Ka-ching! Gambling addicts’ problems just got worse.

Ka-ching! Gambling addicts’ problems just got worse.

AS THE allure and glitz of Las Vegas arrive at the Potomac on Thursday in the form of MGM’s gigantic $1.4 billion casino at National Harbor, much of the buzz has been about all the lovely lucre for the gaming industry and Maryland. So spare a moment to consider the cost — to the tens of thousands of compulsive gamblers in and around the Washington area whose exposure to extreme risk just got a lot worse.

An eye-opening article in the current issue of the Atlantic magazine describes the outsize marketing efforts by gaming companies to target problem gamblers, who consist of less than 20 percent of casino patrons but provide a hugely disproportionate share of the industry’s profits. From free limos, hotel suites, liquor and gifts, to easy credit and ingratiating hosts and hostesses, casinos know how to keep their best, and most vulnerable, customers coming back for more and more . . . and more.

That’s long been the case in Nevada and the 39 other states that have also legalized gambling and opened their arms wide to casinos in the past four decades. What’s changed, and changed remarkably, are the astonishing technological advances — specifically, in electronic slot and video poker machines — that play on gamblers’ weaknesses and leave millions of them even more helpless to quit their addictions.

As the Atlantic article puts it, “A significant portion of casino revenue now comes from a small percentage of customers, most of them likely addicts, playing machines that are designed explicitly to lull them into a trancelike state that the industry refers to as ‘continuous gaming productivity.’ ”

That “trancelike state” is induced by ingenious high-tech methods, including features that coax players into believing they’d very nearly won (as they lost), and induce them to keep playing by making their losses occur more gradually. Through highly sophisticated techniques, which also include assiduous monitoring and tracking of big-time spenders by gaming companies, players are induced to go beyond their limits and their abilities to absorb losses.

Even as Maryland has raked in hundreds of millions of dollars in annual tax revenue from casinos since they first opened in the state in 2010, the human price has mounted. Calls to the state’s gambling hotline — 800-GAMBLER — have climbed, and each year hundreds more people legally bar themselves from stepping inside a casino through the state’s Voluntary Exclusion Program (which is difficult to enforce).

By law, a minuscule portion of Maryland’s casino revenue is diverted to a state fund that provides counselors trained to deal with gambling addiction and pays for research and public awareness of the problem. But unlike some other states, Maryland — which with six casinos is now among the nation’s most concentrated gaming markets — offers no free treatment programs. Lawmakers in Annapolis have been negligent.

There are undeniable economic benefits from casinos for the state and, now, quite likely, for Prince George’s County, where MGM’s casino has created several thousand jobs. It would be foolish for lawmakers and the public to salivate over those while continuing to ignore the human toll.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/ka-ching-gambling-addicts-problems-just-got-worse/2016/12/07/8f172172-bcc1-11e6-ac85-094a21c44abc_story.html?utm_term=.b5a68355fb3b

The Casino Trap

As the gambling industry booms, aggressive marketing targets older patrons

by John Rosengren, AARP Bulletin, October 2016 

Casinos use marketing ploys to target older patrons — and empty their wallets. — Mark Peterson/Redux

Beauford Burton had enjoyed the occasional poker game in his youth, but in his 60s the slots hooked him. He and his wife, Sharon, started making the 2 1/2-hour drive every Friday from their home in Kings Mountain, N.C., to Harrah's Cherokee Casino Resort, where they won occasionally but lost more frequently. In one year, he lost about $50,000, nearly the equivalent of his annual salary as a manager in a textile company.

They often stayed longer than they'd intended—many times the casino would offer them a free hotel room Saturday night. Burton can't remember ever paying for a room. He had access to an exclusive bar with free drinks and food, preferred seating in the restaurants and suite upgrades in the hotel. Harrah's once flew the couple to its casino in Laughlin, Nev., and covered all their expenses—except, of course, what they gambled.

In the end, Burton knew that all of the freebies weren't really free, and that he had paid for them tenfold with his losses. "I have always known you don't get something for nothing, but I fell for it," he says. "It's the good old devil at work."

Over four years, the slots drained more than $100,000 from Burton's 401(k). But he kept playing. He cashed in a life insurance policy, took out cash advances on his credit card and gambled away Social Security checks meant to pay utility bills. Finally, in 2008, the gambling habit took his home.

