Responsible Gaming Education

8 August 2001

By David Waddell

This week (August 6-10) is "Responsible Gaming Education Week," a week sponsored by the American Gaming Association for gaming employees to join forces to promote responsible gaming activities at their casinos, in their communities and nationwide. Responsible Gaming Education Week is an industry-wide effort to focus on the issues of disordered gambling and the importance of responsible gaming practices.

The three Detroit casinos properties, MGM Grand Detroit Casino, Greektown Casino and MotorCity Casino, are all members of the American Gaming Association. Each of the various local properties have organized events to educate their employees on the issue of responsible gaming on a continuous basis.

Responsible gaming to prevent compulsive behavior is something the gaming industry incorporates into its work 365 days a year, and the American Gaming Association's Responsible Gaming Education Week helps increase the industry's focus on this important issue. To help achieve this goal, the AGA is producing a new educational video that will be distributed to casino properties across the country and interested parties nationwide.

Victoria Inniss, co-leader of the DetroitWindsor Casino Management Association Chapter and District Field Manager of IGT's local Detroit office, observed that Responsible Gaming Education Week is an opportunity for area employees to learn more about resources available to help those who have gambling problems. "We all can become active participates in the education process and in the development of responsible gaming programs," she said.

In addition to promoting responsible gaming practices, the week is an opportunity to spread the word about what the industry is doing to address and alleviate gambling problems. "Whether its public education programs like Responsible Gaming Education Week or increased industry funding or independent research, these activities are helping us learn more about how to address this problem effectively," Ms. Innis noted.

Responsible Gaming Education Week was started in 1998 by the industry's national trade association, the American Gaming Association, and is held every year during the first week of August. It is part of the American Gaming Association's ongoing Responsible Gaming National Education Campaign and represents the industry's long-term commitment to this issue.

The following websites offer more information about the responsible and problem gaming issue:

Michigan Gaming Control Board - www.state.mi.us/mgcb/compulsv.htm

Michigan Depart of Community Health - www.mdch.state.mi.us/ads/gambling

Problem Gaming Council - http://members.tripod.com/jimkorsog/Gambling.htm

National Center for Responsible Gaming - www.ncrg.org

National Council on Problem Gambling, Inc. - www.ncpgambling.org

American Gaming Association - www.americangaming.org