Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc., has been a leader in promoting responsible gaming since the early 1980s, and this year, during Responsible Gaming Education Week, Aug. 1-5, Harrah’s properties across the nation, including Harrah’s Cherokee, will reinforce employee and public education programs to raise awareness.

This year’s industry-wide theme for Responsible Gaming Education Week, set by the American Gaming Association, is “We’re Banding Together to Keep It Fun,” which reinforces our commitment to keep gambling what is should be – entertainment.

Harrah’s Entertainment has a Code of Commitment, which governs the conduct of our business. It is a public pledge to our communities, guests and employees to honor the trust they have placed in us. One of the most important aspects of that trust is responsible gaming.

We emphasize to our employees, guests and communities that casino gaming is appropriate entertainment for adults only. An essential part of that commitment is training. We understand that gaming can be problematic for a certain segment of the population and that problem gambling is an addiction that must be dealt with by professionals after the individual recognizes it. As a company, we train our employees to offer appropriate information to customers who request it and we display in our ads, brochures, and signage, toll-free helpline numbers where actual counseling and assistance can be accessed. We also have a process in place to honor the requests of customers who wish to be denied access to our casino and the services we offer.

Another aspect of our Code of Commitment is to provide training for our employees in preventing under-age individuals from playing in our casinos and to be vigilant in watching for unattended children — both in our hotel and in our parking areas. We do not sponsor events intended to serve children, and we do not advertise in areas frequented by large numbers of children.

During Responsible Gaming Education Week, we conduct information sessions to remind employees that these issues are important. We stress that as a team, we must be aware of situations where our actions can have a lasting and profound effect on the community. And we use this week to let our customers know that we care about their welfare and are taking a proactive stance to address customer gambling problems.

We also try to make Responsible Gaming Education Week fun for our employees. Through activities, games and competitions we strengthen their understanding of what customers may ask of them, and we train them to be more confident in speaking with anyone who may ask for help. We also work to make sure our guests know that employees are focused on the issue throughout the year, but that this week is singled out to reinforce our Code of Commitment.

By Tom O’Donnell, senior vice president and general manager at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino & Hotel in Cherokee