Loto Quebec settles with Problem gamblers


3/27/10 After protracted legal fight  and ten years of dispute, Loto Quebec has reached an out-of-court settlement with 120 000 plaintiffs in a class action involving exclusion of problem gamblers.
 
The settlement, said to be calculated at a total of Cdn$ 50 million, could see Loto Quebec funding therapy for those impacted by gambling between 1994 and 2002. The issue was focused on [land] VLT operations, with observers estimating that if the gambling company had lost in court it could have faced a Cdn$ 700 million claim instead of a settlement agreement estimated to be worth Cdn$ 50 million.
 
Under the terms of the settlement, Loto-Québec will offer plaintiffs an average of Cdn$ 5 000 to fund individual therapy.