GRINS is a not-for-profit organization serving the province of Nova Scotia. We acknowledge that we live and work in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People. We have an all-volunteer board of community members who care deeply about the health and safety of our communities. Our members interests include: gambling research, community psychology, money laundering through casinos, mindfulness, health promotion, graphic design, not-for-profits, and business.
Visit our GRINS history page to learn about our story, as well as some of the work we have done in the past.
While gambling is legal, it is not harmless. We know many stories of the harms that individuals who gamble and their families can experience because of legalized gambling; but gambling harms can also affect the community as a whole. There is a ripple effect: Gambling can lead to increases in bankruptcies, domestic violence, embezzlement, and yes, even suicide. Gambling harms are felt by all of us as citizens and especially by our most vulnerable.
Click here to take a look at some of the community and individual harms of gambling on our community risks and personal risks pages.
There are many financial costs that we and our communities pay for as a result of gambling harms. These include increased need for mental health, addictions and social services. The costs are also personal with tragedy, loss, and decreased community trust sometimes the result.
Our Vision
Compassionate, sustainable communities with informed and caring gambling practices.
- Compassionate: We see the government and the rest of the gambling industry as not being concerned about the damage they are doing to individuals and communities, and we would like to see that change.
- Sustainable: Gambling does not produce anything of value, it just redistributes wealth from citizens to government and also from poorer people to richer ones. (Poorer people spend proportionally more on gambling, and only the well-off have the capacity to benefit from grants from gambling revenue.) Large amounts of money leave the communities and the province and this causes economic hardship on local businesses.
- Communities: We look at the well-being of (and harms to) whole communities as well as to individuals and families.
- Informed Gambling Practices: People who gamble are not informed about the level of risk they are taking. Gambling is typically an inherently deceptive practice. We aim to enable citizens to be able to make informed decisions.
- Caring Gambling Practices: If the entertainment value is risk-taking, then we need gambling practices that minimise risk. Casino workers are not allowed to intervene when they see people harming themselves with gambling. Such a business practice is uncaring and dangerous.
Motto
In my backyard: We want local citizens to have a say in the direction gambling will take in our communities. We want the local government to take ownership of the problem of gambling in our province. By doing so, people will have control over what is happening close to home, affecting the well-being of their own community.
What we Believe: Foundation Statements
- Gambling revenue is reality; gambling profit is myth.
- We speak this truth and work with community to find avenues for real prosperity.
- We uphold and connect community change stories that heal, build safety and enhance
community belonging.
Our Objectives
- Collection and sharing of research and data
- Collection and sharing of stories to inspire change
- Inspire change agents
- Clear communication
To learn more, visit the What We Know section of our website.