Leadership

Gaming Association Expands Code of Conduct for Casino Industry

With an updated code of conduct, the American Gaming Association hopes to encourage responsible gaming behavior among casino patrons.

The American Gaming Association is ready for a rethink of how it handles the industry’s biggest problem.

This week, during a meeting in Atlantic City, New Jersey, AGA announced a new Code of Conduct for Responsible Gaming [PDF] that focuses on preventing compulsive gambling, preventing minors from getting on the floor, and ensuring that alcohol is served responsibly.

“AGA is committed to leading the effort to ensure our customers enjoy the casino gaming industry responsibly,” AGA President and CEO Geoff Freeman said in a news release. “Our updated Code of Conduct will ensure our members and their employees have the tools needed to ensure a safe, responsible experience for all customers.”

The code—which makes separate pledges to casino patrons, employees, and the public—greatly expands on an earlier version of the standards, which was only one-page long and didn’t cover all types of gaming, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.

On the gaming front, it strongly encourages AGA members to make clear the odds of winning and losing at different games, to make information on responsible gaming available, and to allow players to openly refuse casino perks, out of interest of kicking a gambling habit, if they so ask. Additionally, the association has pledged that it will advertise responsibly, avoiding marketing targeted at children and anything implying illegal activities.

The Associated Press notes that the pledge comes at a time when deadly incidents involving people who had suffered gambling losses have drawn media attention—particularly a random murder in Cleveland that was aired on Facebook Live.

AGA Senior Director of Gaming Policy Elizabeth Cronan noted that issues of responsible gaming were widely considered throughout the industry—but emphasized that the new code reinforces these issues.

“We appreciate that this is an issue that must be top of mind industrywide for all employees, from those that interact daily with consumers on the gaming floor to the senior executive leadership and the boards of directors,” she said in comments reported by the AP.

(iStock/Thinkstock)

Ernie Smith

By Ernie Smith

Ernie Smith is a former senior editor for Associations Now. MORE

Got an article tip for us? Contact us and let us know!


Comments