By then, he was playing in a panic, betting up to $15 to $20 a spin, chasing his losses and pursuing the one illusory jackpot that he hoped would save him. "As you start to lose, you think, This is a luck thing, my luck is going to change," says Burton, now 73. "But the more you go, the more you lose. It ends up in desperation. I can see how people get so deep that it causes them to take their own lives, because it gets really, really bad."

The rise of the casinos

Of the 101 million visitors to America's casinos in 2014 (the last year for which information was available), nearly half were age 50 or older, according to data from the gambling industry. In 2014, American casinos reported over $66 billion in gambling revenue, and much of that profit came from these older gamblers.

A 2011 study published in the Journal of Gambling Studies revealed that many older adults viewed the casino as a place where they can socialize and escape from loneliness or grief.

It's never been easier for them to get to one. Long gone are the days when the twin casino meccas of Las Vegas and Atlantic City, N.J., represented the sole options for American gamblers. Regional casinos have proliferated dramatically since 1988, when the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act legalized casino development on Indian lands. That sparked a loosening of state prohibitions on gambling and a nationwide casino building boom. Today, 1,400 casinos are spread across 40 states. Regional casinos are especially attractive to those who prefer to drive themselves and do not want to have to spend the night. States with large populations of adults over 65, including Florida, Pennsylvania, New York, Michigan, Ohio, Massachusetts and West Virginia, have all expanded casino gambling in recent years.

Addiction experts alarmed

Older adults are an especially desirable demographic for the gaming industry because they fill the floors during off-peak hours, and casinos market to them aggressively, offering discounts on breakfast and lunch, free drinks and guarantees to "instantly win up to $1,000 Free Slot Play!" They stage free daytime entertainment such as polka dancing, magic shows and live "Golden Oldies" shows. The "third of the month club" provides complimentary shuttles from senior centers and retirement housing complexes on the day they receive their Social Security checks. Some casinos stock their bathrooms with adult diapers and disposal receptacles for diabetics' needles. They provide wheelchairs, walkers and more handicapped parking spots than a hospital. One Nevada casino operated an on-site pharmacy—since closed—where accumulated play credits could cover the standard $25 copay on medications.

The gambling boom—and the aggressive tactics the industry uses to lure older patrons—has alarmed addiction experts. Even casino patrons with no history of problem gambling can develop addictive behavior as they age. According to a 2005 study by David Oslin, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center in Philadelphia, 1 in 11 adults over age 65 bet more than they could afford to lose in the previous year. The study suggests that more than 4 million older Americans could have a gambling problem. "That's a higher rate than we have for most diseases," he says.

Notable high rollers

Earlier this year, the Hollywood Reporter devoted a cover story to one such pathological gambler—Emmy-winning television producer and writer David Milch, 71. Despite earning millions from the shows he helped create, including NYPD Blue and the critically acclaimed HBO series Deadwood, Milch ran up enormous debts betting on horse racing (also the topic of his short-lived HBO series Luck). According to a lawsuit filed by Milch's wife against the couple's business managers, between 2000 and 2011 his gambling losses reached $25 million, and he's now $17 million in debt.

For other high-rolling notables with well-documented gambling habits, such as NBA great Charles Barkley and actor Ben Affleck, sports betting and poker are the typical culprits. But the majority of everyday problem gamblers are camped out at the slot machines, which have evolved from the traditional one-armed bandits into highly sophisticated "electronic gaming machines" powered by proprietary computer chips. Slots are the biggest revenue producer for the industry and the most popular attraction for older gamblers: 3 out of 4 adults age 65 and older identify slots and video poker as their preferred form of gambling, according to a Harrah's survey.

Slot machines are the most addictive form of casino gambling, enticing users to 'keep playing' until they've suffered major monetary losses. — Naomi Harris

'Electronic crack'

Slots are also the most addictive form of casino gambling, with the machines designed to maximize your "time on device" until you're out of money. A 2001 study by psychiatrist Hans Breiter, then of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, confirmed that the machine's nickname—"electronic crack"—is an apt one. Using MRI scanners, he found that in subjects playing slots, the brain's neural circuits fired in a way that was similar to those using cocaine.

