8 Feb 2007 article called Online casino not sole victim of Problem gambling

Casino News > 29 Aug 2006

Online casino not sole victim of Problem gambling | Best Online Casino News
Online casino not sole victim of Problem gambling   29 Aug 2006

Lately we are hearing of a legislation that will make it illegal for US credit card companies to process payments for online casinos. Those who wish to ban online casino gambling see addiction as part of the over-all problem, and there has been much talk lately about the issue and what can be done to help online gamblers. Land based casinos encounter their share of customers who suffer from problem gambling as well.

A program that casino giant Harrah's Entertainment implemented several months ago will offer customers marked as problem-gamblers, a hotline which will try and treat their problem. This program is believed to be the first and most aggressive problem gambling effort of its kind in the country. Harrah's pioneered the casino industry's first responsible gaming efforts more than a decade ago, when a group of employees formed a task force to study the issues of problem gambling. After months of research, the task force developed the industry's first initiative to learn about, understand and find proactive solutions to encourage responsible gaming behavior.

The name of the program is the 'Ambassador', and will involve casino managers approaching customers and raising an issue the customer most likely would prefer not to talk about. Casinos in Nevada and many other states are required by law to offer problem gambling hotline numbers and additional material to customers, and they are mostly well educated about the issue, but the new Harrah program goes further. It requires workers such as cashiers and dealers to notify a manager if they believe someone has a gambling problem. The manager then calls the 'Ambassador' which talks about the issue with the gambler.

Competing casinos claim that workers are aware of problem gambling and receive adequate training on the matter, but at the national council on problem gambling there is concern that workers do not feel at ease approaching people who probably need help. They say there is a big difference between having a program and making sure employees are comfortable enough to take action. Experts are skeptical that Harrah's program will make a difference for gamblers, and at the Nevada council on problem gambling they see things differently. In there eyes, this is a big step for the industry because it aims to help people before they reach rock bottom.

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