Canadian Court Rejects Compulsive Gambling Claim

The Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador ruled on December 12, 2008 that the Atlantic Lottery Corporation, which operates video lottery terminals (VLTs) in four provinces of eastern Canada, enjoys legal immunity against a class action lawsuit claiming that its gaming machines were "inherently deceptive, inherently addictive, and inherently dangerous." Estate of Susan Piercey v. Atlantic Lottery Corporation, No. 200701T1711CP.

The plaintiffs in the lawsuit are the parents of a woman who committed suicide in 2003 after losing $100,000 to VLTs over a 10-year period. The plaintiffs' lawyer vowed to refile the case asserting new claims under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the British Queen Anne's statute from the early 1700s. He insisted that the plaintiffs' goal is not a financial recovery, but the elimination of VLTs.