More than 700 Islanders will participate in a telephone survey this week to determine the level of problem gambling in Prince Edward Island.
The survey is being conducted by the University of New Brunswick for the Department of Health and Social Services. It will determine the extent of problem gambling in PEI. The information will be used by the Department of Health and Social Services to develop gambling prevention and treatment programs.
The survey will identify the number of problem gamblers in the province, types of gambling problems, and the amount of money and time Islanders spend on gambling. It will also identify which activities are most popular with problems gamblers, and whether problem gamblers also have problems with drugs or alcohol.
Provincial Addictions Consultant Maureen McIver advised that similar studies done in other provinces indicate that the per cent of problem gamblers is, for example, 4.5 per cent in New Brunswick, 3.9 per cent in Nova Scotia, and 5.4 per cent in Alberta. The preferred types of activities indicated by the respondents were often, lotteries, bingo, and instant (scratch) tickets.
This is the first gambling prevalence study to be conducted in Prince Edward Island. The results are expected to be available in the fall.