Not so long ago there was news that in Queensland, Australia, they were considering introducing gambling education to young children in schools – something we have been recommending for several years. Where better to be taught about odds and probabilities? In South Australia this week, poker machine legislation and the reduction of pokie numbers is to be debated in the State’s Upper House, and case studies are likely to be heard as well as statistics. The state of Victoria has just banned known criminals from gambling establishments in Melbourne, with the full co-operation of Crown Casino and other major gaming venues. In Western Australia, a gambling addiction expert Professor Bernhard, Director of Gambling Research from the University of Nevada, has said that Australia needs to come to grips with its gambling problem.

Sky City Casino in Adelaide is to introduce an early intervention programme to detect problem gamblers, in a further response to the need to deal with problem gambling. The New Zealand-based Sky City Entertainment Group Ltd has an extensive Host Responsibility programme and will now train dedicated Host Responsibility Co-ordinators who will be available on site 24/7. They will work in collaboration with counselling agencies and treatment providers. The Sky City staff will be specially trained to look for early warning signs of gambling or alcohol problems in customers.

In Adelaide, Sky City management recognizes that its business has the potential to contribute to the negative social impact arising from problem gambling or excessive alcohol consumption, and its focus is to minimise the effects. They have devised a number of Host Responsibility initiatives that include training staff, irrespective of their areas of operation, from introductory training for back-of-house employees to specialist advanced training for front-of-house senior management. There is a self-barring programme and referrals to treatment providers; stickers on gaming machines and ATMs giving gambling help-lines; patrols to detect unattended children in cars; a ‘Don’t Lose Your Shirt’ campaign in six languages and widely available as posters, wallet cards and brochures; and clocks in all Sky City gaming venues.

Apart from attempting to alleviate problem gambling in a responsible manner, Sky City Adelaide has an extensive community donations programme. Each year it supports the fundraising efforts of over 250 local charities, schools, hospitals and community groups. This Monday (22 November, 2004) the company has announced a $100, 000 sponsorship of the Starship Paediatric Diabetes Centre, and it helps fund the McGuinness McDermott Foundation for seriously ill children.

Sky City maintains that it is in the business of entertainment and that problem gambling is good for neither the casino nor the person affected. They dedicate considerable time and resources to putting systems in place that can identify and help anyone with a gambling problem. This latest initiative of early prevention has resulted from the company’s collaboration with the Churches Gambling Taskforce and the Break Even counselling network. The Independent Gambling Authority (IGA) has acknowledged Sky City’s pro-active stance and commitment to tackling problem gambling in its 2003/04 Annual Report.

With all the negative publicity that casinos are getting at present, it is good to report something positive about the industry and its social impact. In Adelaide alone there are many people who benefit from their neighbourhood casino, and responsible companies like Sky City Entertainment, and many others around the world, do not take the money and run. They plough back considerable amounts into the community and ensure that everything possible is done to identify and treat the few addictive personalities that get hooked on gambling.

© Copyright 2004 CasinoCompendium



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