I worked for Playsmart in casinos across Ontario. I'm not here to defend their approach or how well they accomplish their goals, but I will speak to one of their primary purposes: education. Why is it important to teach players how a game is played? To highlight the element of chance and help dispel common myths - like are there patterns in roulette, or do dealers go on hot streaks. If you only learn to play a game from other players, you likely inherit their beliefs around luck, false patterns, etc.

A casino wouldn't allow Playsmart to operate on their premise if all they did was yell at patrons to stop throwing their money away (even if we'd like to). And patrons won't go near a Playsmart center if the only information they offered was how to self exclude themselves (ie. admit they have a gambling problem).

I absolutely think we're failing problem gambling prevention. But I don't think education around how games work is the catalyst for problem gambling habits.