Wôlinak Casino: a person responsible for pathological gambling with a troubled past

A man convicted of illegal possession of a firearm is now the trusted person at the Wôlinak casino to help customers with gambling problems.

In an interview, Mr. Riback ridiculed this conviction. It was a rusty, broken, clogged weapon that belonged to my great-great-great-grandfather during the Crimean War in 1856.he explains.

However, he admits to having pleaded guilty to a criminal charge.

In 2012, Howard Riback was sentenced by the Court of Quebec to three years of probation for this case.

In this same case, Mr. Riback also faced charges of extortion and fraud against people he claimed to help treat their gambling addiction.

A widow with gambling problems and her children testified during the preliminary investigation, the daily reported The Gazette at the time. I will settle his debts. I’m going to fix his problems because that’s what I do. I am a cleaner. I’m a therapist and you need meMr. Riback said, according to one of the witnesses.

The therapist allegedly demanded more than $150,000 from the widow’s children to settle alleged gambling debts.

In exchange for his guilty plea to illegal possession of a firearm, the extortion and fraud charges were dropped. Mr. Riback also handed over a large sum of money to the people he allegedly extorted.

Mr. Riback maintains today that this affair was fabricated. I tell you by placing my hand and my head on the Biblehe said.

I paid for my mistakesadds Mr. Riback, who presents himself as a former compulsive gambler who has become a world authority on the treatment of pathological gambling.

God forbid you get into trouble, but one day you’re going to hope to have a man like me to help youhe continues to praise his skills.

Howard Riback now works for Le Grand Royal Wôlinak, a casino that operates without a government license in an Abenaki community in Center-du-Québec.

When they have problems with customers or employees, I am called to come and try to helpexplains Mr. Riback, who says he acts as a consultant.

We were aware of the fraud charges that were brought against Mr. Riback. However, he was able to provide us with explanations which, in our opinion, were satisfactory.writes the general director of the casino, Carl Doyon, in a letter sent to Investigation.

Checks are carried out when hiring staff, including criminal records, assures the general director.

However, I was not aware that Mr. Riback pleaded guilty to illegal possession of a firearm, continues the general manager of the casino. I can assure you that we will validate this information with Mr. Riback and that we will take the measures that we deem necessary.

Two weeks after sending this letter, Mr. Riback stated in an interview that he still worked for the casino.

Pathological gambling is a risk for those who frequent casinos. A community organization in the region has also noted a marked increase in the number of requests for help since the arrival of the casino.

People are concerned about the gambling habits of a co-worker, friend or family memberexplains Annie Gauthier, general director of La Relance Nicolet-Bécancour.

Last January, when Mr. Riback was hired, Le Grand Royal Wôlinak announced that it was welcoming a certified therapist to promote responsible gaming practices.

Our therapist is available to help anyone who recognizes that their gambling habits may be unhealthy. It will offer personalized consultations in a safe space, without judgment and [dans] complete confidentialityindicated the casino in a press release, without mentioning the name of Mr. Riback.

The interview with Howard Riback was conducted in English, at his request. If you want to understand me, we have to speak in Englishhe said at the start of the conversation.

However, Le Grand Royal Wôlinak is located 20 minutes from Trois-Rivières, in Centre-du-Québec, a largely French-speaking region.

When people have a problem, we manage to understand each other, he explains. Obviously, I’m better in English than in French, but I organize myself. I have French Canadian patients. If I need to go deeper into a subject, I use a translator.

Last week, Investigation revealed that the Wôlinak casino is controlled by a nebula of investors whose representative is Josh Baazov, a Quebec businessman convicted of fraud. The other investors are unknown.

Investigation managed to find the first administrator of the company that manages the casino: it is a mysterious Russian named Mariia Barinova, who lives in the suburbs of Moscow.

The Wôlinak casino arouses malaise to the government of Quebec. We are looking for a solution, because it is not what we want as a modelsaid the Quebec minister responsible for Relations with First Nations and Inuit, Ian Lafrenière.

For his part, the head of Wôlinak, Michel R. Bernard, was pleased with the good performance of the establishment.