The following are the winning essays from the All In for Responsible Gaming Contest that was held in conjunction with Responsible Gaming Education Week 2012.
Winner
The world of gaming is vast and still growing. As gambling continues to enter new markets such as Facebook in the UK, exploring safe and healthy gaming habits becomes increasingly important. As members of the gaming industry, we need to remain dedicated to ensuring that the games we produce impact the community in a positive way. By spreading awareness of healthy gaming habits, we can encourage players to get the most out of the game. Gambling is a form of entertainment, and should not be viewed as a source of income. Players should set limits, whether monetary or time-based, so that they are aware of their spending and it does not negatively impact their finances in any significant way. Gaming should be treated as an entertaining way to spend time with others, in a supportive and fun environment. If we can commit to approaching gaming in this manner, everyone wins.
Amy Nakatani
Junior Engineer
SHFL entertainment
Honorable Mention
Responsible gaming means responsibility. It is a responsibility between casino team members, gaming companies, and communities. These entities must band together to educate, communicate, and become a resource in promoting the responsible gaming message.
As a casino team member, I am the nucleus of this responsibility. I must educate myself on all aspects of problem gambling. First, I have to understand the problem gambler. Who is he/she? What are their characteristics? Next, I have to know the resources available for the problem gambler. What self-exclusion options are available from gaming companies and the state? Who can the problem gambler call for help? What community resources and programs are available? Finally, I need to be an advocate for communicating and educating gamblers on the options available to them, and provide details on how the gaming companies and the communities provide assistance.
If everyone owns a piece of the responsibility, we can band together as an industry and a community to deliver the responsible gaming message. By taking on this responsibility, we can ensure our family members, our friends, and members of our community can find the help and resources they need.
Julie Allen
Director of Regulatory Compliance
Ameristar Casino Kansas City
Everyone wants to have fun! Throughout the normal course of life we all plan for vacation, time with family and we also look forward to sporting events, a day of shopping, lunch or dinner with friends, a night out to the movies or even a trip to the local casino. As responsible adults, we usually have an idea of how much money we will spend on these activities, knowing that there is a limit. The same holds true when it comes to gambling. To me, gambling is another form of entertainment. It’s fun to try the latest slot games on the casino floor or visit a poker table, but there is no guarantee on winning. If you happen to win, that’s a bonus! Enjoy your time gaming, but always be responsible and know that you have a limit on how much you will spend.
Beth Bellaro
Internal Communications Manager
Ameristar Casinos, Inc.
Responsible gaming is a philosophy, a universal aspiration, and for many a source of exhilarating entertainment. Responsible gaming, as a consumer, means setting reasonable limits and expectations. Gaming is not a money making venture but a source of safe, exciting entertainment in an engaging atmosphere. For the gaming industry responsible gaming provides healthy, happy consumers and stable and prosperous markets and communities in which to thrive. As such, it is also the gaming industry's responsibility to ensure gaming is seen in the right light and marketed properly and to take an active role in helping consumers develop responsible gaming habits. These responsibilities can range from informing gamers to assisting in state exclusion programs. As an employee in the gaming industry, responsible gaming means treating guests as family and taking a stake in their habits. Responsible gaming is in the best interest of every person, family and company in any community where gaming is present.
Justin Fender
Security Officer EMT
Ameristar Casino Council Bluffs
When people think about responsible gaming they often think of not gambling more than you can afford and gambling addiction helplines, but I think about the gaming community as a whole. Everyone in the community has a part to play in responsible gaming. Sure the gambler has to not overspend but it goes so far beyond that. That’s why “All In for Responsible Gaming” works. It’s truly “All” – casinos, players, casino staff, and even manufacturers and developers.
Casinos and casino staff have a responsibility to the community to make sure players are of age. Manufacturers have a responsibility to the casino and the players to make sure gaming equipment works properly and minimize malfunctions so players don’t feel cheated. Developers have a responsibility to the casinos and players to make sure the odds are fair.
Gaming responsibility is a delicate balance of communication and effort between “All” community members.
Dawn Garcia
Regulatory Compliance Analyst
SHFL entertainment
Responsible gaming is all about being a good steward of the industry to our guests. The gaming industry is here to provide entertainment and the special type of thrill that only comes from winning a bet or wager. To be sure though, casino companies are also here to make money and provide a return for their stakeholders and shareholders. Every industry must walk the line between profitability and responsibility – that’s where educating guests about responsible gaming habits comes into play in the gaming industry. Responsible gaming means putting our guests first, and realizing that lives are more important than returns. We in the gaming industry have a duty to provide our guests with all information available so that they can get the most out of their time at our properties in an educated and responsible way. We are not in the business of exploiting, we are in the business of entertaining.
