A judge has ordered that lottery prize of $17-million be turned over to a  Calgary man after a challenger dropped his claim for a portion of the prize. Seguro Ndabene says he’s bitter lottery officials made him wait for eight months despite what he insists was a frivolous claim. He plans to sue the lottery corporation for interest on the money.

A $17-million lottery prize is now in the hands of the Court of Queen’s Bench in Calgary as it tries to sort out the righful winner of the money. The ticket is held by a man who has previously collected four major lottery prizes, including a $1-million win last year. The man was part of a group-buying agreement arranged out of the same kiost where the winning ticket was bought and it is possible that others may stake a claim to a share of the prize.

To recognize Alberta’s Responsible Gambling Awareness Week, this feature article examines problem gambling prevention efforts in the Province of Alberta. University of Lethbridge professor Dr. Robert Williams says that these is little evidence that educational techniques have a big impact on preventing problem gambling. It does, however, have the potential to be effective with adolescents before they develop superstitious gambling beliefs and behaviour. Williams says little education about gambling is provided in schools around the world, unlike for smoking, drinking and safe sex.

This editorialist says that additional prevention efforts need to be directed at youth in order to stem gambling problems later in life. University of Lethbridge professors Robert Williams and Robert Wood have developed a five-session curriculum for use in schools that has proven effective in preventing problem gambling. At present, all that is available to Alberta schools on the issue of gambling addiction is a one-hour session from AADAC that schools must request.

In this editorial, the author discusses urban-rural issues confronting the committee that has been formed to review casino proceeds to charitable organizations in Alberta. Liberal MLA for Calgary Buffalo Kent  Hehr says the Tories have a long history of diverting money from the cities to rural areas.

City councillor Giorgio Mammoliti said yesterday he will run for mayor of Toronto in 2010 on a pledge to generate new revenue from a casino, a “sin tax” and a lottery. When asked if he has the authority to get into lotteries and gaming, Mr. Mammoliti said he believes the Province of Ontario would make allowances if city council endorsed his plan.

Leslie Evans, the executive director of the Federation of Calgary Communities, will argue today that the Province of Alberta should not change how casino proceeds are distributed to charitable organizations. An MLA committee reviewing casino proceeds for charitable organizations will soon be meeting in Calgary for round table talks to ensure proceeds are distributed equitably. At present, there are sharp earnings differences between regions. In Calgary, between April and June, the charitable proceeds per event were $76,109, according to the commission, versus $18,246 in Medicine Hat.

Problem gamblers in Alberta who have signed up for voluntary self-exclusion bans from casinos will be subject to fines of up to $250 if they’re found inside gaming establishments, starting November 1st. Gaming regulators are also looking at the possibility of forcing all casino-goers to produce photo identification cards to weed out problem gamblers. University of Calgary gambling researcher Dr. David Hodgins says no magic bullet exists in taming gambling addictions but lauded efforts to reduce them. He notes that the real proof of success in such campaigns are shrinking gambling revenues collected by the province – something that’s rarely been seen in Alberta in recent years.

The former Portuguese enclave of Macau is considering rules that might impose limits on table numbers and raise age limits for casinos according to the city’s official website. On Monday, the Macau Secretary for the Economy and Finance said all six major casino operators agreed broadly during a meeting that casino expansion should not be limitless. Major U.S. gambling operators have benefited from a surge in visitors to the island just an hour’s ferry ride from southern China and  Hong Kong.

Editorialist Rex Murphy accuses the Ontario government of hypocrisy for recently announcing that it is suing Big Tobacco for $50-billion while turning a blind eye to alcohol and gambling. He accuses governments of loving the cash gambling brings into public coffers more than they deplore the misery that comes in its wake.