Harrah's Launches TV Ad Campaign on Responsible Gaming

Slogans such as "Know when to say when" and "Friends don't let friends drive drunk" – central to national advertising campaigns for the alcohol industry – have become familiar to most Americans. Not until recently, however, has a casino company produced a broadcast advertising campaign centered solely around the message of responsible gaming.

In January, Harrah's Entertainment, Inc., launched the three 30-second spots on a pilot basis in Missouri. One spot features Harrah's Chairman and CEO Phil Satre emphasizing the importance of responsible gaming to his company and explaining that if customers play for any reason other than fun, then they are playing for the wrong reason. Two other spots feature Harrah's employees - one from security, the other a blackjack dealer - explaining the company's commitment to training its employees and promoting responsible gaming by customers.

"Everyone involved in legal wagering has a responsibility to take pro-active steps to address problem and underage gambling," said Jan Jones, Harrah's Entertainment's senior vice president of government relations and communications. "Our goal is to help create awareness of the programs we have in place to encourage responsible gaming and to increase the use of resources that are available for people who might need help."

The campaign is part of Harrah's longtime commitment to responsible gaming. The company pioneered responsible gaming programs, including Operation Bet Smart and Project 21, more than a decade ago. Last year, Harrah's unveiled its Code of Commitment, which publicly states the company's specific core principles that guide the way guests, employees and communities are treated and how marketing and advertising efforts are conducted.

"We want people to gamble responsibly, and we want them to know help is available if they have a problem," Jones said. "As the only national casino brand, we felt that we were uniquely positioned to take this message to a broad segment of the American public."

The pilot campaign, which aired for six weeks in the St. Louis market, ended in mid-March. Harrah's currently is evaluating the campaign's effectiveness and determining whether to expand the campaign nationwide.