Province installing new VLTs to control gambling

The province is spending $187M on a new program to replace all the video lottery terminals (VLT) with new models that possess caps on the amount of money people can deposit and the amount of time they can spend playing them.

In an attempt to curb out-of-control gambling, the province is rolling out 6,000 new VLTs that are specially equipped to limit the amount of money and time that can be spent on the machines.

The $187M program outfits the machines being set up all over the province with new time limits and replaces the indefinite betting limit with a $100 maximum.

However, the top prize has more than doubled; it’s now at $2,500, up from $1,000.

Critics question the new machines in their ability to truly limit the amount of money addicted gamblers can put into the machines.

They also say the funding could have been better spent.