Putting a Local Face on Responsible Gaming
Jeff Graber "didn't know a whole lot" about responsible gaming when he was asked to become the local responsible gaming committee chairman for Harrah's Iowa properties. As surveillance director at Harrah's Council Bluffs, Graber's deep knowledge of database management made him a natural choice for the volunteer position, but he says he wasn't that cognizant of the problem gambling issue. Now, Graber's work with the committee has made him an expert on responsible gaming - knowledge he is eager to share with Harrah's staff and customers.
"When they asked me to take on this additional role, I learned all about what we do and why we do it," Graber said. "There is an extensive responsible gaming guidebook that is given to each committee chairman at each Harrah's property, and there's a real history behind Harrah's responsible gaming program."
Graber's local responsible gaming committee is charged with administering Harrah's responsible gaming program at its two Iowa properties, and the dynamic group brings a wide variety of perspectives to the task. The card program manager, slot shift manager and casino shift manager from each casino sit on the committee, as well as representatives from compliance, human resources, public relations, advertising and marketing, player development, and check cashing/collections. Graber serves as point man and the liaison with Harrah's corporate office.
The committee oversees the properties' responsible gaming efforts, including employee training, placement of responsible gaming collateral and signage, ongoing employee and customer education programs, and more. The group coordinates the casinos' annual activities during AGA's Responsible Gaming Education Week (RGEW), and manages Harrah's many national responsible gaming programs at the community level. The group also implements the properties' self-restriction and self-exclusion plans, tracking and updating local information that is fed into Harrah's national database.
The local responsible gaming group conducts an audit of both Iowa properties quarterly to ensure compliance with Harrah's responsible gaming guidelines. The group reviews whether employees have received appropriate responsible gaming training, whether all materials include the responsible gaming tagline and help line numbers, whether responsible gaming literature, posters and other collateral are in designated locations, and several other elements of the properties' programs. The committee documents the complete results then delivers them to Harrah's corporate office.
"We are constantly improving our local responsible gaming programs," Graber said. "We want to show people that our programs aren't just lip service and that there are responsible people managing these efforts… It's about being a responsible citizen in the community."
Graber's responsible gaming committee is not unlike many others at casinos nationwide where local employees shepherd corporate and localized programs. In fact, some state gaming associations have developed committees to coordinate responsible gaming efforts at an even broader level. Missouri is one example. The Missouri Riverboat Gaming Association (MRGA) developed its responsible gaming committee in 1993, a year before the first casino opened its doors in the state. The group includes representatives from each of the 11 gaming properties in Missouri.
According to MRGA Executive Director Mike Ryan, the committee oversees annual statewide RGEW activities, as well as three additional statewide programs: Project 21, which addresses underage gambling; Operation Bet Smart, which focuses on compulsive gambling; and alcohol awareness programs to promote responsible alcohol consumption.
Each property also manages its own employee responsible gaming training programs as well as state and property-specific self-exclusion programs, all coordinated by the committee.
For example, Isle of Capri developed its Second Chance program, an education and awareness program for middle-school students. According to Adoria Adair, director of human resources at Isle of Capri, Kansas City, and chairwoman of the Missouri responsible gaming committee, the Second Chance program sends counselors to local schools to teach children the dangers of problem gambling. The program features an audience-participation performance that helps make the audience aware that underage gambling is illegal and problem gambling can affect the entire family.
Missouri casinos also are extremely active in the Missouri Alliance to Curb Problem Gambling, which brings together gaming operators, treatment providers, regulators and others to promote responsible gaming. Several casinos recently facilitated the participation of celebrities, including Crystal Gayle and Wynonna Judd, in a series of Alliance-sponsored responsible gaming PSAs that have aired statewide. The Missouri responsible gaming committee conducts on-site audits of responsible gaming efforts every two years to ensure each property meets statewide standards.
Adair says responsible gaming efforts in Missouri have evolved over time.
"Initially, gambling was so new to Missouri that it was important to get the message out really quickly," she said. "Now, casinos and gaming are more accepted in the state, and the more we can send out the message that we care about people's safety, the better off we are. We'll continue to develop new programs. We've done a great job so far, but we can certainly always do better."
*MRGA has a licensing agreement with Harrah's to use the Project 21 name and program elements.
