V L T S

I feel irritated, from not gambling in 2 days, which is a terrible feeling, but good progress. Yes, only two days away from the machines is a tremendous feat for someone like me.

So as I sit here twiddling my thumbs and with time on my hands, I am pondering the experience of playing 'the games' here in Newfoundland, and the supposed changes to the 'system.' Most people will tell you, you just can't win like you used to...back in the day of the two option games and whatnot... There have also been implementation put into place by the NL Government to make the experience all the less 'appealing,' deterrents as is said. You can read the official rules, regulations, and changes here. So the machines are now slower, even more time consuming, and you're forced to watch each reel stop on its own...
After an hour a screen pops up to indicate exactly how long you've been wasting your money...not to mention the necessary clock with correct time...
An the hours of operation, this is what impresses me most. I'll be the first to agree, no one should be out gambling at nine in the morning (although shamefully I have), and you can't do it after midnight anymore...OK, understandable. Yet what I see now ion mid-afternoon are plenty of mothers out gaming away, because there's no sense to have a night out anymore in their minds, and the mornings are out, so i can only assume the kids are coming home to an empty house. Waiting for Mummy to come home to make dinner, and she will, if she's not winning that it...you just can't leave a paying machine...
Kudos on trying to limit accessibility, congrats on forcing us to cash out (we'll only recycle if we are 'winning'), and a job-well-done on attempting to change a compulsive gamblers habits. I can think of a much more effective way to force change...take them away. Like the drugs on the street you so actively pursue, or even the contraband tobacco seizures we see televised so frequently on the NTV Evening News...although tobacco itself isn't illegal, it is bad for us, right? And you don't know what you're getting off the rights, or what other avenues it can lead you down...I've made my point.

1. whatever % of the population here??? It's a bigger number than one would care to think.

Please rid us of the Video Lottery Terminal Sickness.