Responsible Gaming

Caesars Entertainment's Commitment to Responsible Gaming

Caesars Entertainment's commitment to responsible gaming led to the development of the industry's first-ever broadcast advertising campaign focused specifically on responsible gaming. Ads featuring CEO Gary Loveman explain the importance of responsible gaming and how responsible gaming is an important part of our Code of Commitment.

Taking a Leadership Position

Promoting responsible gaming is part of the heritage and culture of Caesars. It's the foundation of our Code of Commitment, which spells out the principles that govern the way we do business. Our company's long-standing and continuing commitment to responsible gaming is something we take great pride in. Caesars position on this issue is clear: we want everyone who gambles at our casinos to be there for the right reasons - to simply have fun. We believe that all entities involved in legal wagering have an obligation to promote responsible gaming and address underage gambling.

Caesars, then named Harrah's, pioneered the casino entertainment industry's first responsible gaming efforts over a decade ago when a group of employees formed a task force to study the issue of problem gambling. After months of research, the task force developed the industry's first initiative to help employees, guests, and the public understand the importance of responsible gaming and the prevention of underage gambling.

Caesars continues to be the casino industry's chief advocate for promoting responsible gaming. We have implemented two responsible gaming programs, Operation Bet Smart® and Project 21®, as well as an Unattended Children Policy.

Additionally, Caesars works with the National Council on Problem Gambling, Inc., its local councils, and other service agencies in our markets on a continuing basis to promote a better understanding of responsible gaming and underage gambling. In fact, we provided the initial funding to establish the National Council's twenty-four hour toll free helpline. We also support research on these issues through on-going financial contributions to the National Center for Responsible Gaming. Caesars launched the casino industry's first broadcast advertising campaign to promote responsible gaming and increase awareness of toll free helpline numbers. We were awarded the National Council's first corporate award, which recognized Caesars for its proactive efforts on responsible gaming. Caesars invites other members of the casino industry to join us in promoting responsible gaming.

Operation Bet Smart®

Operation Bet Smart®: Know When To Stop Before You Start® is a program designed to formally train employees about the importance of responsible gaming and the policies and procedures of Caesars responsible gaming programs. While we recognize our employees are not social service counselors, Caesars feels that encouraging employee awareness puts employees at a comfort level, helps them understand the company's position on the issue, and supplies them with valuable information and direction to potentially help others.

At all our casinos, we provide responsible gaming signage on the casino floor and back-of-house so that employees always know where to refer customers requesting assistance. We also provide responsible gaming information in brochures, on hold messages, and Caesars responsible specific media campaign, as well as including helpline phone numbers on all marketing collateral, player cards, and hotel directories. These communication efforts serve to provide our customers an unobtrusive vehicle for obtaining more information about responsible gaming and seeking assistance.

Project 21® - We Care. We Card.®

This initiative teaches casino employees, minors, parents, and guardians about the consequences of gambling under the legal age. Casinos are not for our kids. We do not hesitate to uphold the laws concerning the legal gambling age in each state.

For more than a decade, Caesars has been the chief advocate of Project 21®, now an industry-wide program that encompasses employee training and public awareness about underage gambling. Caesars Entertainment is committed to keeping minors off the casino floor. Project 21® is now a licensed program for any casino in our industry to use, and any casino can contribute to Project 21® scholarship efforts. We are very proud that the success of Project 21®has let it outside our door and into the halls of high schools across the U.S.

Other Project 21® efforts include the front and back-of-house signage, detailed employee training on cues for identifying minors, and the on-going creation of materials to keep employees and players aware. Like Operation Bet Smart®, Project 21® also includes the creation of materials for public education, such as TV public service announcements.

All Caesars employees are trained to card individuals who appear to be below the age of 30, as well as ways to detect potentially invalid identification. If a minor is trying to gamble under false identification, our security officers will intervene and may contact outside law enforcement. We want all of our customers to have an enjoyable time at our properties, but we will not condone breaking the law. We Care. We Card.® And we will take action.

Looking Out for Kids

Another educational campaign and policy that Caesars has undertaken concerns the presence of unattended children on property. Our Unattended Children Policy is a communication effort that encourages parents not to leave children unattended at our properties, and trains employees on the proper approach to use upon discovering an unattended child. Seeking to urge parents not to leave their children without adult supervision, every Caesars casino has standard procedures to promote parental responsibility and protect the safety of children and minors. Parents are informed through signage and brochures about our policies and employees are asked to keep an eye out and call security for any child that has been left unattended.

National Helpline

In 1995, Caesars Entertainment helped fund the creation and start-up of the first national helpline (1-800-522-4700) for problem gambling - providing callers with counseling and direction to local assistance in any state. Our funding to assist local health service agencies, councils, and seminars continues yearly through funding efforts by our corporate office and casino properties. Knowing gambling problems can potentially reach the "other side" of the table, Caesars Entertainment provides confidential counseling assistance for employees through our Employee Assistance Program.

Self Restriction/Self-Exclusion

Our "self-restriction" program allows a person to request not to receive direct marketing by Caesars owned, managed, or operated properties, as well as be denied credit and check cashing privileges. Our "self-exclusion" program allows a guest to request to have all privileges, including play privileges denied at all Caesars owned, managed, or operated properties. Forms to request self-restriction or self-exclusion are available at all Caesars owned, managed, or operated properties or by calling 1-800-694-9960.

Other Resources

For self-help materials for problem gamblers, we encourage you to download Harvard Medical School's "Gambling - Your First Step To Change" toolkit.

For additional information about problem gambling, visit the National Council on Problem Gambling's website. If you or someone you know might have a gambling problem, call the National Council on Problem Gambling's toll-free helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

Click here for Responsible Gaming at Caesars Windsor.