WASHINGTON – If a blackjack dealer in a casino senses that a customer is no longer enjoying the game, what should the dealer do? If a lottery retailer notices a customer regularly cashes his paycheck to play the lottery, how should the retailer intervene? Dilemmas such as these demand the attention of those experienced in diagnosing and treating addictive disorders. In an effort to provide various audiences involved with gaming, including front-line employees, with information to better understand disordered gambling as well as promote responsible gaming, the American Gaming Association (AGA) has launched the AGA Responsible Gaming Lecture Series.

“By bringing experts to our communities, they can share their knowledge directly with employees and others involved in the gaming industry,” said AGA President and CEO Frank J. Fahrenkopf, Jr. “This grass-roots approach to responsible gaming education will complement the national activities we have directed for the past several years, as well as the training and other programs already being conducted by our companies.”

The 2002 lecture series will debut June 19 on the campus of the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Presented by the Missouri Alliance to Curb Problem Gambling, the lecture by Robert Ladouceur, Ph.D., of Universite Laval in Quebec will focus on appropriate intervention techniques for operators in the gaming industry. An expert in the field of psychology for more than 30 years, Ladouceur is the author of numerous articles and studies focusing on the behavior of compulsive gamblers and potential treatment methodologies.

The lecture series, a component of the AGA’s Responsible Gaming National Education Campaign, will bring together independent experts with gaming industry employees, regulators, mental health providers, area residents and others to discuss some of the most recent breakthroughs and developments in disordered gambling and responsible gaming. Future host communities for the series will identify topics and appropriate audiences based on their current local issues and needs. The AGA will serve as the sponsor of each lecture, assisting each jurisdiction in identifying appropriate speakers and covering honoraria and travel expenses.

The second lecture in the 2002 series will take place this summer in Atlantic City, N.J. Ernie Allen, president of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, will discuss unattended minors in casinos. The final 2002 lectures are expected to take place this fall in Denver and winter in Chicago/Springfield, Ill. Both lectures are scheduled to address new developments in problem gambling treatment.

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.