2001 New Brunswick video lottery terminal referendum

Background

According to the Canada West Foundation, New Brunswick was the first province to allow video lottery terminals in 1990. The terminals create large profits for the provincial government, with the New Brunswick government alone receiving $53.4 million from the machines between 1999 and 2000. The private businesses that house these machines also make a profit, with 47% ($47 million) of the revenue going to the private sector.

Despite the economic benefit, there is a strong social backlash against the terminals, and gambling in general, especially in Atlantic Canada, according to a 1999 survey by the Canada West Foundation. The survey found that 60% of those surveyed wanted more restrictions on gambling, 56% knew a problem gambler, and 62% agreed that "VLT gambling should be banned in your province".

During the 1999 New Brunswick election, Progressive Conservative leader Bernard Lord promised to hold a referendum on the terminals if elected Premier.

Referendum question

The question was as follows: devices (commonly referred to as video lottery terminals or VLT’s) ?}}

Results

The vote was, in several regions, close to within dozens of votes. The "Yes" side won with just over 53%:

The municipal electoral officer's report showed that, regionally, the areas who largely voted against the VLT's were located in Anglophone sections of the province, or Central and Western New Brunswick (Carleton, York, Victoria, Charlotte, Sunbury and Kings counties) while largely francophone and Acadian areas, such as Moncton, Bouctouche, Bathurst, Miramichi, and Northern New Brunswick (Madawaska and Campbellton) were more in favour of the Terminals.

References

References

1. Hollies, Annise. (2001). "Report on the May 14, 2001 Triennial Municipal Elections and Provincial Referendum on Video Lottery Schemes". Government of New Brunswick.
2. (November 2022). ["Gambling in Canada Special Report: Video Lottery Terminals in New Brunswick"](http://www.cwf.ca/V2/files/200103.pdf}}{{dead link). Canada West Foundation.
3. Hyson, Stewart. (30 May 2003). "New Brunswick’s VLT Gambling Policy: Morality Politics and the Legitimisation of Vice". [[Canadian Political Science Association]], [[Dalhousie University]].