1. If you reside in another state, services may be located through the National Council on Problem Gambling’s website at www.ncpgambling.org. The ECPG Website is designed to provide information on education and treatment programs and services created and/or administered by the Evergreen Council on Problem Gambling.
2. Caesars Entertainment has been recognized as the industry leader in responsible gaming since the 1980s and has an unparalleled track record in leading the industry.

Our Code of Conduct

We want all our customers to have fun and to enjoy our properties safely. We are committed to a policy of responsible gaming at our gaming and pari-mutuel racing properties.

While we recognize the overwhelming majority of our customers enjoy our various forms of gambling and non-gambling amenities responsibly, we also understand that there is a small proportion of the population who do not.

To protect them, and others affected by their behavior, we have established a set of policies and guidelines modeled after the American Gaming Association’s Code of Conduct for Responsible Gaming. The “Code” establishes minimum standards that address problem gambling, underage gambling, improper use of alcohol, responsible marketing and advertising, and the prevention of unattended minors.

New York State Gaming Commission Responsible Gaming Resources We are here to provide you the resources you need to make informed decisions about the many gambling entertainment options New York State has to offer.

Penn National Gaming and its properties use a variety of approaches to promote responsible gaming including employee training programs, customer awareness campaigns, self-exclusion and financial restriction programs, written procedures for recognizing and managing these issues, use of outside experts, and ongoing monitoring and review to gauge the effectiveness of these programs.

It is widely believed that 1 percent to 2 percent of all gamblers are compulsive and that most experience varying degrees of depression and problems in their lives. Participating in games of chance becomes a self-medicating distraction, providing only temporary relief from underlying problems associated with compulsive behavior.

How do you know if you have a gambling problem?

Ask yourself the following questions:

• Have you often gambled longer than you had planned?
• Have you often gambled until your last dollar was gone?
• Do thoughts of gambling cause you to lose sleep?
• Have you used your income or savings to gamble while letting bills go unpaid?
• Have you made repeated, unsuccessful attempts to stop gambling?
• Have you broken the law or considered breaking the law to finance your gambling?
• Have you borrowed money to finance your gambling?
• Have you felt depressed or suicidal because of your gambling losses?
• Have you been remorseful after gambling?
• Have you ever gambled to get money to meet your financial obligations?

If you or someone you know answers yes to any of the above questions, consider seeking professional help or advice by calling the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

What can you do if you have a problem?

Admit that you have a progressive illness that won't go away by itself. Thousands of people have received help through Gamblers Anonymous or other programs designed specifically for people with gambling problems.

Concern for Children

Penn National Gaming, Inc. is committed to providing a safe and secure environment for all its guests, visitors and team members.An important part of this commitment is to ensure that our patrons do not leave minors unattended either inside or outside of the facility.Penn posts signage informing parents and guardians not to leave children unsupervised.Team members are trained to be on the lookout for any unattended children and to report any such children to our security department while keeping an eye on the child until security arrives on the scene.

Prevention of Underage Gambling/Alcohol Consumption

Responsible Gaming Usa

Available Resources by State

Besides the National Problem Gambling Helpline, individual states also run free confidential problem gambling help lines and provide online information on problem gambling. For those seeking more information, or assistance with these issues, the following individual state resources are available:

Florida
1-888-ADMITIT
www.gamblinghelp.org

Illinois
1-800-GAMBLER
www.icpg.info/

Indiana
1-800-9-WITHIT
www.indianaproblemgambling.org

Iowa
1-800-BETSOFF
www.1800betsoff.org

Kansas
1-800-522-4700
www.ksgamblinghelp.com

Louisiana
1-877-770-STOP
www.helpforgambling.org

Maine
1-800-522-4700

Maryland
1-800-522-4700
www.mdgamblinghelp.org

Massachusetts
1-800-327-5050
www.mahelpline.org/problemgambling

Michigan
1-800-270-7117
https://www.michigan.gov

Mississippi
1-888-777-9696
www.msgambler.org

Missouri
1-888-BETSOFF
www.888betsoff.org

Nevada
1-800-522-4700
www.nevadacouncil.org

New Mexico
1-800-572-1142
www.nmcpg.org

New York
1-877-8-HOPE or text: HOPENY to 467-369
https://www.gaming.ny.gov/gaming/index.php?ID=3

