Quebec is the latest Canadian province to attempt to expand the marriage of thoroughbred gambling and lottery tickets, despite opposition from public health officials who say that doing so will only cause increased gambling addiction and a host of other social ills and familial troubles. Loto-Quebec - the government-run betting monopoly in Quebec - is the force behind the movement to introduce lottery ticket terminals at horseracing facilities.

Loto-Quebec's plan is to construct three gaming lounges in the immediate vicinity of harness racing tracks in Quebec, as well as a fourth gaming lounge at the popular East North American ski resort, Mont Tremblant. All four gaming lounges will contribute an additional 1,770 video lottery terminals to the preexisting count of 430 already available at existing racetracks.

Among those who are opposed to the gaming lounges are seventeen public health officials, including the Outaouais Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Luci Lemieux, who has openly expressed concerns that additional lottery terminals will incite more gambling addiction, thus resulting in proven repercussions of unemployment, indebtedness, broken familial ties, divorces, and even suicide. Dr. Lemieux seems to be most concerned with the likelihood that Lot-Quebec will market the gaming lounges as family entertainment, which would increase the rate of underage gambling.

Loto-Quebec spokeswoman, Marie-Claude Rivet, said the government will take Dr. Lemieux's and other medical officers' warnings into consideration. Since first introducing lottery ticket terminals to harness racing facilities, the government says there are no reports verifying an increase in problem gambling.