The City of Windsor's arena file has finally been decided and although I have never been opposed to legalized gambling, I'm pleased that Windsor will realize a sports complex that is not associated with horse racing, slot machines, or any other form of gambling. The new owners of the Windsor Spitfires said it best when they decided their vision of an arena complex is to be a family destination and didn't see gambling as an appropriate mix for that vision.

When the previous Conservative government discussed introducing slot machines in Ontario, problem gambling experts expressed caution in terms of where machines would be located as well as residents becoming addicted simply due to availability. To mitigate some of the problem gambling concerns, the government of the day decided to introduce slot machines at Ontario racetracks to ensure that exposure was with existing gamblers and those of a legal age. Underage gambling was a major consideration with respect to where slot machines would be introduced.

Years ago, the city of Las Vegas tried to mix gambling with elaborate family attractions with the expectation that the number of visitors would increase. While the number of family visitors did increase, revenue did not. Operators soon realized that parents were spending too much time entertaining their children and not enough time on the gaming floor. The family theme soon disappeared and Las Vegas went back to doing what it does best, providing gambling for anyone over the legal age of 21.

As noted by the Vanier Institute of the Family, prevalence studies show that 2-4% of the adult Canadian population struggles with problem gambling, and current estimates are that 4-8% of adolescents exhibit traits of pathological gambling while another 10-14% are at risk of either developing a serious problem or returning to it and indeed gambling is the single most popular high-risk activity among teenagers. This is made even more convenient when we consider that 10% of 11-16 year olds reported betting on the Internet. As gambling becomes more entrenched, available and acceptable in the culture, the fallout for the family will continue to increase. (Moscovitch, 2006). Our youth do not need assistance in finding further oportunities to gamble. Windsor is to be congratulated for providing an option which separates family entertainment from adult entertainment.