New Brunswick video lottery terminal referendum, 2001

Last updated
New Brunswick video lottery terminal referendum, 2001
Should the Province of New Brunswick continue to permit the legal and regulated operation of video gaming devices (commonly referred to as video lottery terminals or VLT’s)?
Results
Votes %
Yes check.svgYes122,06153.11%
X mark.svgNo 107,75346.89%
Valid votes 229,814100.00%
Invalid or blank votes 00%
Total votes229,814100.00%
Source: Elections New Brunswick

A referendum on video lottery terminals was held on 14 May 2001 (to coincide with municipal elections) in 103 municipalities in New Brunswick. According to the chief electoral officer's report, "229,814 voters" or "44% of eligible provincial voters, cast referendum ballots" [1]

Video lottery terminal machine that allows gamblers to bet on the outcome of a video game

A video lottery terminal or VLT is a gaming machine that allows gamblers to bet on the outcome of a video game.

New Brunswick province in Canada

New Brunswick is one of four Atlantic provinces on the east coast of Canada. According to the Constitution of Canada, New Brunswick is the only bilingual province. About two thirds of the population declare themselves anglophones and a third francophones. One third of the population describes themselves as bilingual. Atypically for Canada, only about half of the population lives in urban areas, mostly in Greater Moncton, Greater Saint John and the capital Fredericton.

Contents

Background

According to the Canada West Foundation, New Brunswick was the first province to allow video lottery terminals in 1990. [2] The terminals create large profits for the provincial government, with the New Brunswick government alone receiving $53.4 million from the machines between 1999 and 2000. [2] The private businesses that house these machines also make a profit, with 47% ($47 million) of the revenue going to the private sector. [2]

The Canada West Foundation is a pan-western non-partisan think tank based in Calgary, Alberta. It primarily conducts research on issues of concern in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, but all also on issues of national significance.

Despite the economic benefit, there is a strong social backlash against the terminals, and gambling in general, especially in Atlantic Canada, according to a 1999 survey by the Canada West Foundation. [2] The survey found that 60% of those surveyed wanted more restrictions on gambling, 56% knew a problem gambler, and 62% agreed that “VLT gambling should be banned in your province”. [2] [3]

During the 1999 New Brunswick election, Progressive Conservative leader Bernard Lord promised to hold a referendum on the terminals if elected Premier. [3]

Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick political party in New Brunswick, Canada

The Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick is a centre-right, conservative political party in the Canadian province of New Brunswick. The party has its origins in the pre-Canadian confederation Conservative Party that opposed the granting of responsible government to the colony. It has historically followed the Red Tory tradition. The Progressive Conservative Party currently leads the provincial government since 2018 under Premier Blaine Higgs.

Bernard Lord Canadian politician and lobbyist

Bernard Lord, ONB, QC, is a Canadian lawyer, business executive and former politician. He served as the 30th Premier of New Brunswick from 1999 to 2006. Lord was appointed as board chair of Ontario Power Generation in 2014.

Referendum question

The question was as follows: [1]

Results

The vote was, in several regions, close to within dozens of votes. The "Yes" side won by just over 53%:

No: 107 753(46.89%) Yes: 122 061(53.11%)

The municipal electoral officer's report showed that, regionally, the areas who largely voted against the VLT's were located in Anglophone sections of the province, or Central and Western New Brunswick (Carleton, York, Victoria, Charlotte, Sunbury and Kings counties) while largely francophone and Acadian areas, such as Moncton, Bouctouche, Bathurst, Miramichi, and Northern New Brunswick (Madawaska and Campbellton) were more in favour of the Terminals. [1]

Carleton County, New Brunswick County in New Brunswick, Canada

Carleton County is located in west-central New Brunswick, Canada.

York County, New Brunswick County in New Brunswick, Canada

York County is located in west-central New Brunswick, Canada. The county contains the provincial capital, Fredericton. Outside the city, farming and forestry are two major industries in the county, which is bisected by the Saint John River. The Southwest Miramichi River flows through the northern section of the county.

Victoria County, New Brunswick County in New Brunswick, Canada

Victoria County is located in northwestern New Brunswick, Canada. Farming, especially of potatoes, is the major industry in the county.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Hollies, Annise. Report of the Municipal Electoral Officer on the Triennial Municipal Elections and on the Video Lottery Scheme Referendum. Rep. Government of New Brunswick, 2001. Web. 30 July 2010. < "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 September 2012. Retrieved 4 July 2012.>.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Gambling in Canada Special Report: Video Lottery Terminals in New Brunswick. Rep. Canada West Foundation, 2001. Web. 24 August 2010. <http://www.cwf.ca/V2/files/200103.pdf>.
  3. 1 2 Hyson, Stewart. "New Brunswick’s VLT Gambling Policy: Morality Politics and the Legitimisation of Vice." Proc. of Annual Meeting of the Canadian Political Science Association, Dalhousie University, Halifax. Canadian Political Science Association, 30 May 2003. Web. 24 August 2010. <http://www.cpsa-acsp.ca/paper-2003/hyson.pdf>.