AGA Releases Second Edition of "Responsible Gaming Resource Guide"

LAS VEGAS, Nev. — The AGA released the second edition of its Responsible Gaming Resource Guide today at the 12th National Conference on Problem Gambling in Las Vegas, Nevada, where international researchers, clinicians and gaming industry representatives gathered to discuss current programs on disordered gambling.

Originally published in 1996, the AGA’s Resource Guide is a compilation of responsible gaming ideas, policies, procedures and programs that address disordered and underage gambling and the importance of responsible gaming. The guide was developed through the collaborative effort of the AGA’s Responsible Gaming Task Force, a group of casino representatives responsible for much of the development and implementation of responsible gaming programs and policies throughout the industry.

“The Responsible Gaming Resource Guide is an invaluable resource for anyone who is interested in developing from scratch or improving upon an existing responsible gaming program,” according to Frank J. Fahrenkopf, Jr., AGA president & CEO. “It is a central source for creating a state-of-the-art program.”

Essentially, a “tool kit” or “instruction manual” for putting responsible gaming programs into place, the guide provides detailed information on what casino companies can and are doing to address problem and underage gambling. Casino operators, state gaming associations, state gaming councils and treatment professionals are among those that might find the guide particularly useful to assist in creating or improving a current program.

The second edition of the Resource Guide has been updated to include several major additions and improvements. New sections address the issue of unattended children and minors in the casino environment, as well as an overview of responsible gaming programs specifically designed for gaming industry suppliers and vendors. A new chapter on the National Center for Responsible Gaming summarizes the Center’s funding and ongoing research projects in the field of problem gambling. The Guide has also been updated to include a section on a new underage gambling prevention curriculum.

The newly revised Resource Guide was released at the 12th Annual National Conference on Problem Gambling by members of the AGA’s Responsible Gaming Task Force, including the task force’s new chairman, William Bingham, vice president of table games at Bellagio; James Hippler, former task force chair, and senior vice president of administration at Boyd Gaming Corporation; and Mary Jane Fuller, director of public relations at Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc.

The updated Resource Guide has been reformatted from its original 3-ring binder style, to a more compact, perfect-bound version. The guide will be available to AGA members for $35.00 a copy and to non-members for $50.00 a copy. Periodic updates will be available on the AGA’s official website (www.americangaming.org).

The AGA represents the gaming-entertainment industry by addressing regulatory, legislative and educational issues. The association serves as a clearinghouse for information, develops aggressive educational and advocacy programs and provides leadership in addressing industry issues that are of public concern.

NOTE: If you are interested in obtaining a copy of the AGA’s newly revised Responsible Gaming Resource Guide, it can be ordered in the AGA e-store.