Several factors make gamblers particularly susceptible to addiction behavior as they age. Loneliness, social isolation and the loss of a spouse can encourage older people to seek relief in casinos. "For someone older who has been sick in the hospital or who is bored or lonely, that can have a big impact on them," says clinical geropsychologist Dennis McNeilly of the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.

More serious age-related cognitive decline plays a role, too. A 2012 study found that changes in the anatomy and chemistry of brains in dementia patients 65 and up, particularly in the frontal region—which controls executive functioning—"may render older adults particularly vulnerable to the stimulation provided by the slot machine." Dementia afflicts about 14 percent of the U.S. population over 70 years old, and an estimated half of those (nearly 2 million people) are undiagnosed. "With both the reward system and impulse controls impaired, that creates the perfect storm for someone to develop problems with gambling," says Michael Hornberger, a neuroscientist at the University of East Anglia in England. Cognitive issues can cause sufferers to lose their sense of money's value, and those with dementia often repeat a singular behavior such as pushing the button on a slot machine over and over. "They just keep playing as long as the casino lets them," Hornberger says.

In some cases, compulsive gambling behavior can emerge as a side effect of medications. Mark Stacy, a neurologist at the Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, N.C., noticed that several of his Parkinson's disease patients began reporting gambling problems after he had increased their doses of drugs called dopamine agonists, used to treat motor dysfunction. As many as 10 to 15 percent of Parkinson's patients who take the drugs exhibit this tendency, he says. "I believe these drugs do cause gambling problems where they otherwise would not occur. When you stop the drug, the behavior goes away."

Foes of casino gambling say that the industry actively targets vulnerable older patrons. For every 20 older patrons who walk through their doors, says Les Bernal national director of the advocacy organization Stop Predatory Gambling, the casinos want to "find a couple of them that they can take for all they're worth."

From social gambler to addict

Beauford Burton's experience at Harrah's Cherokee Casino is typical of such relationships.

In addition to sending birthday cards and weekly mailings with ticket deals to shows and vouchers for free play, the casino assigned a VIP host who called Burton at home to invite him back for various specials. Casino hosts often lavish personal attention on high-rolling older charges, asking about their health, reminding them to take their medicine and eating meals with them.

"The whole premise of a host is to extract as much money from that player as possible," says ex-host John-Talmage Mathis, who worked as VIP marketing director at the Boomtown Casino in Bossier City, La. "For older people, the host becomes their friend, giving them attention they may not be getting from their children or friends."

Casinos award hosts bonuses based on how much the gambler loses. "The losses of your player," Mathis says, "are your success."

As the industry seeks to expand, more women are being enticed into casinos, and more are experiencing problems, according to a study published in the journal Psychiatry.

Many slot machines are now designed specifically for women players, who, like longtime slots addict Melynda Litchfield, sometimes feel bonded with their machines. Litchfield, 56, worked 27 years at a Chicago-area hospital, climbing from staff nurse to administrator with a salary of $100,000.

Yet she couldn't afford a prom dress for her daughter because she lost so much playing slots at the Grand Victoria Casino in Elgin, Ill., 10 minutes from their home. For Litchfield, the atmosphere was as addicting as the machines themselves. The staff treated her warmly and called her by name. "They gave me so much personal attention and TLC that you get the false impression these people—who are milking away all of your money—actually care about you," she says.

The casino also served as an escape, to a place where she did not have to tend to the needs of anyone else. "I didn't want to talk to anyone," says Litchfield, who quit gambling in 2012 and is now a national victims advocate for Stop Predatory Gambling. "I just wanted to get lost in my machine."

Pushed toward the slots

Amy Ziettlow, a Lutheran minister and affiliate scholar at the Institute for American Values, visited casinos in Louisiana, Iowa and New York for her investigative report, "Seniors in Casino Land."

"The whole aim of trying to cater to the needs of the least among us simply to take their money is abusive," she says. "Owners push them toward the slots."

Industry advocates such as Chris Moyer, director of public affairs for the American Gaming Association, tell another story. "If seniors are enjoying the entertainment product we provide, there's no reason why they shouldn't be able to enjoy that in a responsible manner," he says. He points out that casinos do provide education materials on addiction, displaying pamphlets that urge patrons with gambling problems to call a toll-free help number. The casinos also encourage problem gamblers to put their names on self-exclusion lists. "The casino gaming industry takes extraordinary measures to spot those who need help and connect them to treatment," Moyer says.

