A referendum on video lottery terminals was held on 14 May 2001 (to coincide with municipal elections) in 103 municipalities in New Brunswick

New Brunswick

New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...

. According to the chief electoral officer's report, "229,814 voters" or
"44% of eligible provincial voters, cast referendum ballots"

Background

According to the Canada West Foundation, New Brunswick was the first province to allow video lottery terminals in 1990. The terminals create large profits for the provincial government, with the New Brunswick government alone receiving $53.4 million from the machines between 1999 and 2000. The private businesses that house these machines also make a profit, with 47% ($47 million) of the revenue going to the private sector.

Despite the economic benefit, there is a strong social backlash against the terminals, and gambling in general, especially in Atlantic Canada, according to a 1999 survey by the Canada West Foundation. The survey found that 60% of those surveyed wanted more restrictions on gambling, 56% knew a problem gambler, and 62% agreed that “VLT gambling should be banned in your province”.

During the 1999 New Brunswick election

New Brunswick general election, 1999

The 34th New Brunswick general election was held on June 7, 1999, to elect 55 members to the 54th New Brunswick Legislative Assembly, the governing house of the province of New Brunswick, Canada. It marked the debut of both Camille Thériault and Bernard Lord as leaders of the Liberals and...

, Progressive Conservative

Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick

The Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick is a centre-right political party in New Brunswick, Canada. It has its origins in the pre-Canadian confederation Conservative Party that opposed the granting of responsible government to the colony...

 leader Bernard Lord

Bernard Lord

Bernard Lord, ONB, QC, is a Canadian politician and lobbyist. Lord served as the 30th Premier of New Brunswick from 1999 to 2006.-Early life:...

 promised to hold a referendum on the terminals if elected Premier

Premier of New Brunswick

The Premier of New Brunswick is the first minister for the Canadian province of New Brunswick. They are the province's head of government and de facto chief executive....

.

Referendum question

The question was as follows:

Results

The vote was, in several regions, close to within dozens of votes. The "Yes" side won by just over 53%:

No: 107 753 (46.89%)			Yes: 122 061 (53.11%)
▲

The municipal electoral officer's report showed that, regionally, the areas who largely voted against the VLT's were located in Anglophone sections of the province, or Central and Western New Brunswick (Carleton

Carleton County, New Brunswick

Carleton County is located in west-central New Brunswick, Canada.The county is located in western New Brunswick, it borders on the west, the State of Maine; on the south, York County; on the north, Victoria County and is bisected by the Saint John River. Potato farming is a major industry...

, York

York County, New Brunswick

York County is located in west-central New Brunswick, Canada. The county contains the provincial capital, Fredericton. Outside the city, farming and forestry are two major industries in the county, which is bisected by the Saint John River...

, Victoria

Victoria County, New Brunswick

Victoria County is located in northwestern New Brunswick, Canada. Farming, especially of potatoes, is the major industry in the county.-Communities:...

, Charlotte

Charlotte County, New Brunswick

Charlotte County is located in the southwestern portion of New Brunswick, Canada.In most of the county, fishing and aquaculture dominate the local economy, although the town of St. Andrews is a tourist mecca and St...

, Sunbury

Sunbury County, New Brunswick

Sunbury County is located in central New Brunswick, Canada. A large military base is located in the western part of the county south of the town of Oromocto...

 and Kings

Kings County, New Brunswick

Kings County is located in southern New Brunswick, Canada.Both the Saint John and Kennebecasis rivers pass through the county.Dairy farming is an important industry in the area...

 counties) while largely francophone and Acadian areas, such as Moncton, Bouctouche, Bathurst

Bathurst, New Brunswick

Bathurst is a Canadian city in Gloucester County, New Brunswick.Bathurst is situated on Bathurst Harbour, an estuary at the mouth of the Nepisiguit River at the southernmost part of Chaleur Bay....

, Miramichi

Miramichi

The name "Miramichi" was first applied to a region in northeastern New Brunswick, Canada, and has since been applied to other places in Canada and the United States...

, and Northern New Brunswick (Madawaska

Madawaska

Madawaska may refer to several places:in Canada*Madawaska County, New Brunswick, Canada*The Republic of Madawaska*Madawaska River *Madawaska River , in Quebec and New Brunswick*Madawaska, Ontario*Madawaska Valley, Ontario...

 and Campbellton

Campbellton

-Canada:* Campbellton, New Brunswick* Campbellton, Newfoundland and Labrador* Campbellton-Restigouche Centre, a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick, Canada-United States:* Campbellton, Florida* Campbellton, Georgia...

) were more in favour of the Terminals.