Industry Reports

Ontario’s Windsor and Essex County to Host Problem Gambling Prevention Week

by Paul Brooks

Windsor and Essex County in the Canadian province of Ontario have become home of the Problem Gambling Prevention Week. A number of information sessions set to raise public’s awareness about the issue are set to be held as part of the initiative.

The Responsible Gambling Council has revealed that 3.4% of Ontario citizens were suffering from a moderate to a severe gambling problem. This basically means that approximately 10,200 adults residing in Windsor and Essex County are facing gambling-related harm, which could be both emotionally and financially devastating for the gamblers themselves and for their friends and families.

According to the results of a study carried out by the Responsible Gambling Council, about 10% of the province’s residents have faced negative consequences because of someone else’s gambling. In other words, research estimates have revealed that almost 30,000 people in Windsor and Essex Country suffer the negative consequences associated with other people’s gambling.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Responsible Gambling Council, Shelley White, has commented on the matter, saying that some people gamble to an extent that is extremely dangerous, as they damage not only their financial state but also their health, as well as their families and relationships.

Three Gaming Sites to Host Gambling-Related Harm Information Sessions

The Problem Gambling Prevention Week comes as part of the Responsible Gambling Council’s efforts to raise people’s awareness of gambling addictions so that they would be easily able to recognize the signs of problem gambling and help people who are dealing with such addictions.

This week, a number of information sessions are to be held by the Responsible Gambling Council at local gaming venues. Caesars Windsor casinos will host five sessions, the Breakaway Gaming Centre will become home to one session, and the last one will be held at Paradise Gaming Centre.

Four sessions hosted at Caesars Windsor will be held daily from September 26th to 29th, from 5:00 to 9:00 PM, and one final session will be hosted there on September 30th, from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM. Breakaway Gaming Centre will host one gambling-related harm information session on September 29th, from 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM. The only information session in Paradise Gaming Centre will be held on September 27th, from 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM.

As mentioned above, the main goal of these information sessions is to raise the awareness of Windsor and Essex County residents about problem gambling and possible negative consequences related to it. Over the past few years, local people have been fascinated with various forms of gambling, including casino, bingo, sports betting, lottery and online gambling. Many of them recognize that merely as a form of entertainment, but others spiral into a serious problem with gambling and even addiction.

That is exactly why the organizers of the Problem Gambling Prevention Week has been trying to raise the awareness of Ontario residents, making them realize how dangerous problem gambling could be to their lives.