Group hopes for more advances in addiction programs

By Liz Benston (contact)

Friday, Aug. 8, 2003 | 11:17 a.m.

Strip casinos used table tents, posters, brochures, buttons, stickers and ribbons to remind gamblers about "Keeping it Fun."

It's business as usual for the casino industry in Nevada, which observed its sixth annual Responsible Gaming Education Week aimed at raising awareness of gambling addiction among employees, customers and the public.

The event, sponsored by the American Gaming Association, the industry's chief lobbying group, involved the distribution of thousands of materials to more than 60 casinos in 12 states.

Nevada regulations have for years required casinos to post notices about where compulsive gamblers can get help. Casinos also are required to train employees to watch for warning signs of gambling addiction and direct gamblers who ask for assistance.

The Nevada Council on Problem Gambling -- part of a national nonprofit group that operates the state's largest helpline for gambling problems -- aimed to broaden that message a year ago when it introduced new partnerships with non-casino employers.

About eight employers, including the city of Las Vegas, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and the Clark County School District, signed on to receive brochures and other materials from the Nevada Council to distribute to employees.

The program has improved awareness of the disorder by introducing messages about gambling problems into the work place, some employers say. But none of the employers have taken the next step by offering formal training programs for employees about gambling addiction such as those offered by Nevada casinos, said Carol O'Hare, executive director of the Nevada Council on Problem Gambling.

"We'd like to move toward that," O'Hare said. "But we're not in the driver's seat ... It took years for the gaming industry to recognize what was good information for their employees and to make a commitment" to train employees, she said.

That nongaming employers aren't yet training employees doesn't mean last year's campaign failed, nor is the Nevada council seeking to establish an education standard similar to that required of casinos, she said.

Other companies may seek help in crafting customized programs that work best for their employees, she said.

Wells Fargo Bank, for example, distributed a letter to employees this week reminding them about assistance programs that can help employees talk about issues ranging from financial to family problems.

Gambling addiction is an underlying problem that can lead to the financial hardships that surface in counseling sessions, said Susan Nelson, human resources manager for Wells Fargo in Nevada and Orange County.

Clark County offers a wellness program that includes health fairs, brown-bag sessions and outreach services that address problem gambling. The county also offers confidential employee counseling.

The county has posted Nevada council fliers in county buildings and sent out brochures on compulsive gambling along with paychecks.

Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center in Las Vegas and Sprint have similarly distributed Nevada council materials to employees. Because employee counseling is confidential, employers say they have little way of knowing how the materials are used or whether gambling addiction has become more of a problem in recent years.

The American Gaming Association redesigned its "Keeping it Fun" brochure for distribution this week and also has created other materials, including sample employee newsletter articles and paycheck stuffers.

Responsible Gaming Education Week serves as a "launching pad for our industry to develop new and innovative ideas and to promote responsible gaming" and is intended as a year-round effort, AGA President and Chief Executive Frank Fahrenkopf said.

The event is separate from Problem Gambling Awareness Week, which is sponsored by the National Council on Problem Gambling and is held around the National College Athletic Association's "March Madness" basketball tournament.

The National council distributes educational materials and programs through its more than 30 state affiliates, including the industry-funded Nevada council. The National council is neutral on the expansion of gambling.