Even though two-thirds of Quebecers buy lottery tickets, few of them develop gambling problems compared to those who take part in video lottery and other games of chance.
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“It’s a passive game: you buy a ticket and the draw takes place a few days later. […] The rounds of play are very spaced out, you play and you have the result a very long time after having purchased”, explains Jean-François Biron, expert on games of chance at the Direction de santé publique de Montréal.
Other games of chance that involve players more, such as video lottery terminals, bingo or poker take people to another dimension.
“These are active games, whereas when you buy a lottery ticket the only thing you can do is choose your number.”
Moreover, fans of lottery tickets generally spend much less than those who play the video lottery or who attend Loto-Québec gaming halls, underlines a study he published in 2018.
However, beware of the false sense of security associated with the purchase of lottery tickets, “The lottery can be a gateway when you are not careful.”
Moreover, even though the sums spent on the lottery are generally lower than on other games of chance, the effect on the budget can be just as detrimental.
“We know that disadvantaged people spend a greater proportion of their budget on gambling, and in particular on the lottery,” explains Élisabeth Papineau, associate professor of public health at the University of Montreal.
Are you concerned about your gambling habits or those of a loved one?
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