The widow of a compulsive gambler who took his own life has launched a lawsuit against the Casino de Montreal and Loto-Quebec.

Dolores Castilloux and her children claim the casino hooks compulsive gamblers like her deceased husband by offering them VIP treatment.

Castilloux's husband, Gaspe mechanic Jules Grenier, became a compulsive gambler in 2000, after he sold his gas station in the small town of Pasbeciac in the Baie des Chaleurs and moved to Montreal.

He soon discovered the casino, and by 2007, had filed for bankruptcy. Grenier had lost $500,000 – his live savings – to gambling.

On April 2, 2008, Grenier hanged himself on the bridge next to the casino.

Castilloux is asking for $900,000 from Loto-Quebec and the Casino de Montreal.

Uphill battle for plaintiff

Similar lawsuits in the past were dismissed by the court, though Loto-Quebec settled a class-action suit by gambling addicts last January, paying out about $50 million to nearly 120,000 gamblers.

While Loto-Quebec earns an average of $1.4 billion a year in profits, $22 million of which is spent on compulsive gambling prevention, former gambling addict Did Belizaire said they're still at fault.

Loto-Quebec cannot wash its hands of the problem, he said, because it closely monitors the habits of his best customers, including compulsive gamblers.

"They could know how much he was spending per month, per day, because he had that VIP card. They would have been able to put efforts into helping that person if they wanted to," said Belizaire, who attempted suicide seven years ago after losing his savings.

"He wanted to go away, be away from that feeling and for him it was death and shame," said Belizaire.

Neither Castilloux nor her lawyer agreed to speak with CTV News about the case.

Loto-Quebec also said it would not comment while case is before the courts.