Play OLG is not for occasional lottery ticket buyers

Last Friday's Lotto Max jackpot was 50 million Canadian dollars.  One of my colleagues opened an account at Play OLG.ca try to buy a lottery ticket.  But he found out this newly established OLG (The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation) site is basically designed for online casino gamblers.

Any Ontarian over 18 can create a free account at Play OLG and buy lottery tickets.  If we want to play online casino games,  we need  to be 19 years old.  So, what is my colleague's problem?  He is in his 40s.

Play OLG online commercial 2015: copyright @ Play OLG

He said he didn't like the fact that he has to set a weekly deposit limit when he set up his account.  "Why I need to put money into my account weekly?  I only want to buy a lottery ticket online," he complained.

For the weekly deposit limit to gamble, he entered "0 dollar".

For time limit to gamble online, he entered "0 hour" "0 minute".

For weekly limit for online casino, he entered "0 dollar".

For weekly limit for lottery tickets, he entered "10 dollars" because he wanted to buy a ticket.

Well, Play OLG didn't like his answers.

Weekly deposit limit for an account has to be $15 or more.  Everywhere he entered "0", it has to be "1" or higher.

My colleague was not happy.  But he did the change and tried to buy his winning lottery ticket.  After he entered the payment information page, he was even more upset about the website.

If we pay by credit card, our choices are Visa or Master Card.  The payment may become cash advance.  That means we have to pay interest for a $6 Lotto Max lottery ticket ($5 per play + $1 per encore).

If we pay by Interac, only 3 Canadian Banks we can use. That means if we are not customer of these banks, we have to pay service charge for our own banks plus the bank Play OLG uses for each transaction.  So, a $6 lottery ticket may become around $14.

My colleague told me he simply logged out, turned off his laptop, stormed out to go to a convenience store and bought a Lotto Max ticket last Friday.

Too sad that he didn't win.  Somebody in Barry, Ontario won that 50 millions.  Congratulations, Barry's new millionaire!

To add to the insult, my colleague received an email from Play OLG telling him he can get a $10 bonus if he increase his gambling limit for online casino and start gambling.

Well, to be fair, this is not what the email said.  But for my colleague, this is what that email meant.  He let me read that email.

Please click to enlarge photo

My colleague's email from Play OLG

Now my colleague is searching everywhere in the site for a delete button to cancel his account at Play OLG.  Good luck, my friend.  I don't think there will be one.

OLG generates billions of dollars annually to benefit the Province of Ontario.  It gives back to our community to do good things.  I'm always thankful for this.  But I don't think creating this Play OLG site is a responsible choice.  Not every Ontarian will behave like my colleague not trying to waste his or her money.  People already into online gambling, they may not use Play OLG.  This site may create temptation for new online casino gamblers.

Please just read the email from Play OLG again, it is promoting gambling.  In my opinion, gambling is like drugs, it is addictive.

Who will benefit from Play OLG, then?  Not the online casino gamblers unless they win big.  The banks will get lots of money from service charge and the credit card companies will get lots of money from the interest of cash advance.

OLG is forcing Ontarians to put money into gambling weekly and paying huge fees to banks and credit companies.  As its site indicates, OLG is promoting RESPONSIBLE GAMBLING.  Really? 

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Weekly special from Wednesday February 11 2015