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Devoted Players Win Millions on VLTs, but Is This Canada’s Gambling Future?

Video Lottery Terminals are well-known gaming devices across Canada due to their attractive nature and the fact that they are so easily accessible. One of the latest winnings took place in the Coachman Beverage Room in Saskatoon and one local VLT enthusiast is now CA$1,159,131.61 richer than he was last week. What could VLTs future look like across Canadian provinces?

It is no secret to anyone that Video Lottery Terminals are among the most preferred gaming offerings on a national level because they could be located across bars and restaurants, in addition to the traditional casino venues. Many businesses rely on said devices for more revenue and a further boost of their own operation. Gaming revenue amassed with the help of said VLTs is divided between the bar/restaurant owner and the lottery corporation overseeing them, later on, distributed back to the community.

Kevin Olsen Bagged CA$1.14 Million

In this sense, many people support the devices future operation. Some of them are the winners – individuals with a 9-to-5 job that have managed to attract Lady Luck on their side. One Saskatoon man is now a millionaire, following his recent win at one of the aforementioned gambling devices. Kevin Olsen played Vault Breaker last Sunday and nothing foreshadowed the life-changing experience he was about to have later on that day.

He was playing at the Coachman Beverage Room in the local Market Mall, a popular location among locals. The game he was playing is also a Saskatchewan favorite, as there are more than 4,200 devices across the province linked with the progressive jackpot. The minimum prize anyone could bag when it comes to jackpot winning is CA$500,000. The cap for this jackpot is placed at CA$1.5 million, meaning that Mr. Olsen could have seen an even bigger windfall.

Ever since June 2017, when more people became acquainted with the gambling offering, some CA$7.1 million has been awarded across Saskatchewan. Western Canada Lottery Corporation manages the operation of the said devices. Mr. Olsen found it hard to believe his life is about to completely change.

Class-Action Lawsuit against VLTs in Progress

He was quick to contact his sister and tell her that he is a millionaire now, which eventually led to the entire family finding out about the grand win. All of them celebrated the event onsite of the shopping center and made a day of it. The winner made it clear that he is not planning to quit his job, but maybe take it easy on the work tasks from here on out. Across the Atlantic provinces, VLTs have highly controversial nature.

The Supreme Court of Canada is expected to rule on their future operation in Newfoundland and Labrador, where the Atlantic Lottery Corporation oversees them. Some 30,000 individuals are part of the class-action lawsuit that could make or break VLTs future across Canadian provinces. Plaintiffs in this case claim that the very nature of the gaming terminals is deceiving, as allegedly they purposefully employ certain signals and images tricking people.

Players are therefore tricked into thinking they are winning when in fact, they are losing, or they are winning a larger amount than they actually are. A recent study focusing on Quebec revealed that VLTs are usually placed in marginal areas where people are willing to gamble for more cash. Such players end up fueling the field without earning a better life.

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Author:

Yolina has followed closely the latest development on the Canadian gaming scene over the past years, monitoring the land-based, lottery, and online offerings up for grabs. The dynamic nature of the local lottery and casino fields, as well as the opportunities lying ahead of Canada fire her enthusiasm for what is to come. A sports betting enthusiast, in her spare time Yolina could be found in her natural habitat – turning the pages of biographies and catching up on the latest stand-up comedy podcasts.