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Responsible Gaming Device Research Project

In April 2005, the government of Nova Scotia released its Gaming Strategy, "A Better Balance: Nova Scotia's First Gaming Strategy". Within this document were three key objectives: 1. increase problem gambling resources; 2. enhance prevention efforts; and, 3. ensure open and transparent disclosure of gambling activities in the province.

With the ultimate goal of enhancing prevention efforts in the Province, one of the 23 initiatives contained in the Strategy was to pilot a card-based player management tool on VLTs.

To implement the initiative on behalf of government, Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation (NSGC) and Atlantic Lottery Corporation (ALC) worked together to conduct field research on a Responsible Gaming Device (RGD) that integrated into the play of video lottery terminals (VLTs). The device used a player card, which was designed to encourage responsible gambling by allowing players to set their own spending limits and help them track what they spent over time. This is groundbreaking research that has never been done anywhere else in the world.

Starting in March 2005, NSGC and ALC began conducting this research in Windsor and Mount Uniacke, Nova Scotia. The aim was to test the effectiveness of this type of device, evaluate players' responses, and track any behavior changes resulting from its use.

A total of 120 pre-recruited players from Windsor and Mount Uniacke took part in the first stage of the four-staged process.

The four stages of the research were:

Stage 1: Research was conducted at all ten VLT locations in the Windsor and Mount Uniacke area. One hundred and twenty pre-recruited players tested the Responsible Gaming Device, but the use of the actual responsible gaming features was optional. Any player that had not been randomly recruited to participate could still use the VLTs as usual. An external ethics review was completed. The timing for this stage was March - July 2005.

Stage 2: An evaluation of the results took place and necessary refinements to the device were made. Timing for this stage was July - October 2005.

Stage 3: Taking the results of Stage 2 into account, a second round of research was conducted at the same locations as in Stage 1. This time, the research involved all players wishing to play a VLT. That is, anyone using a VLT in this geographical area needed a player card and had the option of taking advantage of the responsible gaming features available. Timing for this stage was October 2005 - April 2006.

Stage 4: A final evaluation of the research data and results was conducted, along with reviews by multiple experts to ensure that NSGC proceeds in a direction that supports a responsible gaming industry. Based on the positive research findings, NSGC has announced a Request for Proposal (RFP) to ask technology suppliers in the gaming sector to propose technology solutions for a video lottery Informed Player Choice System. The system will be integrated across Nova Scotia during 2009-10.