Just last week, after the B.C. Lottery Corp. launched an expanded version of North America’s first government-sanctioned, online casino gambling website, B.C. Housing and Social Development Minister Rich Coleman offered reporters a justification for the move.

“We could stay on the sidelines, pretend the situation doesn’t exist and watch revenues slip, but more importantly, ignore what should be better for our citizens in our province,” he said, according to The Canadian Press. “Or we could provide (an) online gaming option like others that is accountable to British Columbians, that is secure, that protects their information and employs the highest levels of integrity and security of any system in the world.”

The same day, the site was shut down because of what BCLC officials said was initially termed a “tremendous customer response” to the newly expanded PlayNow.com and technical glitches caused by the new traffic. But on Tuesday (July 20), officials admitted the site was shut down at least partly because the accounts belonging to 134 users had been compromised. According to the Vancouver Sun, BCLC CEO Michael Graydon admitted that about $8,000 was wagered by accounts controlled by someone other than the owner and that in 12 cases, users were able to view other people’s information.

Furthermore, in one case the last four digits of a person’s credit card were compromised; in another banking information “similar to what you would find on the bottom of a personal cheque” was revealed, the Sun reported.

So much for the “highest levels of integrity and security” justification, eh? Based on the discrepancy between the initial reasons given for the shutdown and the new information revealed this week, we would also argue that the “accountable to British Columbians” justification is suspect as well.

In fact, it’s our contention that the site should remain shut down, permanently, and only partly for the reasons mentioned above.

We’re not crazy about the whole idea of government-run lotteries that have become de riguer across North America, but in spite of our reservations, are willing to go with it, somewhat reluctantly. Government-sanctioned online gambling (they call it “gaming” to avoid the negative connotation that the word “gambling” carries), though, takes that whole paradigm a dangerous and disturbing step further. While the government touts its programs to promote so-called “responsible” gambling, various studies show that “problem gamblers” account for approximately 30 per cent of revenue generated from government-run lotteries.

We’re willing to bet (!) that that percentage will increase with the re-launch of PlayNow.com with the new, $9,999-per-week, per-person limit on a website that allows — in fact, encourages — people to gamble from the comfort of their pajamas and slippers at home (or anywhere, given the recent explosion of hand-held web browsing devices). BCLC’s foray into the online gambling market runs directly counter not only to efforts to promote “responsible” gambling, but also to efforts to promote healthy lifestyle choices.

While governments justify their involvement in the various forms of government-sanctioned gambling by pointing to the revenue they provide for programs and non-profit groups, we think there’s ample evidence to support the argument that governments themselves have become “addicted” to that revenue, because leaders know raising taxes to provide the same revenue would be political suicide.

National Post columnist Adrian McNair wrote last week that while government can’t and shouldn’t babysit people with problem gambling impulses, “there is an unforeseen and uncalculated socioeconomic cost that shouldn’t be ignored outright.” We agree, and would only add that B.C. officials have ample reason to wonder why no other jurisdiction on the continent had gone this far down the road until now.