Gaming commissions in Atlantic Canada are launching a broad-based, region-wide review of the security and integrity of lottery operations in the provinces, from ticket printing to the claiming of prizes.
But the Atlantic Lottery Corp., which operates ticket and video lottery games across the region, said it is already instituting changes to protect its games against cheats and thieves.
"We are putting in place measures to enhance the player's ability to protect their play and be confident in the system," said Paula Dyke, an Atlantic Lottery spokeswoman.
The new review is just the latest in a series of Canadian lottery studies triggered by a recent scandal in Ontario, where some lottery winners were being ripped off by store clerks who claimed the prizes for themselves.
Atlantic Lottery recently added fuel to the fire when it released an internal report that showed lottery retailers won prizes exceeding $25,000, 10 times more often than statistically probable over a six-year period.
"Recent issues raised in the media have been a serious wakeup call for the entire gambling industry worldwide," New Brunswick Finance Minister Victor Boudreau said as he announced the four-province review in the legislature.
Dyke said the Atlantic Lottery Corp., based in Moncton, N.B., will co-operate fully with the review.
She said the corporation already has taken steps to beef up security of its games, especially the ticket games where numbers are checked by clerks.
"One of the biggest changes players will see in June is the new player-facing screens we will be installing at all of our terminals," she said.
"People will be able to see the results right away."
As it stands now, many people simply hand their tickets to clerks and rely on that person's honesty to tell them how much they have won should they have a winning number.
Dyke said the lottery corporation is focusing on educating players to be careful with their tickets.
She said players are urged to sign the back of their tickets and check the printouts from lottery machines to make sure the prize amount is legitimate.
Governments in Canada are anxious to restore public confidence in lottery systems.
A recent industry study found that the gambling industry in Canada made more than $15 billion last year.
Roughly $7.4 billion enriched provincial coffers while $3.2 billion was distributed among the federal government, charities, and lottery operators and retailers.
Gambling revenue is a critical source of funds for the provincial governments in Atlantic Canada, accounting for almost $400 million in 2005-06.
Paul Burns of the Canadian Gaming Association in Toronto said the review in Atlantic Canada is all about rebuilding public confidence in lottery systems.
"I'm confident the review will demonstrate the high level of integrity with which Atlantic Lottery has been operating gaming in Atlantic Canada," Burns said in an interview.
"If it's an exercise to ensure the public has confidence in the system, that's great."
Margaret McGee of the Nova Scotia Gaming Corp., the Crown corporation that manages gaming on behalf of the Nova Scotia government, said the four-province review is different from any other study currently underway in the Atlantic region.
She said this is the only study that will look at the situation in all four provinces.
As well, she said it's not just studying the ticket-retailer controversy, but will look at all aspects of the gambling industry.
"Our intention is not to duplicate any existing reviews," McGee said.
"We want to expand on that and look at all aspects of the business to make sure we can have confidence that the system is working."
Among other things, the review will determine whether controls are in place to ensure that players receive the prizes due to them, that prizes are as advertised, and that nothing influences the outcome of a game.
The review, which is expected to be underway by late June, will look at all lottery games operated by Atlantic Lottery Corp., including ticket and video lotteries and the Charlottetown Driving Park.
The four provinces have issued a request for proposals from individuals or organizations willing to undertake the review.
