MASHANTUCKET, Conn. – With the national Problem Gambling Awareness Week taking place March 9 – 15, Foxwoods Resort Casino has launched two initiatives to help address the problem among young people and women.
Foxwoods, in partnership with the Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling, will distribute a 30-minute docudrama called ;’21” to public and university libraries in Connecticut.
A pamphlet created by the Connecticut Women’s Problem Gambling Project, a program of the state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, will be made available throughout Foxwoods, directing patrons to outlets where treatment is available.
”Both the video presentation and the pamphlet use approaches that have been shown to be effective for both the young and women,” said John Perry, vice president of compliance at Foxwoods and co-chair of its Responsible Gambling Committee. ”The Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling has created an excellent video that explores the issue through real-life experiences.”
The annual awareness week is co-sponsored by the National Council on Problem Gambling and the Association of Problem Gambling Service Administrators. The goal of the grass-roots public awareness and outreach campaign is to educate the general public and health care professionals about the warning signs of problem gambling and raise awareness about the help that is available both locally and nationally.
The groups’ research finds that 2 – 3 percent of the U.S. population will have a gambling problem in any given year. That’s 6 million to 9 million Americans: yet only a small fraction seeks out services, such as treatment and self-help recovery programs, according to the council’s Web site.
Awareness Week aims to promote the availability of counseling support services to help minimize the effects of this national problem and provide a message of hope and help to those in need.
During Problem Gambling Awareness Week, Foxwoods will also run new public service announcements on the subject throughout the property and send electronic notices to employees to further educate them on the subject.
”The weeklong problem gambling observance is important to put a spotlight on an addiction problem that is not as well known as others,” said Marvin Steinberg, executive director of the Guilford-based Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling.
The relationship between Foxwoods and the Connecticut Council began when the gaming resort opened its doors in February 1992. It was one of the first responsible gambling programs in the United States. In addition, Foxwoods provides funding for a 24-hour hotline that serves Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island to assist people with gambling problems. For employees, the subject is reviewed at initial orientation meetings; posters are distributed in back-of-house areas and on FNN, the Foxwoods News Network.
Foxwoods was also a pioneer in the self-exclusion program, now in existence at casinos throughout the country. Administered by the independent Mashantucket Pequot Gaming Commission, the program allows guests to sign a legally binding contract that effectively bars them from returning to the property. Other responsible gambling initiatives include the development and distribution of pamphlets to guests who seek casino credit.
In its role as a responsible member of the gaming industry, Foxwoods recognizes that there are social costs associated with gaming, and supports the development of awareness and prevention programs for problem and underage gambling, both on its property and in the community.
Foxwoods is the largest gaming facility in the country. It is owned by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and is located in southeastern Connecticut.
