There are substantive studies being conducted at this moment that are quite revealing in their findings.  A certain portion of gamblers are compulsive by nature.  These individuals comprise a small portion of the adult population, but it is a fact that can not be denied.  There have been attempts to protect compulsive gamblers from their own self-destructive habits by creating legislation that would safeguard these people from themselves.  According to some proposed legislation, compulsive gamblers would not be allowed to participate in online gambling if the government perceived that these gamblers were a danger to themselves as well as others.

Well, inOntario, , there is a huge class-action lawsuit pending addressing this matter.  The argument against the government in Ontario is simple – the government wants to take over the casino action in an effort to control who can gamble and who can’t.  The perception is that the gambling addicts are unable to help themselves and control their compulsivities, so the government, in their benevolence, will do the controlling for them. 

“No, no!” Say gambling addicts who make the argument that government control of gambling does not remedy the gambling problem in any way, shape or form, or even deter the actions of the compulsive gambler, for that matter.  These gamblers say that the government may be well-intentioned, but it will not have any effect whatsoever with regards to the population they are trying to save from themselves.

At this point, it is a voluntary self-exclusion program in .  Problem gamblers have their pictures taken so that they will be guilty of trespassing if they enter a land casino.  These gamblers argue, however, that they still have access to online gambling, so that the program has been quite ineffective.   

It is estimated that about 1.5% of the adult population in theProvince ofManitoba are classified as gambling addicts.  Yet, only a little more than half of these individuals have signed up for the voluntary ban from the two casinos in Winnipeg .  Furthermore, many of these on the voluntary list have been able to enter the casinos under disguise.  It appears that not only is the facial recognition of problem gamblers not cost-effective, it seems that it is hardly working at all.