Trade group kicks off Responsible Gaming week

Monday, Aug. 2, 2004 | 10:37 a.m.

Starting today, major gaming companies nationwide will put up posters and table tents as well as distribute pamphlets and other materials as part of Responsible Gaming Awareness Week, an annual event sponsored by the American Gaming Association trade group.

But casino customers won't be seeing many of these materials. That's because this year's event is geared primarily toward helping employees understand how to spot signs of compulsive gambling and direct gamblers to get help, industry representatives say.

The key element of this year's event is the Responsible Gaming Code of Conduct, a document crafted by American Gaming Association members in September 2003 that binds member companies to several rules that govern how casinos market to customers.

The document, which goes beyond regulatory requirements in certain states, includes some policies long practiced by some casinos but marks an advancement for others. Policies include offering problem gambling helpline information on the Internet as well as on the casino floor, initiating self-exclusion programs for people who have gambling problems and not serving alcohol or dealing to customers who are visibly intoxicated.

Member companies have until September 13 to integrate all the rules into their employee training programs, the American Gaming Association says.

"We see this week as the unofficial countdown to full implementation of the code," AGA spokeswoman Courtney Reiter said.

Companies including some of the major Las Vegas-based casinos have so far ordered about 54,000 copies of the code of conduct brochure as well as about 40,000 stickers, 15,000 ribbons, 1,100 posters and more than 1,300 table tents. Some companies will stuff notices in employee paychecks notifying them about the code of conduct.

Also new this year are pamphlets that discuss the odds of winning several casino games. The pamphlets, which will be available on the American Gaming Association's Web site this week and will be distributed to casinos soon after, offer customers and players information on the house advantage and satisfy a code requirement that casinos make public the odds on several casino games.

Now in its seventh year, Responsible Gaming Education Week is taking on a more important role as gambling expands nationwide, participants say.

Responsible gambling programs are becoming an integral part of the regulatory environment in states that are new to casino gambling, said Connie Jones, director of responsible gaming for International Game Technology.

Pennsylvania, which legalized slot machines this month, is setting aside funds for responsible gambling programs. And in Canada, where casinos and other gambling outlets are operated primarily by government agencies, IGT has begun rolling out slot machines with built-in protections for players such as digital clocks, cash winnings and losses, and time limits of play, said Jones, who was appointed to the new position in 2002.

Companies are approaching the subject in different ways this week.

IGT has posted a 25-question "proficiency program" on its company Web site that all employees will take to learn more about compulsive gambling, Jones said.

"Our employees are often our best ambassadors," she said. "We feel they really need to understand (gambling problems) for our business to be sustainable and for loved ones to get help."

The company also has created a "responsible gaming committee" to oversee Jones' work for the first time.

At Station Casinos Inc., workers each day of this week will see posters, table tents and articles in their employee newsletter about the code of conduct. They also will receive a quiz of sorts on certain aspects of the code.

Today, for example, employees are expected to hear pre-shift explanations of the odds of various casino games. Tuesday, the company will test employees about judging the ages of potential customers and discuss combating underage gambling. And the following day, workers will discuss carding customers as well as the link between problem gambling and drinking, for example.

"This is our opportunity to educate (employees) as a responsible member of our industry, as well as patrons and the public," Station spokeswoman Lesley Pittman said.

MGM MIRAGE will be distributing the code of conduct to employees this week as well as putting up posters in employee break areas. At the MGM Grand, Las Vegas' largest hotel-casino, managers will quiz workers of all stripes before mandatory pre-shift meetings.

Throughout the year, employees hear about compulsive gambling in meetings as well as in employee newsletters and through other forums, MGM MIRAGE spokeswoman Yvette Monet said.

"Communicating the importance of responsible gaming to our employees and guests is a yearlong effort that is ingrained in all aspects of casino operations and management," she said. "The casino industry as a whole has it in our best interest to make sure guests find gambling to be an enjoyable experience."