MONTREAL - Quebec's lottery commission will finally turn over its documents on gambling-related suicides at the province's casinos after losing an appeal to keep them secret. The Quebec Court of Appeal ruled unanimously Wednesday that Loto-Quebec must make public internal reports on suicides and suicide attempts that could be linked to excessive gambling.The ruling upholds a 2005 Quebec Superior Court decision that ordered the provincial cash cow to respect an access-to-information request filed by anti-poverty activist Bill Clennett. "I think that there is a debate going on in society about the role of the state in gambling and its social impact," Clennett said. "But that debate cannot be held properly unless all the cards are on the table."
Loto-Quebec has argued in the past that making the documents public could benefit organized crime groups by having information leaked about how it conducts internal investigations. But the appeals court justices didn't even bother hearing from Loto-Quebec's lawyers before handing down their ruling Wednesday. The agency later issued a statement that it would comply with the decision rather than appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada."Beyond contributing to discussion around the issue of gambling, (I hope) that this decision will change the culture of secrecy that exists within Loto-Quebec," Clennett said.
Suicide awareness groups joined Clennett in calling for more transparency at the Crown corporation."Transparency is essential to ensure we do a better job preventing suicide," said Louis Lemay of the Association quebecoise de prevention du suicide. "Pathological gaming cannot be underestimated as a risk factor for suicide."According to statistics compiled by Loto-Quebec and published on its website, there has been only one suicide at Quebec's three casinos since 1998. Clennett, however, says he wants to see the documents himself and expressed frustration that he had to resort to the courts to force Loto-Quebec to open up its records. "I think it's a decision that shouldn't have been made by the appeals court, I think this should have been resolved years ago," he said."I think the request that was made was reasonable within the confines of the access-to-information legislation and that's what the appeal court unanimously recognized (Wednesday)."
Loto-Quebec, like gaming commissions in other provinces, often draws criticism for encouraging gambling while glossing over potential dangers.Of the 1,172 estimated suicides in Quebec in 2004, the provincial coroner's office linked 32 to pathological gambling. Quebec is home to between 35,000 and 56,000 potential pathological gamblers, according to government statistics. Loto-Quebec, which contributed $1.6 billion to government coffers in 2006-07, says it spent $27.5 million last year fighting compulsive gambling.It runs casinos in Montreal, Gatineau and La Malbaie, northeast of Quebec City.
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