The NCRG And Aga Are “All In For Responsible Gaming”
Even though Responsible Gaming Education Week only happens once a year, the American Gaming Association (AGA) and the National Center for Responsible Gaming (NCRG) focuses on responsible gaming year-round through programs and education initiatives. As in past years, the NCRG is joining with the AGA to encourage casinos and their patrons to understand how to gamble responsibly for Responsible Gaming Education Week, July 30 to August 3. During this year’s Responsible Gaming Education Week, we’ll use Gambling Disorders 360 to highlight some of the NCRG’s responsible gaming resources, as well as successful tools from other groups.
The NCRG believes that education is an essential component of increasing awareness of gambling disorders and promoting responsible gaming. There are two key NCRG programs that are used to develop and enhance responsible gaming programs in the gaming industry. ThePartnership for Excellence in Education and Responsible Gaming (PEER)program is a dynamic, one-of-a-kind program created by the NCRG to provide the tools and resources needed to develop a comprehensive and world-class responsible gaming program.EMERGE,which stands fortheExecutive, Management and Employee Responsible Gaming Educationprogram, is a science-based online training program for gaming industry employees, but can be used by everyone.
PEERwas created to help gaming organizations create a comprehensive responsible gaming education program rooted in sound science but practical and understandable for all employees and patrons. A codified approach to responsible gaming is vital for success, but not everyone has the necessary resources to implement a comprehensive program. This is wherePEERcomes into play. The program was based on theNCRG’s Code of Conduct for Responsible Gamingand membership inPEERprovides organizations full access to thePEERResource Guide, a blueprint for developing and implementing a world-class gaming education program, regardless of the size of the gaming facility.
A key component ofPEERisEMERGE,the NCRG’s web-based training program developed by addiction specialists at Harvard Medical School.EMERGEis customizable to any gaming facility and translates the most current scientific research on gambling disorders into a practical tool for casino employees at all member casinos. Current casinos who are usingEMERGEinclude San Manuel Band of Mission Indians in California and Dooley’s Club of Australia. In fact, in the spring of 2010,Tribal Government Gamingmagazine featured an article about the responsible gaming measures already in place at tribal casinos and how some of these operations, including San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, have expanded their efforts to include science-based technological innovations, such asEMERGE.
You can view the introductory video forEMERGEbelow to learn more about how the program works. For more information onPEERorEMERGE, contact Amy Martin at (202) 552-2689 or visit www.ncrg.org/peerprogram. Please feel free to let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
NCRG staffResponsible Gaminggambling disordersNational Center for Responsible GamingNCRGoutreachprogramsresourcesresponsible gaming
