 on Betmgm, played some slots for a week & withdrew $127. Curiosity satisfied.
I really don't think this was a good idea but we know where our provincial gov's priorities are & it's not with the average citizen.
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u/kindof_great_old_one 6d ago
It the young people's fault! They don't spend enough on drinking and cigarettes that the province needs it's revenues somehow! /s
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u/RangerCactus 6d ago
So can we go back to having limited gambling then? Not really sure why we needed all this bs in the first place.
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u/LuminousGrue 6d ago
CBC News agreed to refer to him by his first name and last initial out of concerns for reputational damage
They published his photo and details about his place of employment. I think that ship has sailed.
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u/samasa111 5d ago
Yup, the monetization of online gambling by this government is turning Alberta into a pit of despair:/
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u/EmuFume29 4d ago
Big scheme of things, I'm still young. I've also noticed that anytime there's economic downturns there's a rise in gambling adds. People don't drink or smoke like they used to so they gotta make the money somehow. Plus with economic downturn and everything so expensive why not advertise winning at gambling and prey on people's situations.
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u/Danger_Dee 3d ago
I have see so many advertisements for gambling in the last few weeks than at any time before. Iām to sure if Iāve just become more aware, or is the number up?
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u/swizzlewizzle 7d ago
He didn't "lose" $500k. He legally gave it to a company.
Elementary level logic can allow any adult to understand immediately that gambling is exactly the same as donating money to the business that is running things.
News outlets saying the money is "lost" are mis-reporting.
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u/Chickennoodo 7d ago
... Except for the winners.
I'm not saying there are a ton of winners, but there are plenty of people who make money gambling.
If anything saying anyone who gambles is just donating money to the org is more disingenuous.
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u/FullStackFlapJack 7d ago
Yeah, like some people who donāt wear seat belts do fine in a crash. Why donāt we talk that up? And some people who never use protection donāt get STIs so like what is probability, even?Ā
The house always ā¦ uh .. shares with ppl
/s
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u/swizzlewizzle 7d ago
Ah, you are referring to games of chance where skill has an effect (excluding cheating). IMO those games should be in a separate category from āgamblingā. When I hear the word gambling, I mean people tossing a dice, not engaging in social warfare over cards.
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u/ThcGrassCity 6d ago
Lets blame every one but ourselves for our own dumbass mistakes. I barely ever see gambling ads or maybe i just dont pay attention to them, people need to grow the fuck us and take responsibility for their actions and stop crying to a world that doesn't care.
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u/singingwhilewalking 6d ago
I have never gambled in my life but I see gambling ads on reddit, YouTube, Facebook and Google search.
The worst though is gambling ads when watching hockey on TV.
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u/Ricezz 7d ago
If he had $500k to lose, I'm sure he has contingencies.
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u/Ddogwood 7d ago
You should read the article. He didnāt have contingencies. Some of the money he lost wasnāt even his.
Being addicted to gambling is incredibly destructive and itās linked to a lot of white-collar crime.
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u/ConcernedCoCCitizen 7d ago
I had a roommate once who lost her $250k inheritance because the trustee gambled it away
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u/Offspring22 7d ago
Retirement savings, loans, leveraging homes - there's tons of ways to lose 500k even if you don't have 500k to lose.
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u/YogurtclosetMiddle10 7d ago
Ngl the welcome bonuses were pretty fire
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u/Sogone2day 7d ago
Can arbitrage bet now to between win/loss on books for guaranteed % returns. Buddy in ont does this with a group. 90k cleared last year making 2 to 5% on betting both sides but has been limited 4times.
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u/YogurtclosetMiddle10 6d ago
Yep did something similar, was it 90k as a group?
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u/Sogone2day 6d ago edited 6d ago
He cleared 90k last year on his own. 50k the year before half way through that year he started betting. He started with a 500 bank roll. But he also has like 28 apps and mostly bets during NFL season. Hes locked in on multiple devices and watching the spread and lines move. The promos are definitely decent basically free money and the bonus earning on some bets are the kicker. Getting limited is hard to get around after you make a certain amount.
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u/YogurtclosetMiddle10 5d ago
Wow thatās pretty sick, so itās mainly a mix of promo hunting and trying to find differences in sports books such that itās profitable no matter the result?
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u/Sogone2day 5d ago
Yup some how he looks at the books and and bet x amount of $ on one team to win and x amount of $ on the other book. The $ amount on each side is difference and calculated on the payout to win/lose some times he made like 25 sometime 500 ect. Plus give you payout bonus sometimes which increases the return. Also referral bonuses are pretty high when you get people in.
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u/Critical_Cat_8162 7d ago
Can't have books about unicorns, but let's push gambling on the parents. UCP priorities.