Monday will see the start of the eighth annual Responsible Gaming Education Week in the United States, and gaming industry leaders will unveil a new campaign to promote responsible gaming awareness. This year’s American Gaming Association (AGA) campaign will feature fashionable elastic wristbands in bright orange that will be worn by most casino employees across the country. The theme of the campaign is ‘We’re Banding Together to Keep it Fun’ and its purpose is to educate employees and the community about problem gambling warning signs and ways to seek treatment if necessary.

Harrah’s Entertainment has been a leader in promoting responsible gambling, implementing policies as far back as the early 1980s. Its programmes for both staff and clients have been so successful that they have been licensed to other casino companies for use in their own properties. The AGA was established in 1995 and has developed the Code of Conduct for Responsible Gaming. These guidelines govern underage gambling, alcohol service, advertising and research as well as employee and customer education. The Code was enacted in September 2003 and commits companies to making responsible gaming an integral part of daily operations.

The AGA website provides detailed information about House advantage and understanding the odds. Pressing the point that making a bet should be part of an enjoyable outing and that a lucky talisman or other superstition can have no effect on a result, the advice is ‘When you gamble for fun, you’ve already won.’ Responsible Gaming Education Week, which runs from 1 – 5 August, aims to ‘Keep gambling what it should be – Entertainment’ and to help ensure that people who like to gamble set themselves limits before making their wager.

The orange wristbands in English and Spanish are being sold for $1 with the proceeds from the campaign going to the National Center for Responsible Gaming, an independent nonprofit organization created in 1996 with funding from AGA members for public education and research on gambling disorders. (E-07.29.05)

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