Two initiatives—one new and one ongoing—were celebrated last week at the American Gaming Association.
During the first week in August the American Gaming Association observed the 17th annual Responsible Gaming Education Week, when the association urged the public to “Get to Know Responsible Gaming.”
According to CEO and President Geoff Freeman, “Responsible gaming begins before the customer walks through the doors of the casino. Our industry takes problem gambling seriously and commits millions of dollars each year to raise awareness among our employees, who watch for signs of problem gambling, and our patrons, to help them game responsibly.”
Freeman noted that 70 percent of casino visitors are middle class and that almost 75 percent set a gaming budget when they walk through the casino doors. Most spend less than $200 per visit, surveys show.
Most patrons, besides gambling, visit casinos to have fun with friends, dine and go to a concert.
Later in the week, the association announced it has partnered with KidsandCars.org, a child safety group, to combat incidents of casino patrons leaving their children in parked cars while they gamble.
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, a number of recent incidents raised alarm among gaming officials. A California woman is facing felony child abuse charges for leaving two small children in her car in July while she gambled. A month earlier, a Bay Area mother was charged with child endangerment for leaving her young sons in a car while she played blackjack.
A Baltimore woman who left her child unattended in a vehicle for eight hours while she gambled at Maryland Live! Casino in December recently pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment. And last spring, police in suburban Philadelphia were called to the Parx Casino. In the parking garage, they found an 18-month-old boy inside a Lexus. His father had left him there while he gambled inside the resort.
“Responsible gaming begins before the customer walks through the doors of the casino,” said AGA President Geoff Freeman. “Through our partnership with KidsAndCars.org, we will raise awareness among our employees and further strengthen our security practices for these rare, but avoidable tragedies.”
KidsAndCars.org President Janette Fennell said the “unique partnership” will help raise awareness in the gaming industry and “educate other industries about how they too can become leaders in preventing children from being left alone in vehicles.”
