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Private Chadwick James Horn, of Calgary, was one of three who died in the insurgent... Check out some of the top local, national and international images of the day. A Quebec businessman has developed a device that he says would effectively turn off compulsive gamblers from electronic gambling machines and he's upset the province's lottery corporation seems itself turned off by the device. Chantal Audet, a Saguenay businessman who worked under contract for Loto-Quebec for 13 years, says tests have shown his technique to keep problem gamblers away from machines such as video lottery terminals does work. The fruit of two years of labour, it works by implanting a tiny computer chip on people who voluntarily submit to the procedure. A similar chip would then be installed on all of the province's VLT machines, making them go blank as the patron approaches them. The same technique could be used at the entrance of casinos to block access to someone at the turnstiles. But Loto-Quebec, which helped finance a small part of the project, now seems cool to the idea, says Audet. "They told me they didn't want to go forward with the project," he said. "It was developed especially for them. We would have to adapt the module, but the same principle could work anywhere." "At first they said, because it was a chip going into the skin, I should get in touch with the Health Ministry . . . and (health officials) were blown away," Audet said, adding that they thought it was a great idea. Loto-Quebec then raised the matter of ethics, an issue the health ministry is still debating, but Audet stressed an ethics professor he consulted said it wasn't an issue because the procedure would be done on a voluntary basis and the chip could be removed. For its part, Loto-Quebec said it hasn't turned down the project, but was waiting to hear from health officials. "It's not for us to make this decision; other authorities must first make them," she said. But Audet says because he also suggested the use of a bracelet to avoid surgery, Loto-Quebec was stalling. "Loto-Quebec's decision wasn't surprising, because according to health officials most of the revenues coming from electronic games come from people struggling with problem gambling," said Alain Dubois, an expert on addictions. But Audet said the device could actually boost Loto-Quebec's revenues. "Ironically, this is advantageous - it puts (Loto-Quebec's) conscience at ease and would prevent them from having to remove VLTs," he said. Audet said his conversations with problem gamblers made it clear VLTs had to go. "The chip means that for a compulsive gambler the terminal doesn't exist anymore." He adds it also helps in the case of compulsive gamblers who avoid therapy because of fear that their family, friends and colleagues might find out. In contrast to lengthy therapy, the surgical procedure would take little time, he said, and be a lot cheaper. "They wouldn't be cured, but it would be a first step that could be monitored afterwards." It would cost some $8 million to $10 million to equip the province's VLTs, he estimated. "Mr. Audet's proposal warrants more attention and perhaps more experimentation ... under scientific supervision," Dubois said. This is cache, read story here
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