Courtesy of PlaySmart OLG
By Tara Henley [1]
BELLEVILLE – Shorelines Casino [2], already home to Ontario’s first ever PlaySmart Centre [3] here in Belleville, will also be one of only two casinos in the province to use a new gaming application on its slot machines.
My PlaySmart is a tool that allows gamers to track their playing by setting a time or money limit for themselves. Players receive private notifications on their screens when they’ve reached different intervals of their set limit.
A recreation of what My PlaySmart looks like on a player’s screen when they are setting their gaming limits. Photo by Tara Henley, QNet News
“It’s a more convenient way for people to set personal playing goals and limits,” said PlaySmart Centre employee Michelle Meilleur. “Gamers can walk in and say, ‘I’m only going to spend this much,’ and it’s easier for them to stick to that.”
However, when a player reaches the limit they set themselves, the machines “won’t cut them off,” Meilleur said.
“There is a waiting period of 24 hours when someone wants to increase their playing limits … but the slot machines won’t stop anyone from playing more if they want to. My PlaySmart is just for tracking their information.”
The tool was developed by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation [4]. The My PlaySmart tool and centre were based on years of research and focus groups, says Meilleur.
“It’s really advanced technology, and we’re really proud to be the only ones who have it, aside from the Georgian Downs Casino [5]” in Innisfil, she said. “I think the goal is one day seeing My PlaySmart all over Ontario, but not for a few more years.”