Park Place casinos start lists to ban addicts

Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2003 | 10:53 a.m.

SUN STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

Park Place Entertainment Corp. of Las Vegas, the world's largest casino company, said today it will create a self-exclusion list that would bar problem gamblers from all of its properties for life.

The owner of Caesars, Bally's and Hilton properties, among others, also will begin to involuntarily place people on a "Responsible Gaming List" if casino employees learn any of its patrons are problem gamblers, corporate officials told the Associated Press.

Problem gamblers on that list could end up losing any jackpots they win on return visits to the casinos.

"By creating this innovative, industry-leading program, we are making the strongest possible statement about our company's commitment to responsible gaming," said Bernard E. DeLury Jr., Park Place executive vice president and general counsel.

Under the new program, the company will not market, mail, extend credit, cash checks or award complimentary services through player loyalty programs to anyone who has registered with a state self-exclusion list or the casino's new initiative.

Once instituted, the companywide ban will extend for life, with limited opportunities for appeal or exception, subject to regulatory requirements, company officials said.

Park Place also is creating responsible gaming committees at each of its casinos. The panels will have the power to place individuals on the list involuntarily.

When the casino gets information that a person might be a problem gambler, it will file internal reports called "responsible gaming alerts." Any barred person could also forfeit their winnings and be kicked off casino property.

Companywide employee training on the new Responsible Gaming Program will be mandatory for all property officers and directors, casino floor supervisors, cashiers and members of the marketing, credit, audit, security and surveillance departments.

The company will begin implementing the new program in January. It is expected to be fully operational in the first half of next year.

DeLury said new technology and the company's extensive database made the program possible.

Nevada does not have a self-exclusion list, but individuals can bar themselves from individual casinos, said Keith Copher, enforcement chief for the Nevada Gaming Control Board.

Missouri, Indiana, Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, New Jersey and New Mexico are the only states with self-exclusion lists, said Kevin Mullally, executive director of the Missouri Gaming Commission.

I. Nelson Rose, a professor at Whittier Law School in California who studies and consults on the gambling industry, said Park Place could be setting a positive trend.

"This is very strong," he said. "They have the right to exclude people for any reason or no reason or all. They don't have to do this. They are definitely taking pre-emptive action for reasons of morality, social consciousness and self-protection from lawsuits."

Rose also warned that Park Place could be inviting legal trouble. Self-exclusion lists have gained popularity as more and more states turn to gambling for revenue. But questions remain about their legality and whether they are effective in deterring pathological gamblers.

"They could be creating liability issues by recognizing that there is problem," he said. "As sad as it sounds, recognizing a problem and trying to do something about it may invite lawsuits. What happens when a casino (mistakenly) invites somebody in when they are on the list? The casino has to be careful."

The announcement comes just a day after Park Place debuted a branded credit card product, allowing users of the Caesars Entertainment MasterCard to earn rewards redeemable at the company's casinos. That move has been criticized by gaming foes for its potential pitfalls for problem gamblers.

Robert Stewart, a spokesman for Park Place, said this morning's announcement of the Responsible Gaming Program illustrates the company's position on gaming problems and should ease any concern.

"I think we have a very firm policy in place to deter problem gambling," he said, adding that he has heard no criticism of the credit card program. "For the vast majority of our customers who gamble responsibly, this is an opportunity for them to earn rewards ... We are very concerned about that small number of our customers that may have a problem."

Bill Thompson, a professor of public administration at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, said the timing of two announcements so close together is troubling.

"The fact that they are choosing the same time is ironic," he said. "This (credit card) is not something that's going to help problem gamblers. It's going to hurt them ... The casinos should not be appealing to these people. It's just a bad element."