As his addiction deepened, Beauford Burton found one of those pamphlets and called the 800 number. As he recalls, the person who answered his call just told him he should stop gambling if he couldn't afford it. "There was no meat to it," he says. "Once your intent is not to come back to them, I think they want to be clear of you."

After declaring bankruptcy in 2008, Burton finally managed to quit with the support of his wife and his faith. He and Sharon now live in a two-bedroom apartment in Kings Mountain, where he has become an outspoken critic of a proposal to build a casino in his community. He regrets his gambling problems but takes responsibility for his behavior. "I can't put total blame on those people because I was the one ignorant about it," Burton says. "But the casinos do try to make things as exciting for you as they can."

John Rosengren is a freelance journalist who lives in Minneapolis.

http://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2016/casino-traps-older-patrons.html

High rollers: Dealers describe special treatment, abuse

Casinos forced to deal with rule-breaking high rollers 07.31.2015     08:22 AM

Not surprising, but for all the stringent rules casinos have, those who enter with a suitcase full of cash can typically get away with anything they want. That includes acting like a spoiled six-year old who doesn't like it when they lose. "All men are created equal except in the casino," Glen Costales, the pit manager, said at a hearing before a tribal gaming commission in May. Transcripts of the hearing were obtained by The Associated Press. "If it's a premium player, he gets away with a lot more than the five-dollar player would get away with." "The casinos pretend they have rules that are set in stone, like going into a bank or dealing with a police station. Are they supposed to allow late bets? Absolutely not. Do they do it all the time? All the time," said Kaufmann, a dealer who sees plenty of crude behavior himself. "The abuse, the screaming, the cheating, the sexual harassment. Throwing things around. It's worse all the time."

High rollers: Dealers describe special 

treatment, abuse

JESSICA HILL / AP

In this Sept. 18, 2013, file photo, patrons play craps at a table at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn. In the competition to attract and keep the biggest spenders, casinos are known to pull out the stops with comped hotel rooms, meals and rebates for a percentage of their losses. During a May 2015 hearing, dealers said they often had to endure abuse from high roller betters while extending courtesies average players do not receive.

By Michael Melia, Associated Press

Published Tuesday, July 28, 2015 | 9:24 a.m.

Updated Tuesday, July 28, 2015 | 1:27 p.m.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. — One high roller requests a refrigerator full of bananas that he squeezes and throws as he gambles. Another urinates against a wall. Other high-stakes players described by a pit manager at Mohegan Sun, one of the world's largest casinos, throw chairs, scream at dealers and expect rules to be bent at the tables.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^





In the increasing competition for the biggest spenders, casinos are known to pull out all the stops with comped hotel rooms, meals and rebates for a percentage of their losses. But some dealers say efforts to satisfy and retain the players — known as "whales" — go much further, with casinos tolerating abuse and extending courtesies that test the integrity of the games.


"All men are created equal except in the casino," Glen Costales, the pit manager, said at a hearing before a tribal gaming commission in May. Transcripts of the hearing were obtained by The Associated Press. "If it's


Costales was testifying in support of a pit boss, Maria DeGiacomo, who was fired this year after the casino accused her of colluding with a high roller by allowing late bets at a blackjack table. DeGiacomo and other employees say dealers frequently grant similar requests from top players.

The player, Matthew Menchetti, was a regular who lost as much as $50,000 on visits to Mohegan Sun, and a lifetime total of more than $1 million. Casino security flagged his play as suspicious in February and asked state police to arrest him and two dealers, but the detective concluded DeGiacomo and another dealer apparently took it upon themselves to keep Menchetti happy and playing, according to a police report, and no charges were filed.

His attorney, John Strafaci, said Menchetti is seeking to have his name cleared by the gaming commission since state police cleared him of wrongdoing. He said what his client was doing was normal for players of his caliber.

Mohegan Sun's president, Raymond Pineault, said its termination of the dealers involved and its ejection of the player demonstrate it does not tolerate any bending of the rules.

Shane Kaufmann, a vice president for a branch of the Transport Workers Union in Las Vegas, which represents several thousand casino dealers, said rules are frequently ignored at high-stakes tables.

