Rivers Casino fined for luring gambling addicts

Rivers Casino fined for luring gambling addicts
Casino says offering incentives to people on don't-let-me-gamble list was a mistake
By Jennifer Delgado, Chicago Tribune reporter
March 23, 2012

Rivers Casino in Des Plaines has been fined $25,000 [a pittance!] for trying to lure in a small number of self-proclaimed gambling addicts with cash advances and rewards cards.

In its first weeks of operation last summer, the casino sent promotional materials to four people, authorized two cash advances to one person and issued the rewards incentives to seven others — all of whom had placed themselves on the state's don't-let-me-gamble roster, said Gene O'Shea, Illinois Gaming Board spokesman.

Rivers general manager Bill Keena said the violations happened by mistake and that "we take our responsibility to be a good corporate citizen very seriously." The casino was given some credit for reporting the errors itself, avoiding a fine that could have been several times larger.

In 2008, for example, Hollywood Casino Aurora received an $800,000 penalty for mailing promotions to 146 self-restricted gamblers, O'Shea said.

The self-exclusion program allows problem gamblers to ban themselves from all Illinois casinos. Per gaming board rules, each venue must design and enforce a system that detects participants who are in the casino and removes their names from mailing lists and marketing databases.

Like all other fines issued, the $25,000 will go to the state's education assistance fund.