The Company Established Industry’s First Responsible Gaming Standards 30 Years Ago with Innovative Program That Has Trained More Than 4,000 Responsible Gaming Ambassadors
Caesars Entertainment Corporation (NASDAQ:CZR) (“Caesars” or the “Company”), one of the world’s most diversified gaming and entertainment companies, today honors the 30th anniversary of its Responsible Gaming program. In recognition of this monumental anniversary, Caesars is pledging more than $1 million to the National Center for Responsible Gaming and other third-party institutions in the U.S. and elsewhere to help further advance and shape the future of responsible gaming.
“Thirty years ago, Caesars Entertainment took the initiative to create the first responsible gaming program, serving our guests who could no longer play for fun. We were determined to provide meaningful solutions for problem and underage gaming,” said Jan Jones Blackhurst, Executive VP of Public Policy and Corporate Responsibility at Caesars Entertainment. “Since then, we have continuously invested in cutting-edge research, training and technology to create a holistic program that respects the privacy of our guests who need our intervention. We view Responsible Gaming as the concern of all Caesars’ team members; it is central to how we operate as a business.”
Highlights from Caesars Entertainment’s first 30 years of Responsible Gaming include:
- Project 21: In 1989, Caesars Entertainment implemented the “Project 21” program, which educated its entire workforce that it is everyone’s responsibility to deter underage gambling and service of alcoholic beverages to minors.
- Operation Bet Smart- All-Employee Responsible Gaming Training: Since 1993, all team members have been required to complete problem gaming awareness and educational training.
- Industry’s First Helpline: In 1995, Caesars, in partnership with AT&T and the National Council on Problem Gambling, established the industry’s first national toll-free helpline, (800) 522-4700, for gamblers who might need assistance. Caesars was also the first casino company to provide that helpline across a constellation of customer contact points.
- Nationwide Self-Exclusion: Caesars became the first gaming company to offer a nationwide self-exclusion and self-restriction program in 1999. This policy allowed a guest to request to have all privileges, including play privileges denied at all Caesars owned, managed, or operated properties.
- First Mass Media Awareness Campaign: Launched the first television campaign focused entirely on Responsible Gaming awareness in 2002, featuring senior executives as well as frontline team members.
- Industry Recognition: First gaming company to have its CEO recognized for lifetime contributions to responsible gaming by the National Council on Problem Gambling in 1990.
- Shaped Industry Code of Conduct: Developed the casino industry’s first formal social responsibility code of conduct in 2000, which served as the model for the American Gaming Association’s Code of Conduct that was enacted in 2003.
- First Ambassador Program: Launched the first Responsible Gaming Ambassador program in 2003, more than 15 years ago. Today, the program includes more than 1,200 active Ambassadors in North America who are trained to assist guests who may show signs of a potential gaming problem.
- Accreditations from Third Parties: In 2012, Caesars Windsor received the first casino accreditation under the Responsible Gambling Council’s “RG Check” program, and in 2015 Caesars became the first gaming company in the UK to receive accreditation by ACE (Accreditation, Certification and Evaluation).
- In 2019, two meaningful third parties validated the work and commitment of Caesars Entertainment’s program and its innovative efforts to help players in need, including the Honorable Cheryl Moss, who operates the only problem gambling diversion court in the country.
“I continue to be impressed by Caesars Entertainment’s tireless work to promote responsible gaming to its guests and the industry. Their influential ambassador training program sets them apart from competitors and instills a standard for how RG programs should operate,” said Judge Cheryl Moss, 8th Judicial District Court – Las Vegas. “As the judge who presides over the only active gambling court in the United States, I need partners like Caesars Entertainment who have an unparalleled track record of supporting the communities in which they operate and are committed to leading the industry as gaming offerings expand across the country.”
“Caesars Entertainment is the most committed and community-minded gaming partner in the state of New Jersey,” said Neva Pryor, Executive Director of the Council on Compulsive Gambling in New Jersey. “They are an ally who understands the challenges of reaching problem gamblers and proactively seeks new ways to implement change within our communities and the gaming industry. It is their continued partnership that helps ensure we can offer problem gambling education, treatment and hope to those in need.”
All Caesars’ team members are trained in Responsible Gaming protocol within 30 days of their hire date. In the past five years alone, Caesars’ U.S. teams have spent more than 270,000 hours training in Responsible Gaming, which is the equivalent of 27 full-time employees.
For more information on Caesars’ Corporate Citizenship, please follow @CitizenCaesars on Twitter or Facebook and visit the Caesars Entertainment corporate newsroom at https://www.caesars.com/corporate/newsroom.
About Caesars Entertainment
Caesars Entertainment is one of the world’s most diversified casino-entertainment providers and the most geographically diverse U.S. casino-entertainment company. Since its beginning in Reno, Nevada, in 1937, Caesars Entertainment has grown through development of new resorts, expansions and acquisitions. Caesars Entertainment’s resorts operate primarily under the Caesars®, Harrah’s® and Horseshoe® brand names. Caesars Entertainment’s portfolio also includes the Caesars Entertainment UK family of casinos. Caesars Entertainment is focused on building loyalty and value with its guests through a unique combination of great service, excellent products, unsurpassed distribution, operational excellence and technology leadership. Caesars Entertainment is committed to its employees, suppliers, communities and the environment through its PEOPLE PLANET PLAY framework. For more information, please visit www.caesars.com/corporate.