A “Best In Class” Approach to Problem Gambling

The advent of commercial casino gaming in Upstate New York will undeniably provide significant new sources of tourism, employment opportunities, capital investment, and tax revenue to the state as well as to host communities and regions. At the same time, and perhaps counterintuitively, it will also provide an opportunity for New York to develop a “best in class” approach among U.S. states for the promotion of responsible gaming and the provision of problem gambling services to those in need.

How can this be? And why would Caesars, the nation’s largest commercial casino company, even care?

Caesars’ position on responsible gaming is simple and unequivocal: Caesars wants everyone who gambles at the company’s casinos to be there for the right reasons—to simply have fun. Caesars does not want people who cannot gamble responsibly to play at Caesars’ casinos or, for that matter, at any casinos. This position explains why Caesars became the first gaming company to address problem gambling when it pioneered its first programs some 25 years ago.

Problem gambling is bad for the casino business.

Failing to properly address the issue makes it difficult to attract and keep talented employees committed to delivering the best customer service. It damages employee morale. And it certainly detracts from the atmosphere of fun and conviviality that are so crucial to both a gaming resort’s business success and its guests’ overall experiences.

Putting Caesars’ commitment to responsible gaming into action is a multifaceted effort. It has involved empirically-based employee training, significant investments in information technology, the review and audit of marketing campaigns, funding the first national helpline for problem gamblers, broadcast advertisements that improve awareness of problem gambling services, rigorous self-exclusion and self-restriction procedures, and customer communications that provide practical information about skills and attitudes consistent with responsible gaming.

The effort is a responsibility that is shared from the executive boardroom to the employee cafeterias, across departments, and at Caesars destinations from Lake Tahoe to London.

New York’s development of a “best in class” approach to problem gambling and responsible gaming should also be a shared responsibility. Our experience operating casinos in a wide variety of settings, formats, and regulatory climates suggests a few lessons that might guide New York in this effort.

First, key stakeholders have to commit to and collaborate on reducing the incidence and prevalence of gambling-related afflictions. These stakeholders should include the treatment community, researchers, public health officials, government, and the industry. In New York, Caesars has already begun collaborating with the National Association of Social Workers-NYS Chapter, New York Mental Health Counselors Association, the New York Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, and the National Association for the Advancement of Psychoanalysis to build bridges of communication and ultimately a better foundation for policy and resource allocation decisions that best meet problem gambling-related needs.

Second, responsible gaming strategies should be empirically tested and evaluated before they are implemented, and testing should identify potential unintended consequences. They should also be monitored and reported against objectives. This, too, is a shared responsibility. Caesars has historically partnered with academics both in the development as well as the evaluation of its responsible gaming programs, and we would enthusiastically partner with New York-based researchers to tailor our responsible gaming efforts to meet local needs. We’ve learned, frankly, that there is a lot to learn.

And third, while responsible gaming is a shared responsibility, the various stakeholders should recognize and fully exercise their own specific roles in its promotion. For Caesars, making sure that individuals who think they might have a gambling problem are aware that help is available if they need it is the cornerstone of our responsible gaming efforts. Consistent with the counsel we have received from experts in the treatment and research communities, our job is not to diagnose mental illness or convince someone that they have a gambling problem. Rather, it’s to give people the knowledge and opportunity to help themselves.

We recognize, though, the opportunity we have in helping customers address their problems. We empower specially trained employees known as Responsible Gaming Ambassadors to have conversations with guests who express that gambling may be causing them problems. All frontline employees are trained to listen for and report things they hear that cause them concern about a customer’s gambling. We will, on occasion, deny a customer’s play privileges at our own discretion.

New York is among many states that have policies and laws designed to allow individuals and communities to enjoy the benefits of casino gambling and to prevent gambling-related harm. These goals are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they’re eminently achievable, with the commitment of all the industry’s stakeholders to share perspectives, expertise, and resources to effectively address problem gambling and make gaming a winning experience for all New Yorkers.

 Jan Jones Blackhurst is executive vice president of communications and government relations for Caesars Entertainment Corporation.