The National Council on Problem Gambling, the national advocacy organization for individuals and their families affected by problem gambling, has bestowed its Corporate Social Responsibility Award on Hard Rock International and Seminole Gaming for its PlayersEdge employee training program. The award was presented at the recent NCPG Digital Symposium and National Awards Ceremony. It’s the second time Seminole Gaming received the award, having won it in 2014.
Introduced in December 2019, the PlayersEdge program is the first comprehensive gambling literacy and education program designed by a U.S.-based gaming operator. The program’s segmented education strategy applies to all gamblers—novices, experienced regulars and players who could be problem gambling risks. To compare, most responsible gambling programs primarily focus on problem gamblers.
The PlayersEdge program introduces staff to game facts and casino etiquette, and also helps players understand their own behavior, identify risks of gambling and develop positive gaming habits. The program also offers assistance with voluntary self-exclusion and provides referrals to professional help and counseling services.
Hard Rock International Chairman and Seminole Gaming Chief Executive Officer Jim Allen said, “We want to thank the National Council on Problem Gambling for this award and for recognizing the PlayersEdge program. We also want to acknowledge the Florida Council for Compulsive Gambling, our Vice President of Global Social Responsibility Paul Pellizzari and Dr. Rory Reid of UCLA for their help in creating the PlayersEdge training.”
Meanwhile, Seminole Gaming announced it will upgrade its Safe + Sound program by hiring new team members across five Seminole Gaming locations to focus on managing guest compliance with Covid-19 protocols. These include the proper use of mandatory face coverings, social distancing, crowd control and no moving while eating or drinking. Previously, Hard Rock guests could lower their masks and walk the casino floor while eating, drinking or smoking.
Allen said program enforcement specialists will wear distinctive uniforms to enhance guest awareness of the protocols. Guests who do not adhere to Safe + Sound requirements will be asked to leave the property. Allen noted the new team members would be chosen for their ability to be “customer-friendly, but yet firm.”
Allen said, “The addition of more Safe + Sound program enforcement specialists is a further enhancement of our industry leading commitment to ensure the health and safety of our guests and team members. Our comprehensive approach to dealing with Covid-19 is meant to ensure public safety and give our guests peace of mind when they return.”
