WASHINGTON - The American Gaming Association (AGA) is marking its fifth annual Responsible Gaming Education Week (Aug. 5-9) by launching its first-ever interactive quiz on the AGA Web site to test employee as well as public awareness of responsible gaming and disordered gambling.

The quiz, created with the guidance of the Institute for Research on Pathological Gambling and Related Disorders at Harvard Medical School’s Division on Addictions, includes such questions as “What percentage of adults in the United States currently have a gambling disorder?” and “What is the legal gambling age in the United States?” Individuals will be able to respond to the questions then immediately get answers and explanations. The AGA will announce informal results of the quiz by sector -“casino,” “regulatory,” “lottery,” “media,” “government” and others - at the conclusion of Responsible Gaming Education Week.

“We are constantly looking for new and innovative ways to get the message out about responsible gaming,” said AGA President and CEO Frank J. Fahrenkopf, Jr. “With the quiz, people can logon to the AGA Web site, answer the questions, and immediately walk away with a greater understanding of the important issues relating to this topic. The Internet allows us to reach a large audience of people and educate them in a serious yet engaging way.”

The week also will feature the second lecture in the AGA Responsible Gaming Lecture Series, taking place Thursday, Aug. 8 in Atlantic City, N.J. Ernie Allen, president and CEO of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, will deliver the lecture, “Keeping Children Safe: Challenges for the Gaming Industry,” to an audience of casino managers and security staff, regulators, local government officials and members of law enforcement. Responsible Gaming Education Week is part of the Responsible Gaming National Education Campaign, a long-term, comprehensive program spearheaded by the AGA that includes the lecture series, training and workshops, materials development and other initiatives.

AGA members across the country also are planning a wide range of activities as part of Responsible Gaming Education Week, from the launch of a communitywide public awareness initiative in Southern Nevada to posting responsible gaming messages on casino marquees; producing new videos for employee training; conducting employee information session rallies, contests and training; developing and displaying posters, brochures, signage and other collateral; producing buttons, T-shirts and stickers; sending PSAs to local radio and television stations; sponsoring seminars; and setting up computer work stations for employees to take the AGA quiz.

The quiz will remain on the AGA Web site throughout the week.

The AGA represents the commercial casino-entertainment industry by addressing federal legislative and regulatory issues. The association also serves as a clearinghouse for information, develops educational and advocacy programs, and provides leadership on industry-related issues of public concern.