A Nova Scotia MLA wants warning labels on gambling advertising.

"The chances of winning are small and the chance of addiction is large," Mark Parent, a Progressive Conservative backbencher, told ATV News.

Parent borrowed the idea from Ralph Nader, the legendary U.S. consumer advocate and current independent presidential candidate.

"I thinks that's truth in advertising," Nader, in Halifax to attend a problem gambling conference, told ATV News. "To give people a sense of the ridiculously low probabilities they're going to win and to not overplay the illusion in order to get more gambling or get more state revenue."

No one from the Nova Scotia Alcohol and Gaming Authority was available to comment on the proposal. Nor was Rodney J. MacDonald, the provincial minister for health promotion. The minister responsible for gaming control is Kerry Morash.

Phyllis Vineberg, an anti-VLT activist whose son's suicide was linked to a gambling addiction, questioned whether the move would help.

"I think in the culture we live in today, simple warning messages are not enough," she told ATV News.

Parent says advertising for casinos and lotteries is no different than tobacco ads, were when they were legal. They encourage people to take part in a habit that is potentially damaging, he said.

He plans to write the government suggesting a warning might be a good idea -- even if it leads to lower revenues.

In 2003-04, the Nova Scotia Gaming Commission sent a cheque for $175.1 million to the provincial government.
However, that's down from the 2002-03 contribution of $191.1 million.

"The slowdown of revenue growth is attributed in part to increased competition for the entertainment dollar, product maturation and a number of responsible gaming awareness initiatives," the corporation said in its latest annual report.

That document listed about $3.1 million in contributions towards various problem gambling initiatives.

Parent's wish to see warning labels isn't his first involvement in the gambling issue.

He has previously called for a study on the social cost of gambling and has signed a petition calling for a plebiscite on the banning of video lottery terminals.

According to a 2003 Globe and Mail article, Nova Scotia's health department has estimated there are 15,000 problem gamblers in the province.

With a report from ATV's Marc Patrone