Ohio
1-800-589-9966
www.ncpgambling.org/state/ohio/

Pennsylvania
1-800-GAMBLER
www.pacouncil.com

Texas
1-800-522-4700

Virginia
1-888-532-3500
www.vacpg.org

West Virginia
1-800-GAMBLER (in WV)
1-800-522-4700
www.1800gambler.net

The National Council on Problem Gambling
730 11th Street, NW
Suite 301
Washington, DC 20002
1-202-547-9204

National Help Line
1-800-522-4700
ncpgambling.org

Gamblers Anonymous International Service Office
PO Box 17173
Los Angeles, CA 90017
1-213-386-8789
gamblersanonymous.org

Gam-Anon International Services Office, Inc.
PO Box 157
Whitestone, NY 11357-0157
1-718-352-1671
gamanon.org

Cambridge Health Alliance Division on Addiction
divisiononaddiction.org

National Center for Responsible Gaming
ncrg.org

American Gaming Association
americangaming.org

Responsible Gambling Resources

• DownloadNCPG’s Guidelines for Payment Processing
• DownloadNCPG’s Responsible Gaming Principles for Sports Gambling Legislation
• Download NCPG’s Resolution on the Legalization of Sports Gambling (Feb 2017)
• DownloadNCPG’s Fantasy Sports Consumer Protection Guidelines Final December 4 2015
• DownloadNCPG’s Internet Responsible Gambling Standards
• DownloadNCPG Compliance Comparison Online Responsible Gaming Regulations Updated
• DownloadGRADE Social Game Consumer Protection Guidelines v3
• DownloadNCPG Affiliate Guide for Casino Employee Responsible Gaming Program March 2016

Guidelines for Payment Processing
Excessive spending on gambling, leading to significant financial harm, is a hallmark of gambling problems. Each type of payment—from cash to credit cards—has different structural characteristics that may impact problem gambling. Innovations in payments technology and changes in consumer behavior continue to change, shifting risk and protective factors as a result. Gambling operators, vendors, payment processors, financial institutions, regulators – and people who gamble – all have important roles to play in minimizing harm. These guidelines are based on an informed consumer choice model.
Read the full press release here.

Initiative: 1% for Responsible Gambling
Gambling affiliate BettingUSA.com, a licensed US online gambling affiliate, has pledged to donate one percent of its earnings to the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) in order to help minimize the harms that will likely occur through the expansion of gambling and sports betting in the US. Together the two organizations call on other affiliates in the legal US gambling space to match BettingUSA’s leadership by joining the 1% Initiative. “NCPG advocates for states to earmark 1% of gambling revenues to responsible gaming and problem gambling programs, and since most states fall well short of that target, we believe that it is in the best interests of the industry to contribute,” BettingUSA.com’s Steve Ruddock said. “BettingUSA.com is proud to spearhead this initiative alongside NCPG. We call on all gambling affiliates, and anyone else involved in the industry, to join us.” Read the full press release here.

Participants will receive a digital emblem to proudly display on their digital media. To join the initiative, contact Barbara Rollins, Deputy Director for Advancement, at BarbaraR@ncpgambling.org

Responsible Gaming Principles for Sports Gambling Legislation
NCPG’s Responsible Gaming Principles for Sports Gambling Legislation provide a basis for new regulations and legislation that may be enacted to allow sports betting. The principles will help protect individuals, gaming companies, and legislators by assisting the creation of reasonable efforts to prevent harm and provide treatment.

Download NCPG’s Responsible Gaming Principles for Sports Gambling Legislation

Resolution on the Legalization of Sports Gambling
NCPG’s Resolution on the Legalization of Sports Gambling calls upon all stakeholders in the discussion over legalized sports gambling to recognize the potential impact on gambling addiction. The resolution offers direct actions for legislators and regulators, leagues and teams, and the media to minimize harm as a result of increased gambling participation.

Download NCPG’s Resolution on the Legalization of Sports Gambling

Responsible Gaming Education Week

NCPG supports Responsible Gaming Education Week and urges members to work with gaming operators and regulators to train employees and raise awareness of gambling problems and responsible gaming solutions during RGEW and year around. For more information goto: https://www.americangaming.org/advocacy/toolkits/responsible-gaming

NCPG’s Fantasy Sports Consumer Protection Guidelines

The guidelines outline essential age verification, player information, self-exclusion and data and customer assistance provisions. These guidelines were based on NCPG’s best-practice Internet Responsible Gambling Standards and adapted specifically for the fantasy sports industry. The guidelines were approved by the NCPG Board of Directors on December 4, 2015.

NCPG’s Internet Responsible Gambling Standards

The National Council on Problem Gambling has developed these standards to help guide discussions among all stakeholders on internet gambling, including operators, regulators, advocates and the public.

