A gambling addict has decided to sue the British Columbia Lottery Corporation. This case is the first of its kind in British Columbia.

Joyce May Ross, 54, has filed a lawsuit in B.C. Supreme Court that alleges that the lottery corporation was negligent in its practices. The British Columbia Lottery Corporation owns the two casinos she frequents.

The woman took initiative and enrolled in a program aimed at helping individuals steer clear of gambling and online gambling facilities. Despite being enrolled in the self-exclusion program offered by the BCLC, she was still able to frequently visit the casinos. She feels that the program fell short in helping her work through her gambling addiction.

The self-exclusion program involves the usage surveillance to monitor the activity of known compulsive gamblers. Once compulsive gamblers are identified, the casino security staff is supposed to quickly act to remove the individual from the facility. As a deterrent, fines can be issued in the amount of $5,000 to compulsive gamblers caught in the act.

During her three years of participation in the program, the woman gambled away over $330,000. “I was totally out of control, and I knew I needed help,” she tells CBC News.

Ross hopes to recover money lost during her years of participation in the self-exclusion program. She is also seeking damages.