RESEARCHING GAMBLING RESEARCHING GAMBLING AND CRIME IN WESTERN AND CRIME IN WESTERN

CANADACANADAHarold J. Wynne, Ph.D.Harold J. Wynne, Ph.D.

Edmonton, AlbertaEdmonton, Alberta

March 8, 2002March 8, 2002

BACKGROUNDBACKGROUND

1997

4TH Interprovincial Conference on Problem Gambling

Need for “gambling and crime” research

Research agenda

Impact on the community

Community’s response

BACKGROUNDBACKGROUND

Support for Research

Criminal Intelligence Service Alberta (CISA)

Alberta Chiefs of Police

Canadian Association of Police Boards

Canada West Foundation

GAMBLING AND CRIME GAMBLING AND CRIME IN WESTERN CANADA: IN WESTERN CANADA: EXPLORING MYTH AND EXPLORING MYTH AND

REALITYREALITY

The purpose of this research is to examine the relationship between crime and gambling and to provide a preliminary review of the extent of which gambling in western Canada effects law enforcement agencies, provincial gaming regulatory bodies, and the criminal justice system.

PURPOSE AND GOALSPURPOSE AND GOALS

The Primary Goals of the Project:

1. To provide a summary review of gambling and crime in western Canada.

2. To identify avenues for future research into the relationship between gambling and crime.

3. To develop a process that can be used across jurisdictions to assess the links between gambling and crime.

4. To supply information and analysis that can be used to inform public policy decisions.

RESEARCH RESEARCH METHODOLOGYMETHODOLOGY

Research Design

6 domains, 15 variables, 13 research questions

Confirmed by expert opinion

Scope was western Canada (BC, Alta, Sask, Man)

RESEARCH RESEARCH METHODOLOGYMETHODOLOGY

Data Collection

Literature review

Interviews with key informants (purposive, snowball)

Search of criminal court cases

Review of print media stories (220 articles; 1994-1999)

Crime statistics

RESEARCH RESEARCH METHODOLOGYMETHODOLOGY

Limitations

Documentary and statistical data (charges & judgments)

Perceptions of key informants & number of interviews

Included casino & racetrack senior officials only

CONCLUSIONSCONCLUSIONSThe Nature and Extent of Illegal GamblingThe Nature and Extent of Illegal Gambling

Conclusions

Illegal gambling is not pervasive throughout western Canada (most prominent in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg)

Most prominent illegal gambling-sports betting with a bookmaker, card clubs, unlicensed VLTs, offshore lotteries

Implications

Law enforcement should be intensified in 4 major cities

Inter-provincial “crime and gambling task force” should be established (RCMP, municipal police services, provincial gaming regulators)

CONCLUSIONSCONCLUSIONSIllegal Gambling and Organized CrimeIllegal Gambling and Organized Crime

Conclusions

OC operations (i.e. motorcycle and ethnic gangs) are active in 4 largest cities in western Canada

OC is mostly involved in crime related to drug trafficking, sex trade, and other activities (e.g. theft, assault, extortion)

OC is also involved in some gambling-related crime (e.g. gaming houses, unlicensed machines, cheating at play, money laundering, loan sharking)

No evidence that OC has infiltrated legal gambling operations in western Canada.

CONCLUSIONSCONCLUSIONSIllegal Gambling and Organized CrimeIllegal Gambling and Organized Crime

Implications

OC groups exploit opportunities that arise in and around gambling venues (i.e. casinos, racetracks)

Law enforcement, gambling regulators, facility security personnel should meet regularly to share intelligence

CONCLUSIONSCONCLUSIONSCrimes Associated With the Legal Gambling Crimes Associated With the Legal Gambling

SceneScene

Conclusions

Gambling venues, notably casinos and racetracks, act as magnets that attract certain types of crime (e.g. money laundering, loan sharking)

Security staff concentrate on ensuring the safety of employees and customers, protecting assets, and protecting honesty and fairness of the game and they are less concerned with criminal activities.

