The Press of Atlantic City
Aug. 18, 2007
The Aug. 7 story, "Casinos join to fight dark side of industry: Compulsive gambling," dramatically missed the importance of responsible gaming education, which was the focus of an event to raise awareness regarding problem gambling in Atlantic City and other locations.
Contrary to assertions in the story, there is little debate about the prevalence of pathological gambling at the national or regional levels. Research conducted by Harvard Medical School and the prestigious National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences both estimate the rate of pathological gambling to be about 1 percent of the adult population - whether in a legalized casino community like Atlantic City or elsewhere. A 2005 peer-reviewed study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry estimates that prevalence rates are even lower.
But as Gary Loveman, Harrah's Entertainment president, CEO and chairman, noted in his remarks, "Even one problem gambler is one too many." The executive director of the New Jersey Council on Compulsive Gambling is correct when he says we do not want problem gamblers in our casinos. That is why casino operators and the Casino Association of New Jersey go to great lengths to educate our employees and patrons about how to gamble responsibly and to direct those who can't gamble responsibly to the assistance they need. These are our goals not only during Responsible Gaming Education Week, but throughout the entire year.
It is unfortunate that your story was centered on a lone dissenter instead of focusing on the enthusiasm and commitment of our executives and our employees to address this issue head-on. Responsible gaming education is not a publicity stunt - it's simply the right thing to do.
JOSEPH A. CORBO
President
Casino Association of New Jersey
Atlantic City
|
