Alberta mulls pre-paid casino cards for gamblers

I think this is a good idea. I'd go further and use it to prevent chronic problem gamblers from gambling at all casinos.

I think that would be another great use for it as well. Good idea.

Btw...your new av just tripped the hell out of me

Sure, and then we could use the same idea to prevent smokers from smoking, drinkers from drinking and maybe even sex addicts from ...sexing.

I'm being sarcastic here, I know.
It "may" be a good idea but if the person wants to gamble, there are other ways/places to do it.
Why not treat the problem the old-fashioned way, counseling and AA meetings.

I think that would be another great use for it as well. Good idea.

Btw...your new av just tripped the hell out of me
I feel like big-brother is watching me and I don't like it.
I much prefer to use my imagination.

Sure, and then we could use the same idea to prevent smokers from smoking, drinkers from drinking and maybe even sex addicts from ...sexing.

I'm being sarcastic here, I know.
It "may" be a good idea but if the person wants to gamble, there are other ways/places to do it.
Why not treat the problem the old-fashioned way, counseling and AA meetings.
Sure that too but if you take the temptation away it's easier to treat the addiction. You don't just treat an alcoholic and leave all the booze in his house.

How exactly will it stop problem gamblers? Just as they bought one pre-paid card they can buy another. Its amounts to a small hurdle for them and one they will side step as readily as they do voluntary exclusion by wearing a wig or such.

Mandatory counseling and trespassing protective orders that allow them to be arrested if they set foot in a casino might be a better solution. After all they have already proven themselves incapable of resisting temptation by themselves.

How do you stop minors from buying booze in a liquor store?

As in other addictions, if the person wants to stop, he'll find the support and the ways to help him stop. You have to work at it.

Those that put themselves on lists or buy these pre-paid cards, thinking that just this will miraculously get rid of their addiction, but deep down they don't really want to stop or don't work at it, will find other ways to gamble.

Then they complain or take the casinos to court.

Vigilance. IDing. Education. In a real sense you can't anymore then you can stop alcoholics. They need to stop themselves and so far gamblers seem ready and willing to blame others for their problems. The first step is admitting you have a problem and along with that goes admitting your responsibility. If they blame the casinos then its not really their fault and thus they'll take the money they sue them for and go blow it gambling again resetting the cycle.

Now offering cards like that is nothing new. It sprang from rewards cards that they used to reward or "comp" gamblers. People are well advised to purchase one and treat the gambling as a night out and consider the money spent no different then a dinner and a movie. That way if you lose you still had fun and if you win its a bonus. Purchasing a pre-set card is a way to ensure that but the problem is that for this to even impact the problem gamblers it must be mandatory for everyone.

I still fail to see how it will prevent an addict who can simply purchase a card set with a limit over his anyway nor will it prevent him from coming every night or simply going elsewhere.

Allowing a gambling addict to gamble "a little bit" is like letting an alcoholic drink "a little bit".

This is a ridiculous idea.

This isn't a magic pill but a tool. You still need counselling and everything else that goes with treating addiction. If they implimented a province wide card system whereby the card holder had to prove his identity in order to purchase credit on his card, it would help to prevent anyone placed on a problem gambler list from purchasing credit. It's quite simple really. However my solution is a total ban on gambling for addicts not a piece meal allotment of credit.

Cold turkey is the only way to go for any addiction.
If you're not ready to go cold turkey, then you're not ready to stop.

This isn't a magic pill but a tool. You still need counselling and everything else that goes with treating addiction. If they implimented a province wide card system whereby the card holder had to prove his identity in order to purchase credit on his card, it would help to prevent anyone placed on a problem gambler list from purchasing credit. It's quite simple really. However my solution is a total ban on gambling for addicts not a piece meal allotment of credit.

They would easily find a way to get around it. They easily find their way around the current methods also.

In the end its still forcing others to adapt because of a few problem people. Why not institute a 4 drink maximum in bars or make it a law that you may only have 1 drink per hour (the livers normal rate of elimination)?

So why do we even ID people at bars and liquor stores anymore? Let's all give up and do nothing.