Salon de Jeux in Quebec City has been a topic of wide discussion for years now, as the video lottery terminals located in it could soon relocate to a new venue. This Monday saw community organization La Ruche Vanier introduce a petition against that and so far some 1,100 unique signatures have been collected.
The people of Vanier district received the news that August 31 was about to see the introduction of a petition against the relocation of the gaming venue to Beauport and many of them have been quick to place their names among the individuals opposing this relocation. They want fair treatment since they feel competent and responsible enough to gamble in a safe manner.
More than 1,100 People
Local individuals refuse to be portrait as incapable of making responsible choices and they claim that the fact that they are a vulnerable community should also not be a reason for the relocation. The gaming hall overseen by Loto-Québec is on the verge of relocation to Beauport in the fall months of 2021.
The last days of November 2021 could see the gambling hotspot change its address and welcome an entirely new audience of individuals interested in in-person gambling. It offers video lottery terminals and those gaming devices have been notoriously known across Canada. Both British Columbia Lottery Corporation and Atlantic Lottery Corporation have been targets of class-action lawsuits seeking damages payments for people who have lost thousands of Canadian dollars thanks to the allegedly deceiving nature of these gaming machines.
Locations such as bars and restaurants often have video lottery terminals available for the players to give their luck a try and perhaps win an unexpected prize. They bring continuous gambling closer to the players, engaging them for longer periods of time. This happens thanks to cognitive distortions creating a false reality. Vulnerable individuals feel compelled to give them a try, such as the machines located at Vanier district.
Relocation Opposition
Salon de Jeux is currently located in the Fleur de Lys shopping center co-owned by Jonathan Trudel. He and his brother William want Loto-Québec to scrap the whole relocation plan and keep the venue in the area. The municipal councilor of Vanier and Duberger-Les Saules, Alicia Despins, also wants this to happen, as locals have had their say.
The Crown corporation and the government of François Legault might have to listen to the people of Vanier. It has been revealed earlier this week that there was no public call for tenders ahead of Loto-Québec’s decision to relocate the gaming hall at the end of its lease in November 2021. Moreover, the petition came as a result of a certain level of prejudice when it comes to the people of Vanier that the government has demonstrated.
La Ruche Vanier pointed out that the people hailing from the region are fully capable of making good choices for their life including while gambling. The Director also pointed out that gambling addiction is not a prevalent part of the issues these people have to face on a daily basis.
