Evaluating Nova Scotia's "Responsible Gaming Devices"

In a report issued in late September, a research firm has found positive acceptance among VLT gamblers for a "Responsible Gaming Device" (RGD) being tested by the Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation. The RGD is a card that allows players to track their play and pre-set limits on their gambling. Of the 121 volunteer participants in the test, over 90 percent supported the RGDs, and 80 percent thought the devices encouraged them to play more responsibly.

In the test, the players reported some difficulty accessing the VLTs with the cards, which were not always accepted by the machines. The players had the ability to play with our without using the cards, and some reported playing without the card once they hit a pre-set money limit on their gambling. Others, though, reported stopping when they hit the limit.

Retailers in the test were not as positive. They expressed concern that use of the RGDs would reduce their revenues from VLT play, and from food and beverage.

The Nova Scotia test of RGDs will continue beginning in October, when for six months, all VLT players in the Windsor area of Nova Scotia will be required to use the RGDs.