By JOE CORBO
Atlantic City, NJ, September 2007 — The week of August 6-10 marked the 10th anniversary of the American Gaming Association’s (AGA) Responsible Gaming Education Week (RGEW). The “kick-off” for this year’s event occurred at Caesars Atlantic City. Frank Fahrenkopf, President of the AGA, Gary Loveman, President, Chairman and CEO of Harrah’s Entertainment, and Linda Kassekert, Chair of the New Jersey Casino Control Commission made opening remarks to set the tone for the week.
The AGA created Responsible Gaming Education Week on behalf of our industry to educate all casino employees about disordered gambling. While this problem impacts only a small percentage of our customers (1%), dealing with this issue sensitively, seriously and responsibly has become an important part of our industry’s culture. While our casinos operate in a responsible manner 365 days a year, for one week each year we emphasize responsible gaming issues and initiatives for the purpose of increasing awareness of this important topic.
The theme of this year’s campaign is “Responsible Gaming: In Your Own Words.” According to the AGA’s Frank Fahrenkopf, this theme was devised as a way to energize the level of employee and public involvement in Responsible Gaming Education Week and to encourage all to maintain the momentum of this week throughout the entire year. It is also a celebration a decade during which responsible gaming education and training have been made available, and our employees have taken the responsibility to educate themselves and have applied that education by understanding the needs of those who experience problems with gambling.
Fahrenkopf also explained that more than $15 million has been committed to the AGA’s National Center for Responsible Gaming (NCRG) to combat problem gambling. Contributions are provided from the casino gaming industry, equipment manufacturers and other vendors and related organizations. The NCRG is the only national organization exclusively devoted to funding peer-reviewed scientific research that helps increase understanding of pathological and youth gambling. The NCRG has identified effective methods of treatment for the disorder and it guides public education about responsible gaming research.
Harrah’s Gary Loveman was also one of the featured speakers at the kick-off event, which was most appropriate as Harrah’s was one of the early industry leaders at the forefront of efforts to address responsible gaming issues. In his remarks Mr. Loveman correctly pointed out that as casino executives and employees, we cannot control every aspect of how our customers experience our product but we should do everything we can to provide the casino experience in a socially responsible manner. He also pledged that the industry will continue working with community leaders, health care professionals and elected officials to bolster the ultimate goal that individuals who do not gamble responsibly not be permitted to play at our casinos.
Chair Linda Kassekert also spoke at the event from her perspective as a New Jersey regulator in a state that has long been concerned about problem gambling and has been active in trying to help people deal with their addiction. Chair Kassekert pointed out that New Jersey casinos are required to promote the 1-800-GAMBLER helpline run by the New Jersey Council on Compulsive Gambling and that money the CCC collects from regulatory fines is allocated to support the Council’s outreach and education programs.
Chair Kassekert also discussed the New Jersey program that allows individuals to deny themselves from receiving casino credit and the self-exclusion program through which individuals can exclude themselves from all forms of casino gambling within the state. So far over 700 individuals have availed themselves of this program, including some casino employees. Chair Kassekert also made a point of letting casino employees know that signing up for the self exclusion list in no way jeopardizes that employee’s casino license or their job.
Chair Kassekert noted that another component of responsible gaming is preventing underage individuals from participating in gaming activities. She thought that it was important that underage individuals and their families understand that this issue is taken seriously by the Atlantic City Casinos as well as by New Jersey regulatory and law enforcement agencies. Penalties include significant fines and loss of drivers license for up to six months, not to mention that a conviction blemishes the underage individual’s record.
While this kick-off event was important, perhaps more important were the various awareness events that were held at each Atlantic City casino throughout the entire week, given that the thousands of gaming employees in Atlantic City are at the heart of any responsible gaming effort. These employees are on the front lines, interacting with casino guests and able to identify indications that there might be a problem with a gambler that should be addressed.
The industry wants everyone who visits our casinos to have fun. Whether it is our hotels, bars, night clubs, restaurants, shows or gaming offerings, we are in the entertainment business. That is what we do. However, we do not want people who do not gamble responsibly to play in our casinos. It is as simple as that.
Reprinted with the permission of Casino Connection.
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