A $3.5 billion class action lawsuit has been filed in Toronto this week on behalf of thousands of gambling addicts who registered for self-exclusion but have continued gambling at Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) casinos.
Lawyer Jerome Morris told CBC News the suit is designed to help addicted gamblers who have lost large sums of money. It claims OLG has not done enough to enforce its ban on those who have registered for it.
Morris also hopes the suit will encourage better self-exclusion standards across the continent. "[We hope it sets] a precedent that not only benefits all members, but that will benefit anyone who is subject to the dangers of gaming in North America," he said.
Ontario has settled nine individual self-exclusion cases but never a class action suit.
OLG came under scrutiny last month after a CBC News report suggested rampant amounts of cash have been laundered through OLG casinos in recent years.