Kurtis Grimes
Financial Analyst
Ameristar Casino Black Hawk
Responsible gaming. We make the effort every day to educate our patrons, but there are still so many that don’t completely understand all that it entails. As a food and beverage supervisor, I am familiar with one major piece of the responsible gaming puzzle and that is responsible alcohol consumption while gaming.
It’s never easy to explain to a grown man or woman why we are monitoring their alcohol consumption. Many don’t understand why they can monitor their own drinking in other bars but not at ours. The simplest answer we can give them is that we are not like any other bar. Our bars are an amenity so that the guest can enjoy an adult beverage while gaming. To expect to become intoxicated without consequence in our establishment is a common misconception.
Responsible gaming is important to the food and beverage department and, we strive daily to encourage our patrons to embrace it as well.
Kathy Hoyt
Food & Beverage Supervisor
Argosy Casino Alton
Responsible gaming is in both my professional career and my personal life. As a casino dealer, I am responsible for game protection and game control. I also want to make sure my players are having fun through outstanding customer service.
As a gaming company employee, I am responsible for staying abreast of jurisdictional gaming regulations and laws and our company’s best practices.
As a patron, I enjoy responsible gambling when family or friends come to town. I personally know to have a budget when gambling. I enjoy every minute of play, and I know when to stop because it is only a game.
In Las Vegas, gambling is prevalent in our grocery stores, the airport, and even if we want to go to the movies. It is also my livelihood. Balancing gambling in both your career you’re your personal life is not only responsible, it is imperative to your personal success and fun!
Kerrie Kimball
Product Compliance Analyst
SHFL entertainment
Responsibility requires balance. Balance requires control. To me, responsible gaming means being able to find a healthy balance between the thrill of playing and the inevitable cost of losing. It means having the self-control to quit while you’re ahead or to cut your losses before they affect you or your family. When you are losing more than just money—when gaming ceases to be a game—that is not responsible gambling.
Bo Lockwood
Associate Artist
SHFL entertainment
Here's a haiku:
Never bet more than
You are willing to forfeit.
Else, have a good time.
Donald McGaughey
Engineer
SHFL entertainment
The modern world is consumed with far away news and events; however there are still problems closer to home. Problem gambling is widespread and many casino employees see the signs of it daily. The best way to help stem the spread of problem gambling is through knowledge. Responsible gaming is an issue that affects everyone, both employees and patrons alike. Employees share their knowledge on a daily basis, and they are the first line of contact with a problem gambler. This provides employees a chance to give pamphlets on the subject or the problem gambling hotline number to the problem gambler. These small acts make it possible to help in a non-obtrusive way. Everyone is responsible when it comes to problem gambling. It takes education, resources, and time to help those in need. By educating the team members, the knowledge of responsible gaming can spread through friends, family, and even patrons.
Jessica B. Peters
Surveillance Observer
Ameristar Casino Resort Spa Black Hawk
Let’s agree on one concept, “all entertainment costs.” From my experiences in life, everything that I have enjoyed has cost me in one way or another. Some activities cost in time, sacrifice and energy, while others require monetary contributions. Let’s examine this closer by way of the following example:
When planning a vacation to a U.S. destination for my husband and kids we have to anticipate costs - time and energy for transportation, lodging, meals and entertainment. The goal of this and all vacations is simply enjoyment!
When you make an investment, the end goal is typically enjoyment or a means to enjoyment. With that being said, when spending time and resources gaming, the enjoyment gained is just as fulfilling as a planned vacation. As you plan a budget for a vacation, the same approach can be taken to truly enjoy your gaming experience responsibly.
Beverly V. Ramjass
Accounting Manager
Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park
As I sit at the poker table I get a read on the players around me. I can see who “needs” to win, and who is just in it for the thrill of the game. However, there’s more to it than that. If you are playing because you “need” to win, then you have lost already. Gaming in name and in nature implies entertainment and should be taken as such. Looking past the players, at the surroundings, you see a beautiful parlor for this high stakes game of strategy and odds. It's a perfect setting which allows one to be lost in the moment if not careful. Being responsible means knowing what you can and can't push all in at the table. More importantly it is when you know if you can even slide up a chair and ante up. So what will it be?
Ryan Schulhauser
Webmaster – Marketing Department
Ameristar Casinos Inc.
The views expressed in these essays are those of the authors and not the American Gaming Association.