The standards contain specific recommendations in the areas of policy, staff training, informed decision-making, assisting players, self-exclusion, advertising and promotion, game and site features, and working with research.

NCPG reviewed current internet responsible gaming codes and regulations from around the world (see Appendix A) to guide the development of this standard. The final recommendations in this document flow from our 40 years of experience in problem gambling issues, existing international codes (in particular the Responsible Gambling Council’s draft internet gambling standards), empirical evidence and feedback from experts in the field including operators, regulators, researchers, clinicians and advocates. We have also considered Federal laws governing the online purchase of age-controlled products like alcohol and tobacco. The NCPG standard is a work in progress as internet gambling-related legislation, regulation and technology continue to evolve rapidly. The graphical and interactive structure of the internet provides an opportunity to create informed consumers with access to a variety of information designed to encourage safe choices and discourage unsafe behavior, including through setting personal limits and self-excluding. These programs can be improved by requiring operators to make de-identified play data (e.g., demographic, session, game and transaction data) publicly available. Analyzing actual player behavior leads to better understanding of gambling and problem gambling.

It is strongly recommended that operators and regulators consult with experts in the problem gambling field during the development and implementation of internet gambling. Problem gambling, like other diseases of addiction, will likely never be eliminated, but we must make better efforts to mitigate the damage. A portion of all gambling revenue must be dedicated to reduce the social costs of gambling addiction.

DownloadNCPG’s Internet Responsible Gaming Standards.

Public survey of online responsible gaming regulations

In spring 2014, NCPG commissioned Gambling Compliance to conduct a first-ever public survey of online responsible gaming regulations, finding states are off to a good start but still short of best practice.

DownloadNCPG Compliance Comparison Online Responsible Gaming Regulations Updated.

GRADE: Social Games Consumer Protection Guidelines

Version 3: October 21, 2013

DownloadGRADE Social Game Consumer Protection Guidelines v3

Social games with casino themes are among the fastest growing segments of the game industry. Yet significant uncertainly remains about the definitions and risks. Indeed, many social game developers and operators, including major gaming companies, argue that social games do not meet the definition of gambling and therefore requires no regulation. NCPG does not take an opinion on the legality of social games or whether they should be regulated.

NCPG believes that consumer protection standards are important as it is likely that some users of social games with casino themes may experience negative consequences. Operators benefit by protecting a significant source of revenue, providing good customer service and engaging with regulators and legislators in a positive manner. Regulators have an obligation under the “precautionary principle” to protect the public especially when faced with a brand new and fast-growing gambling-like activity. Organizations like the National Council have a duty to advocate for consumer protection.

Many social games with casino themes utilize features that are regulated, prohibited or not possible in regulated gaming environments. Some of these features are argued by some to contribute to greater risk of problem gambling. They include high frequency and speed of play, lack of minimum age policy and enforcement, “opaque” game mechanics, no specific oversight or consumer protection, unclear differentiation between social and “real money” games, among others.

The intent of the standards is to facilitate discussions about consumer protection among operators, regulators, legislators, consumer advocates and the public. While it is likely that many social games encourage lengthy play, our focus is placed on social games with casino themes that are free-to-play but have ways in which the consumer can spend real money. As noted, some argue that it is likely that some users are currently or at-risk for gambling addiction, and that as a result they may spend excessive amounts of time and money on social games with casino themes, leading to negative consequences.

As with internet gambling, the graphical and interactive structure of the social media provides an opportunity to create informed consumers with access to a variety of information designed to encourage safe choices and discourage unsafe behavior. Some game features could be utilized to promote responsible play, such as granting coins for setting voluntary limits, or for reading through the educational information.

These guidelines are a work in progress as social gambling continues to rapidly. As we collect more information on actual player behavior we will be able to further determine what, if any, consumer protection and regulation is necessary. We encourage the social game developers and operators to work with NCPG to provide this data. We encourage feedback and comment and believe all stakeholders have an interest in reducing possible harms from social games with casino themes.

NCPG Affiliate Guide for Casino Responsible Gaming Training Programs March 2016

DownloadNCPG Affiliate Guide for Casino Employee Responsible Gaming Program March 2016

Responsible Gaming Education Week

This guide was developed by the State Affiliate Chapters (“Affiliates”) of the National Council on Problem Gambling (“NCPG”) to provide guidance for Affiliates to conduct and advise on the training of casino employees. While this document was initially developed for the training of casino employees, the basic principles likely apply to any type of gaming and for community awareness programs.