Gaming

Problem gambling: New training offered

By Liz Benston / Staff Writer

In the coming months, several major casino companies are expected to begin training their employees on the dangers of compulsive gambling, using an online training program courtesy of the National Center for Responsible Gaming.

It's the first foray into the realm of training for the National Center, created by the American Gaming Association trade group in 1996 to raise money for problem gambling research. The National Center has been working on a "best practices" training program as a way to understand the disease using the best research available on the subject, said Judy Patterson, executive director of the American Gaming Association.

That research comes from the Institute for Research on Pathological Gambling and Related Disorders at Harvard Medical School's Division on Addictions.

The institute was funded and created by the National Center in 2000 to serve as a clearinghouse for grant money awarded to educational institutions and researchers worldwide.

Representatives of both groups were on hand earlier this month for the National Council's sixth annual Conference on Gambling and Addiction at Mandalay Bay.

The online program, which offers an employee quiz at the end, isn't a new idea. The Nevada Council on Problem Gambling, part of a national network of state affiliates that aren't part of the National Center, were training employees and casino managers in Nevada years before the state passed a law in 1998 requiring properties to train gaming workers.

More than 70 Nevada casinos and tens of thousands of workers have since participated in the Nevada Council's program.

Some casino companies such as Harrah's Entertainment also have crafted their own training programs for employees.

The Nevada Council believes its in-person presentation accompanied by a videotape featuring compulsive gamblers is more effective for a widely diverse employee population than an online version. The group still welcomes the AGA's effort.

"In a field where 10 years ago nobody wanted to do this, there's certainly room for more competition," Nevada Council Executive Director Carol O'Hare said. "I don't view anyone doing more as a bad thing. I think it's dangerous to start assuming that one size fits all."

In conjunction with the employee training program, the Harvard Institute will be offering a "train the trainers" program for casino managers who will step into the role of educating subordinates about the disorder and how to spot warning signs.

The Venetian in Las Vegas recently participated in a pilot program that is expected to be available to all gaming companies -- from casinos to racetracks and lottery systems -- starting next year.

The training program is bound to further rankle critics who have long complained of the casino industry's link to much of the research generated on problem gambling. The Harvard Institute's research panel claims to fund deserving experiments independent of casino input.

A lot of the available research focuses on what's going on at the micro level, such as brain activity or specific behaviors associated with gambling. Critics say more should be done in the trenches, helping people who are facing down the desperation of a gambling problem.

The information now available on problem gambling is only as good as the research that has so far been done on the disease, said Christine Reilly, executive director of the Harvard Institute.

"We have better research but not enough research," Reilly said. "If you don't know what's going on inside the brain, you won't know how to treat this disorder."

Most states with commercial casinos have some sort of requirement to educate employees about problem gambling. This education process, for the most part, is limited to a basic knowledge of how the disease manifests itself and doesn't put employees in the position of counseling customers or referring them to treatment programs.

There's plenty of research available to prove that compulsive gambling is an illness like alcoholism or drug addiction. But there's still no magic bullet to help cure problem gamblers or prevent them from developing problems in the first place, Reilly contends.

"There are no prevention programs now that have been scientifically evaluated," she said.

Even helpline numbers, which have become sacrosanct in many states, aren't a proven method of curing compulsive gamblers or preventing them from gambling, she said.

Meanwhile, states continue to implement gambling programs as part of efforts to legalize or consider slot machines and casinos. Several states have programs in which gamblers can be barred from casinos or prevent casinos from offering free drinks to gamblers. For the first time, Nevada this year will begin spending tax dollars on problem gambling treatment.

All of these programs are experimental in the eyes of the National Council and the Harvard Institute.

There was plenty of skepticism on display during this month's problem gambling conference that was reserved for prevention efforts.

One session explored the implementation of "safety measures" for slot machines in Canada that can slow the speed of play, set time and bet limits for gamblers, feature digital clocks and show cash spent as opposed to "credits."

Some slots in Manitoba, for example, also feature buttons with problem gambling help including myths about "hot" slots.

Paternalistic governments such as Canada's aren't acting based on research about what works and what doesn't, panelists said. Some safety measures could end up exacerbating a gambling problem, such as speeding up their play to fit into a time limit, they said.

The limited research available on whether such "safe" machines work to curb problem gambling is fairly inconclusive, experts said.

It's widely believed that compulsive gamblers will find their way around these roadblocks the way an alcoholic will find a way to another bottle of liquor.

In other words, "safer" machines may not be much help for someone in the throes of a gambling obsession. For the people who treat problem gamblers, breakthroughs come slowly, the hard way -- through one-on-one counseling sessions with people who are facing down the desire to gamble 24 hours a day.

Liz Benston covers gaming for In Business Las Vegas and its sister publication, the Las Vegas Sun. She can be reached at (702) 259-4077 or by e-mail at benston@lasvegassun.com.

IBLV Homepage