MONTREAL, January 10, 2008 – As three casinos are preparing to open electronic poker lounges in Quebec, the province’s Alcohol, Racing and Gaming Control Board still hasn’t rendered a decision on the legality of the equipment that the Société des casinos (Quebec Casino Corp.) intends to install. On December 7, 2007, the three QFL-affiliated unions representing some 1,450 croupiers at the Montréal, Lac-Leamy and Charlevoix casinos filed a complaint on the legality of the machines that the Quebec Casino Corp. wants to implement in Quebec territory. Despite a second request to the Board on January 3rd, it has yet to make a determination.

The complaint pertained to “Texas Hold'em-type machines made by the Poker Tek Co.”, which will be installed in the new poker lounges For the three unions representing the croupiers, the introduction of this equipment is “totally illegal and goes against not only the Casino Gaming Regulation (c.S-13.1, r.1.01), but also against the proposed amendment of this regulation which was published in the Gazette officielle du Québec (Quebec Official Gazette)”.

As for the croupiers, they believe that, among other conditions for a poker lounge to be in compliance with the law, the cards have to be distributed by a person. In Quebec, the use of slot machines is regulated, whereas the result of a game on a slot machine must be based on randomness, even when the player can make a choice. This is not the case with the electronic poker machines.

“By opening poker lounges with electronic machines in spite of an official complaint having been filed with the Board, the Casino Corp. and its management are not behaving as responsible corporate citizens, says union rep Jean-Pierre Proulx. Loto-Québec and its three casinos should display utmost transparency. The Casino Corp. should hold off the poker lounge openings so that the Board can make a decision on the legality of the machines that our casinos are preparing to operate.”

According to Roger Leclerc, president of the Montreal Casino croupiers union, “The Board must intervene. If it turns out that the electronic machines violate the Quebec Lottery Corporation Act, then casinos in Quebec must abide by the law. You can’t comply with laws that suit you and ignore those that bother you”.

As for Francis Cantin, president of the Lac-Leamy Casino croupiers union, he adds, “We feel that, in addition to being illegal, electronic poker tables are detrimental to our jobs and working conditions, and to our work relations with our employers. For all these reasons, our lawyers have filed an official complaint on December 7th with the Alcohol, Racing and Gaming Control Board, so that it takes immediate action in this matter”.

It should be mentioned that the QFL-affiliated croupiers unions, CUPE and UFCW, represent approximately 1,450 croupiers at the Montréal, Lac-Leamy and Charlevoix casinos.

Information: Steeve Bégin, Collective Bargaining Rep, UFCW Local 503, 1 800 463-4572
Source: QFL