gambling in alberta - Research Services - University of Lethbridge

Video Lottery Terminals (VLTs)
In Alberta the term ‘Video lottery terminal’ refers to an electronic gambling machine that is
located in an age-restricted licensed venue (bar) outside of a casino or horse race track.
Because they are electronic devices they have to be directly managed by the provincial
government (AGLC). The main changes concerning government provided video lottery
terminals in terms of legal regulation and provision have been as follows:
1969 Criminal Code amendment permits the operation of ‘lottery schemes’ by the federal government
or provincial governments.
1985 Criminal Code amendment gives exclusive ability to operate ‘lottery schemes’ to the provinces in
exchange for $100 million, plus the indexed annual contribution agreed to in 1979. This same
legislation limits the conduct and management of lottery schemes operated on or through a
computer, video device or slot machine just to provincial governments.
1992 VLTs are introduced to Alberta bars/lounges beginning in March.
1995 Policy enacted to limit the total number of VLTs to 6,000.
1997 VLTs are removed from Rocky Mountain House and Sylvan Lake following local plebiscites.
Plebiscites are also held in Barrhead, Wood Buffalo/Fort McMurray, and Lacombe. Barrhead votes
to keep VLTs. Wood Buffalo votes to remove VLTs, but retailers take legal action to stop this. The
courts declare Lacombe’s vote invalid.
1998 VLT plebiscites are held in 36 Alberta municipalities during the October 19 civic elections. Six
municipalities vote to have their VLTs removed (County of Lethbridge No. 26; Town of Lacombe;
Municipal District of Opportunity No. 17; Town of Canmore; Town of Coaldale; Town of Stony
Plain; and the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo). VLT retailers take legal action to stop this
and courts rule that AGLC cannot remove VLTs from municipalities unless there is specified
legislation in place.
1999 Alberta government passes legislation to remove VLTs from communities that voted to have them
removed. However, a court injunction stops them pending a constitutional challenge to this new
legislation (not decided until 2003).
2002 Efforts begin to reduce the number of bars with VLTs by 10% to 15% over the next 3 years by
concentrating them in fewer locations (i.e., ‘Video Gaming Entertainment Rooms’ (separate room
within a retail outlet containing at least 15 VLTs)).
2003 AGLC honours the 1997/1998 plebiscite results and removes nearly 200 VLTs from seven
communities across the province after bar owners give up their legal efforts to block the move.
2004 Alberta’s 6,000 VLTs are replaced with new machines with new games and some responsible
gaming features.
2005 Electronic keno is introduced to 46 Video Gaming Entertainment Rooms.
The main indices that speak to changes concerning the actual availability of video lottery
terminals concerns the: a) Total number of VLTs, as reported in Table 7 and adjusted for
population increases in Figure 7; b) Total number of VLT locations, as reported in Table 8 and
adjusted for population increases in Figure 8; and the c) Total number of video gaming
entertainment rooms (VGERs), as reported in Table 9 and adjusted for population increases in
Figure 9.
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