MGM Adopts Responsible Gaming Program Throughout its Casinos

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Tuesday, March 14th, 2017 | Written by Stephen Smith

Many people who oppose online gambling believe that casinos prey on individuals who have addictive personalities, taking advantage of them and causing them to gamble away their life savings. A recent move by MGM Resorts defies that belief, and may help to change the perception of the casino industry for the better.

Responsible Gaming Program

Last month, MGM Resorts released a statement indicating that it will be launching a responsible gaming program called GameSense at all of its casinos in the United States. MGM Resorts became familiar with the program while launching its casino in Massachusetts, as under that state’s law, all casinos must implement responsible gaming programs. Once the executives at MGM Resorts became acquainted with GameSense, they made the decision to bring the program to all of its casinos.

Promote Positive View of Gambling

In the statement, the executive vice president of global government and industry affairs for MGM Resorts, Alan Feldman, stated that the company wants to promote a positive approach to gambling. In other words, MGM Resorts wants the casino experience to be fun, and its hope is that by offering GameSense, it can encourage players to stop playing when they become stressed, or reach their financial limits. Feldman emphasized the point that he doesn’t want players to feel as if they have to answer to the gaming police, but rather, he wants them to have the tools available to make informed choices and stick to their own limits.

“MGM is excited to adopt the GameSense platform and to form this dynamic research enterprise,” explained Alan Feldman, MGM Resorts International Executive VP of Global Industry Affairs. “Our vision for GameSense is to transform the guest experience at our properties by providing a program that is rooted in enhanced customer service, player education, and leading research.”

GameSense Offers Unique Approach

GameSense takes a unique approach to responsible gaming, with the program involving setting up kiosks in prominent areas of land-based casinos, and letting staff informing players as to their existence, and benefits. Players who want to participate register for an account can then set up daily limits for play so that they do not overextend themselves. When they reach their limits, they can subsequently choose to raise them, or to shut themselves off. Players can also lock themselves out of the casino for a set period of time if they believe they are suffering from a gambling problem.

Combating Gambling Addiction

MGM Resorts is launching the GameSense program to further its efforts to help address gambling addiction, and as part of this mission, the company has entered into a partnership with the University of Nevada in Las Vegas (UNLV). The institution is known for conducting gambling research, and MGM Resorts plans to make all of the data collected through GameSense available to university researchers for study purposes. In addition, they are donating $1 million over the next 5 years to fund a study of the data. Through this partnership, MGM Resorts hopes that researchers will learn more about the causes of gambling addiction, the prevalence of the problem, its risk factors, and what can be done to address them.

While so far, no other major casino operators in the United States have joined MGM Resorts in launching GameSense at their casinos, the program is in place in numerous small properties across the United States and Canada. Should more casinos begin using it, a strong message would be sent out with the potential for far reaching benefits that would not only affect the players themselves, but also the perception of the casino industry as a whole for the better.

BCLC Inspired Program

The GameSense program was developed by the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC), which regulates all gambling activities in the western region of Canada. Commenting on MGM’s decision to embrace its program, BCLC President Jim Lightbody stated:

“We believe it’s our role to take the lead in providing better responsible gambling programming that supports our players, helps reduce harm and strengthens the gaming industry as a whole. We are thrilled MGM Resorts recognizes the value of our GameSense program, and wants to align with us to further the positive role it can play in reducing gambling-related harm.”