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Redlick to lead new-look Canadian Addiction Recovery Association
The Canadian Addiction Recovery Association (CARA) has a new leader and new tools to lend a hand to its work to support problem gambling programs.
Harley Redlick, who has been involved in the gaming industry for an awfully long time as a bettor, media personality, consultant – and, with Don Bourgeois, co-founding the Gambling Law Certificate Program (Click Here) at Osgoode Hall, announced on the LinkedIn late last week his new role as CARA’s executive director. Yesterday, the association announced it has acquired “all gaming-related platforms and assets” from the Canadian Addiction Counsellors Certification Federation (CACCF). The acquistion includes the federation’s Pathways to Prevention, Education and Treatment program.
“We are excited to take on the role of working with gaming industry associations, participants and regulatory bodies across Canada to create effective pathways to treatment for those affected by gambling addiction,” said Redlick.
According to the news release announcing the acquisition, CARA will expand its “leadership role in responsible gaming and gambling addiction recovering services across Canada”. The three-year-old association was established to provide employee assistance programs around addiction to corporations.
“CARA’s focus on both technology and helping those faced with gambling addiction makes them uniquely qualified to carry on the CACCF’s work in this area,” said federation executive director Douglas Brewer. “For the CACCF, this allows our organization to return to its roots as the ‘gold standard’ in addiction counsellor certification in Canada, including the delivery of national gambling and gaming-specific training and certification programs.”
In an interview with Gaming News Canada, Redlick emphasized CARA doesn’t provide treatment for problem gambling but complements existing initiatives such as Connex Ontario and iGaming Ontario’s new BetGuard platform. The CACCF’s technology, Redlick told us, includes the use of artificial intelligence for immediate access to a customer service representative for someone struggling with their gambling.
“Because of the technology, the response is catered to that person’s needs,” Redlick said. “It’s Step 1 in that pathway to treatment.”
He then added, “I like BetGuard because self-exclusion is required. (But) self-exclusion doesn’t help me get better, and doesn’t prevent me from pulling up my wife’s (sportsbook/online gaming) account.”
In his new role, Redlick will be pushing for CARA to receive funding from the tax revenue being delivered by Ontario’s legal gambling industry. He said the association is also interested in installing kiosks in “safe space” rooms at Ontario casinos. That could include collaborating with OLG and its PlaySmart centres at casinos across the province.
“We would love those (CARA) kiosks there,” Redlick said.