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XVP--Park Place Lists Prob Gamblers

#1

Casinos Start List of Problem Gamblers
By ADAM GOLDMAN
ASSOCIATED PRESS

LAS VEGAS (AP) - The world's largest casino company is creating a
list of problem gamblers who would be barred for life from all Park
Place Entertainment casinos, company officials said Tuesday.

Problem gamblers on the list would also lose any jackpots they win on
return visits to Park Place casinos, which include Caesars, Bally's
and Hilton properties.

"By creating this innovative, industry-leading program, we are making
the strongest possible statement about our company's commitment to
responsible gaming," said Bernard E. DeLury Jr., Park Place executive
vice president and general counsel.

People can be placed on the company's "Responsible Gaming List" by
voluntary self-exclusion - or involuntarily if casino employees learn
any of its patrons are problem gamblers.

A barred person could be kicked off casino property and forced to
forfeit all winnings, and will not be able to receive credit, cash
checks or receive complimentary services.

Though casinos often ban gamblers who are caught cheating and some
have lists of names of people who ask to be barred, it's highly
unusual to ban customers who showed evidence of having a gambling
problem. Persons would not be involuntarily put on the list just for
gambling a lot, but could be listed if casino staffers heard them
express fear of financial ruin or other such comments.

I. Nelson Rose, a professor at Whittier Law School in California who
studies and consults on the gambling industry, said Park Place could
be setting a positive trend.

"This is very strong," he said. "They don't have to do this. They are
definitely taking pre-emptive action for reasons of morality, social
consciousness and self-protection from lawsuits."

Voluntary, statewide self-exclusion lists have gained popularity as
more states turn to gambling for revenue. Missouri, Indiana,
Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, New Jersey and New Mexico all have
self-exclusion lists, said Kevin Mullally, executive director of the
Missouri Gaming Commission.

But questions remain about the lists' legality and whether they are
effective in deterring pathological gamblers. Rose warned that Park
Place could be inviting legal trouble by recognizing some people have
gambling problems.

"As sad as it sounds, recognizing a problem and trying to do
something about it may invite lawsuits," he said.

Park Place owns, manages or has an interest in 29 gambling
properties, operating under brand names including Paris, Flamingo and
Grand Casinos.

Park Place will begin implementing the program in January.

#2

Perhaps I'm just being paranoid, but does anyone else here see a
potential for abuse from this particular policy:

"Problem gamblers on the list would also lose any jackpots they win
on return visits to Park Place casinos, which include Caesars, Bally's
and Hilton properties."

Here's a possible scenario: Casino waits until a known advantage
player (perhaps a card counter who has been kicked out before from
one of their sister casinos) hits a large progressive Royal Flush
jackpot. Executive approaches player and says "Sorry sir, we have
you on our involuntary list of 'problem gamblers', therefore, you
must forfeit your jackpot".

If this sounds like a stretch, remember that many of these same
casinos think nothing of illegally detaining players by forcing them
into the back room for the "crime" of using their brains to play a
card game.

And another thing - People who have a gambling problem really have
a "losing" problem. After all, there wouldn't be nearly so much of a
problem if they were actually making money from gambling instead of
losing all the time. So I don't see how denying them payment on some
lucky jackpot that they might happen to collect after sneaking back
into the casino will help the problem gambler. But it will certainly
help increase the profits of the casino....

EE

#3

Missouri has a Voluntary Exclusion Program. Players
can ask to be put on the Problem Gamblers List, but I
don't believe they can be put on the list
involuntarily. Being on the list bars them from all
Missouri casinos, forever. All Missouri casinos MUST
participate in the program. That means not sending
any adverising or promotion offers to people on the
list. It also means detaining anyone on the list they
catch in their casino or even trying to gain entrance
to the casino. It must be reported to the police and
the gambler charged with trespassing.

carlos

ยทยทยท

--- lawrenceboxer <ljboxer@earthlink.net> wrote:

---------------------------------

Casinos Start List of Problem Gamblers
By ADAM GOLDMAN
ASSOCIATED PRESS

LAS VEGAS (AP) - The world's largest casino company is
creating a
list of problem gamblers who would be barred for life
from all Park
Place Entertainment casinos, company officials said
Tuesday.

Problem gamblers on the list would also lose any
jackpots they win on
return visits to Park Place casinos, which include
Caesars, Bally's
and Hilton properties.

"By creating this innovative, industry-leading
program, we are making
the strongest possible statement about our company's
commitment to
responsible gaming," said Bernard E. DeLury Jr., Park
Place executive
vice president and general counsel.

People can be placed on the company's "Responsible
Gaming List" by
voluntary self-exclusion - or involuntarily if casino
employees learn
any of its patrons are problem gamblers.

A barred person could be kicked off casino property
and forced to
forfeit all winnings, and will not be able to receive
credit, cash
checks or receive complimentary services.

Though casinos often ban gamblers who are caught
cheating and some
have lists of names of people who ask to be barred,
it's highly
unusual to ban customers who showed evidence of having
a gambling
problem. Persons would not be involuntarily put on the
list just for
gambling a lot, but could be listed if casino staffers
heard them
express fear of financial ruin or other such comments.

I. Nelson Rose, a professor at Whittier Law School in
California who
studies and consults on the gambling industry, said
Park Place could
be setting a positive trend.

"This is very strong," he said. "They don't have to do
this. They are
definitely taking pre-emptive action for reasons of
morality, social
consciousness and self-protection from lawsuits."

Voluntary, statewide self-exclusion lists have gained
popularity as
more states turn to gambling for revenue. Missouri,
Indiana,
Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, New Jersey and New
Mexico all have
self-exclusion lists, said Kevin Mullally, executive
director of the
Missouri Gaming Commission.

But questions remain about the lists' legality and
whether they are
effective in deterring pathological gamblers. Rose
warned that Park
Place could be inviting legal trouble by recognizing
some people have
gambling problems.

"As sad as it sounds, recognizing a problem and trying
to do
something about it may invite lawsuits," he said.

Park Place owns, manages or has an interest in 29
gambling
properties, operating under brand names including
Paris, Flamingo and
Grand Casinos.

Park Place will begin implementing the program in
January.

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#4

eecounter wrote:

Perhaps I'm just being paranoid, but does anyone else here see a
potential for abuse from this particular policy:

"Problem gamblers on the list would also lose any jackpots they win
on return visits to Park Place casinos, which include Caesars,
Bally's and Hilton properties."

I can tell you that if you place yourself on the "self-exclusion" list
in New Jersey, any casino can legally refuse your attempt to collect
winnings if you subsequently play in one.

The winnings would instead be escheated to the state. The casino
cannot retain such withheld winnings, just as they can't retain most
any other funds abandoned by a player.

- Harry