The games fair that Loto-Québec will announce in Rimouski this Wednesday worries regional public health. Its director, Dr Sylvain Leduc will hold his own press briefing to voice his concerns.
Published at 6:00 a.m.
“We decided, on the basis of indicators and scientific data that already exist, to express our concerns with regard to this project, to situate it geographically [et] socio-economically,” explained the spokesperson for the integrated health and social services center (CISSS) of Bas-Saint-Laurent, by telephone on Tuesday.
The president and CEO of Loto-Québec, Jean-François Bergeron, “will present the new gaming hall” at the Hôtel Rimouski this Wednesday morning, the state-owned company announced.
This type of lounge brings together electronic gaming devices, including slot machines.
The target site is very close to the convention center and the Rimouski Hotel, in the city center. It is also close to some 300 affordable housing units that will be built by the Montreal group Angus.
The proximity of these two projects, “it would not be the idea of the century”, mentioned the Dr Leduc on - last June. He will hold a press conference on Thursday to detail his concerns.
“It is normal for Public Health to raise certain concerns, it has done so each time we have opened an establishment and, each time, these have not come true,” reacted the spokesperson for Loto-Québec , Renaud Dugas, by email. “Our establishment primarily targets tourist customers and those coming from conferences,” argued Mr. Dugas.
We have an excellent project at the Hôtel Rimouski and we are moving forward.
Renaud Dugas, spokesperson for Loto-Québec
Loto-Québec abandoned its gaming hall project in downtown Montreal last year, after seeing the opinion of the Directorate General of Public Health. Regional management also recommended against opening this establishment at the Bell Center, in partnership with the CH Group. The project had to have the agreement of Public Health, Quebec had warned.
Is the Rimouski project conditional on approval from Public Health? The Minister of Finance, Eric Girard, did not comment on Tuesday. “The minister has full confidence in Loto-Québec and […] gaming halls and casinos are well-established models,” his office only responded.
The City of Rimouski modified its zoning last summer, adding the use of “games room” to that of “convention center”.
Loto-Québec has committed to removing “half” of the gaming machines present in bars in Bas-Saint-Laurent, the mayor of Rimouski, Guy Caron, told us.
Researchers found that in the two years following the opening of the Trois-Rivières gaming parlor, calls to the police and requests for help for pathological gambling did not increase, Mr. Caron also said.
“The main reason [serait] the lack of success that the games room experienced during the period in which our work took place”, however indicated the researchers in the journal Criminology.
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