LAS VEGAS, June 17 - Nevada gaming officials will join national experts on problem gambling June 18 to unveil the American Gaming Association’s (AGA) second edition of the Responsible Gaming Resource Guide and preview a new national problem gambling public service announcement. These activities will be part of the three-day 12th National Conference on Problem Gambling sponsored by the National Council on Problem Gambling and hosted by the Nevada Council on Problem Gambling.

Bill Bingham, vice president, Bellagio, and chair of the AGA’s Responsible Gaming Task Force, will introduce the latest edition of the Resource Guide, which was developed by the Task Force, an active and aggressive group charged with identifying, developing and implementing responsible gaming programs and policies throughout the gaming-entertainment industry.

“The industry is reaching out to state and local organizations, as well as problem gambling experts, to address this serious issue of problem and underage gambling,” said Bingham. “The information in this Resource Guide is a good example of what can be accomplished when we all work together to combat the problems that exist.

“Although the vast majority of those who participate in gaming as an entertainment option do so without any problems, the industry believes that one problem gambler is one too many,” Bingham said. “As good corporate citizens, the industry is very proactive in confronting this issue head-on.”

According to Judy Patterson, AGA executive director and senior vice president, “the first edition of the AGA’s Resource Guide was widely accepted and used throughout the industry as the primary tool to establish socially responsible problem gambling programs. With even more information in the second edition, we anticipate broad interest in this as well.”

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.

In addition to unveiling the second edition of the Resource Guide, representatives of various state councils and members of the industry will preview, during the half-hour June 18 program, a new national problem gambling public service announcement designed to educate the public about the resources available for problem gambling. The PSA was produced by Grand Casinos, Inc. Christine Reilly, executive director of the National Center for Responsible Gaming, will present the PSAs to all 33 state councils on problem gambling for use in their continuing educational efforts. Additionally, video-taped copies of a presentation made by Dr. Howard Shaffer, director of the Harvard Medical School’s Division on Addictions, on the results of his recent study, Estimating the Prevalence of Disordered Gambling Behavior in the United States and Canada: A Meta-analysis, will also be made available to state councils.

The presentation made by the AGA’s Responsible Gaming Task Force will take place Thursday, June 18, 1998 at 9:45 a.m. at the Alexis Park Resort, 375 E. Harmon Ave., Las Vegas.

Joining Bingham and Reilly at the podium will be Jim Hippler, senior vice president, Boyd Gaming Corporation, Carol O’Hare, executive director, Nevada Council on Problem Gambling, Sue Cox, executive director, Texas Council on Problem & Compulsive Gambling and Nancy Lance, executive director, Colorado Council on Compulsive Gambling.

* Copies of the PSA and the AGA’s Responsible Gaming Resource Guide will be available to media in attendance. If you would like to order a copy of the Resource Guide, please fax a written request to the AGA at 202/637-6506. The cost for AGA members is $35.00 and for non-AGA members it is $50.00.