CONCLUSIONSCONCLUSIONSCrimes Associated With the Legal Gambling Crimes Associated With the Legal Gambling

SceneScene

Implications

Strategies for surveillance, information exchange, and joint investigations should be explored in a formal relationship (law enforcement, gaming regulators, industry security)

Racing industry improvements are needed (e.g. disclose recent veterinarian work and violations of track rules, life suspensions and criminal charges for administering banned substances, not allowing jockeys, drivers or trainers to bet)

CONCLUSIONSCONCLUSIONSGambling Law Enforcement PracticesGambling Law Enforcement Practices

Conclusions

Approaches to monitoring and controlling legal and illegal gambling are similar across the four western provinces and there is excellent inter-agency cooperation

Municipal police services and the RCMP have limited resources to investigate illegal gambling activities, whereas, the provincial gaming regulators resources have increased

Legal gambling is well regulated but illegal gamblingenforcement is severely deficient

CONCLUSIONSCONCLUSIONSGambling Law Enforcement PracticesGambling Law Enforcement Practices

Implications

Left unaddressed, this resource disparity may negatively affect the working relationship between law enforcement agencies and provincial gaming regulators

CONCLUSIONSCONCLUSIONSGambling-Related Crime and the Court Gambling-Related Crime and the Court

SystemSystem

Conclusions

Gambling-related cases are few in number and generally are of 2 types: (1) finance gambling/pay gambling debts (e.g. theft, fraud, break and enter, drug dealing), and (2) illegal gambling (e.g. cheating at play, illegal lottery sales, unlicensed gambling on Native lands, keeping a common gaming house)

Gambling cases are more likely to come before Provincial Courts than Court of Queens Bench

Gambling addiction as a defense strategy falls on a continuum from outright rejection to

acceptance as a mitigating factor in sentencing

Judges have a limited knowledge of the effects of gambling addiction

CONCLUSIONSCONCLUSIONSGambling Law Enforcement PracticesGambling Law Enforcement Practices

Implications

A perceptual gap exists between police agents and the judiciary in how they view gambling related-

crime

Judges-victimless, innocuous, infrequent

Police-interconnected, more serious/prevalent

Minimizing the seriousness of gambling related crime may affect Justice system credibility and potentially damage the Criminal Code of Canada

CONCLUSIONSCONCLUSIONSGambling and Crime: Myths and RealitiesGambling and Crime: Myths and Realities

Myth #1- There is a clear casual link between the availability of gambling and higher crime rates. The presumption is that gambling expansion inevitably leads to more crime.

The link between gambling and crime in western Canada is tenuous and not well understood

Myth #2- Gambling and political corruption go hand-in-hand

Legal gambling is strictly controlled and relatively free of corrupt practices

Myth #3- Organized crime groups control gambling operations

There is no evidence that OC groups dominate the illegal gambling market

USING POLICE USING POLICE INTELLIGENCE TO INTELLIGENCE TO

ASSESS GAMBLING ASSESS GAMBLING IMPACTSIMPACTS

The purpose of this project is to analyse City of Edmonton Police Department occurrence files to document and analyse linkages between gambling and criminal behavior.

RESEARCH QUESTIONSRESEARCH QUESTIONS

The Nature and Scope of Gambling-Related Crime

1. What is the magnitude of gambling-related crime

2. What trends have occurred in gambling-related crime over the past three years?

3. Which legal gambling formats are most often associated with criminal activity?

4. Which criminal activities are typically associated with gambling?

5. What types of crimes are committed in and around gambling venues?

RESEARCH QUESTIONSRESEARCH QUESTIONSLaw Enforcement Policy Pertaining to Gambling and Crime

6. How and to what extent is gambling-related crime monitored and enforced?

7. How can gambling related crime be tracked more accurately and comprehensively?

8. What resources are afforded to the Edmonton Police Service to enforce gambling laws?

9. What prevention strategies are used to limit gambling-related crime?

10. What is the role of the Edmonton Police Service in containing gambling-related crime vis-à-vis provincial gaming regulators, gaming venue security personnel, and other law enforcement agencies?

RESEARCH METHODOLOGYRESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Quantitative and qualitative methods

• At every incident requiring EPS attention over a 6 month period, officers inquire whether gambling was a factor.

• Economic crime files from Jan 1/00 to the present are content-analysed to ascertain whether and to what extent gambling played a role in the crime.

• Geographic crime mapping to assess the volume/type of crimes in and around gambling venues

• Interviews with EPS officers, gaming regulators, law enforcement officers, bank and gaming security officers.

• Documentary info (e.g. budget, policies, internal memos)

CONCLUSIONSCONCLUSIONS

Research is in progress, therefore, no conclusions yet.

Some “tidbits”

• 37 gambling-related occurrences (18 in 2001 and 19 n 2002)

• Casino & VLT venue computer search results

• 5 examples of casino incidents