The American Gaming Association (AGA) along with the National Center for Responsible Gaming (NCRG) has rallied almost 100 casinos and gaming related companies to participate in the 11th annual Responsible Gaming Education Week (RGEW) during Aug 4-8, 2008.
This year’s theme is “Let’s Talk About Responsible Gaming,” which was chosen hoping to encourage dialogue and discussion among casino customers and staff, as well as between parents and children at home. The AGA has produced buttons, ribbons and stickers with the slogan “Keep it fun,” along with educational and promotional material for use in casinos, in the classroom and at home. All of the educational and promotional materials – such as brochures and posters – will be available in English and Spanish.
Frank Fahrenkopf, president and CEO of the American Gaming Association, explained the importance of this week for spreading information about this topic beyond the casinos and into the community:
Responsible gaming is not just an issue for casinos, it’s an issue for the whole community. Encouraging industry employees to share their knowledge about this topic and the importance of making educated decisions about gambling is crucial, not just during Responsible Gaming Education Week, but throughout the year.
Besides the nationwide events that will take place during RGEW 2008, many casinos and gaming companies have taken additional measures to encourage conversation about responsible gaming among their customers and staff. Some examples are:
- Ameristar Casinos across the US will take measures to increase Responsible Gaming awareness, including playing messages about responsible gaming to customers on hold over the phone, as well as driving local policies in all its operating jurisdictions.
- The Argosy Casino Hotel & Spa in Riverside, Missouri will run a staff contest to design a game using responsible gaming themes. The best games will win family vacation packages.
- Aristocrat Technologies, a top gaming equipment producer, will host a poster contest among its employees, with the theme of responsible gaming.
- Boyd Gaming Corporation will offer trainings and games in all its properties to refresh the staff’s understanding of the company’s policies on responsible gaming.
- Staff at Harrah’s Phoenix Ak-Chin Casino in Arizona will wear the orange buttons all week, and there will be a prize draw for those who complete responsible gaming puzzles correctly.
Mr. Fahrenkopf emphasized that this is not an effort to be made only a few days a year:
Promoting responsible gaming is something our industry takes very seriously 365 days a year. The activities taking place during RGEW are just a small representation of the many training and awareness efforts our employees participate in every day. “We’re proud of the efforts put forth by both our companies and their employees to further public education and awareness of responsible gaming and spread the word about how everyone, everyday can keep it fun.
You can download the AGA’s educational and promotional materials at http://www.americangaming.org/.
