LAS VEGAS — The gaming industry has raised $185,000 in support of research and education on disordered gambling from the 16th annual Gaming Hall of Fame Charity Dinner and Induction Ceremony to be held tonight in Las Vegas. This event, organized by the American Gaming Association (AGA), is the largest annual fund-raiser for the National Center for Responsible Gaming (NCRG).

Primary sponsors of the 2004 Gaming Hall of Fame charity dinner include Station Casinos, Inc., which owns and operates the Green Valley Ranch Resort, which is hosting the event, and Southern Wine & Spirits of Nevada, which has served as a major benefactor for the Gaming Hall of Fame dinner since 1997. Other leading sponsors include Farrington Productions, which produced the evening’s entertainment, and Roger and Sandy Peltyn, who developed the décor. Sponsorships, advertising and ticket sales generated the balance of funds raised by the event.

“Our company has been involved in the Gaming Hall of Fame dinner since its inception because we want to do our part to help improve prevention and treatment of problem gambling,” said Larry Ruvo, senior managing director of Southern Wine & Spirits of Nevada. “It’s an issue that’s important not only to the gaming industry but also to the entire business community in Nevada, and this is one way we can show our support.”

The 2004 Gaming Hall of Fame inductees include Fred Benninger, a noted Las Vegas casino executive and developer responsible for the development of the MGM Grand Las Vegas and other major gaming properties; Jack Binion, chairman and CEO of Horseshoe Gaming Holding Corporation and the “father” of Las Vegas poker; and Don Rickles, a comedic legend whose performances have been entertaining casino-showroom audiences for more than 45 years.  Benninger, who passed away earlier this year, will be inducted posthumously.

“Tonight’s dinner is significant for two reasons,” said Frank J. Fahrenkopf, Jr., AGA president and CEO and co-chairman of the Gaming Hall of Fame dinner. “Not only do we honor individuals who have made an indelible impact on our industry, but we raise funds

for groundbreaking research that has truly revolutionized the way we study and treat disordered gambling. By supporting this event and the NCRG, our companies and other attendees play an active role in enhancing our understanding of disordered gambling and promote responsible gaming.” 

Festivities at tonight’s event will include a Cuban-inspired gourmet dinner prepared by a team of chefs from the Green Valley Ranch Resort, followed by a short alfresco concert at Green Valley Ranch’s Whiskey Beach. Headlining the evening’s entertainment is international recording artist Olga Breeskin, accompanied by the Third Dimension Orchestra. Breeskin, whose virtuoso style of violin playing has entertained audiences worldwide, is considered one of Latin America’s most talented and glamorous superstars.

Induction into the Gaming Hall of Fame is the highest honor accorded by the gaming-entertainment industry. Each year, two or more individuals who have distinguished themselves through significant contributions to the industry receive this honor. More than 50 people, ranging from entertainment legends Wayne Newton and Frank Sinatra to influential executives William Harrah and William Boyd, have been inducted into the Gaming Hall of Fame since its inception in 1989.

For more biographical information on the 2004 Gaming Hall of Fame inductees, click here [2].

The American Gaming Association (AGA) is the national trade association for the commercial casino industry. In addition to representing the interests of its members on federal legislative and regulatory issues, the AGA serves as a clearinghouse for information, develops educational and advocacy programs, and provides leadership on industry-related issues of public concern.

The National Center for Responsible Gaming (NCRG), the only national organization devoted exclusively to public education about and funding of peer-reviewed research on disordered gambling, was established in 1996. The NCRG supports the finest peer-reviewed basic and applied research on gambling disorders; encourages the application of new research findings to improve prevention, diagnostic intervention and treatment strategies; and enhances public awareness of pathological and youth gambling. To date, the casino industry and related businesses have committed more than $13 million to this effort, and the NCRG has issued more than $8 million in support of groundbreaking research on gambling disorders. In 2000, the NCRG established the Institute for Research on Pathological Gambling and Related Disorders at Harvard Medical School’s Division on Addictions. For more information, visit www.ncrg.org [3].

The Institute for Research on Pathological Gambling and Related Disorders is a program of the Division on Addictions at Harvard Medical School.  In accordance with the Harvard University name policy, the Institute for Research on Pathological Gambling and Related Disorders should not be referred to as the “Harvard Institute…” or the “Harvard Medical School Institute…” For more information about the use of the Harvard name, visit http://www.techtransfer.harvard.edu/UseOfName.html [4].