"The casinos pretend they have rules that are set in stone, like going into a bank or dealing with a police station. Are they supposed to allow late bets? Absolutely not. Do they do it all the time? All the time," said Kaufmann, a dealer who sees plenty of crude behavior himself. "The abuse, the screaming, the cheating, the sexual harassment. Throwing things around. It's worse all the time."

Gaming commissions enforce the rules at casinos across the country, but the level of scrutiny can vary by jurisdiction. Dealers say state inspectors in Atlantic City, New Jersey, for one, have a reputation for toughness. In Connecticut, the state does not have any oversight of table games at Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods, where the tribes that own the casinos also control their own gaming commissions.

Costales, who described the banana squeezer and public urinator without revealing their names in his testimony, said such outrageous behavior is tolerated more these days because of growing competition than when he joined the business three decades ago.

Menchetti, who also was testifying in support of DeGiacomo, told the gaming commission that when he said he'd forgotten to post a bet, DeGiacomo and others generally made accommodations. He said the intention was never to steal — at most, it prolonged his stay at the table — but he expected special treatment, given his level of play, according to the transcript of the hearing.

"It's no different in my mind than me calling my host and asking him for an extra 2,500 points on my account so I can go purchase something at a Lux, Bond & Green," he said, referring to a jewelry store.

DeGiacomo said Menchetti did not do anything close to cheating and the two of them became victims of selective enforcement because certain bosses did not like either of them.

DeGiacomo, who is still fighting her dismissal, said rules shifted depending on the player and pit bosses were encouraged to keep high rollers happy. She testified during her hearing: "I have to make sure that we get our money, which we did, every time he played. There's maybe two times he won."

As part of the state police investigation, the detective interviewed several dealers who said Menchetti would hit the table, curse and yell at them. They told the detective that in cases where he or other high rollers asked to post a late bet or for other considerations, they would defer to a superior.


http://lasvegassun.com/news/2015/jul/28/high-rollers-dealers-describe-special-treatment-ab/?_ga=1.48915744.70279974.1427122288

New York State: Bailing Out Racinos!

If you're GAMBLING at 4 AM, how is that 'HARMLESS ENTERTAINMENT'?

This is why REPEAL THE CASINO DEAL is the only reasonable solution!

Bill would allow racinos to stay open longer hours

By Julio Olivencia
Staff reporter

July 03, 2014

A bill aimed at helping the state's nine racetrack casinos would allow them to stay open until 6 a.m. and increase incentives they can offer customers.

The bill (A.10075/S.07833) increases the amount of free play credits the casinos can offer and changes the time casinos must close from 4 a.m. to 6 a.m.

"There are weekend nights when we have a few hundred people on the floor when we close," said Taryn Duffy, spokeswoman for Empire City Casino in Yonkers, explaining the need for the change.

The bill, sponsored by Assemblyman Phillip Goldfeder, D-Rockaway, is an attempt to help the so-called racinos improve declining profits.

According to Vernon Downs minority owner Gary Greenberg, the nine rasinos made $2.5 million less the week ending on June 28 than it did the same week last year.

"June 2014 is the seventh consecutive month net win has slumped," Greenberg said in an email. "June saw net win for nine racinos decline a severe $11,446,409. This is the largest decrease in any month in VLT history in New York."

The casinos are looking forward to the potential free play increase.

The amount of tax-free free play credits a casino can offer their customers is currently capped at 10 percent of their annual income. The new legislation would increase this to 15 percent.

"Free play is the only marketing tool that we have," Duffy said. She likened free play to a coupon the casinos can give their customers.

The change in closing time, on the other hand, is not as widely anticipated.

Smaller casinos most likely won't extend their hours as the amount of their business won't justify the increased operating cost, according to Jeff Gural, CEO and Chairman of American Racing & Entertainment LLC which owns Tioga Downs Casino. Tioga Downs currently closes at 3 a.m. and there is no plan to change.

Greenberg said Vernon Downs may extend their hours on weekends and holidays, but definitely wouldn't during the week.

Duffy said Empire City Casino, which is larger than Tioga Downs and Vernon Downs, will explore "what makes sense operationally" and adjust as needed.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Jeffrey Klein, D-Bronx, was passed in the Assembly on June 19 and passed the Senate June 20. It awaits action by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.




http://www.legislativegazette.com/Articles-Top-Stories-c-2014-07-03-88497.113122-Bill-would-allow-racinos-to-stay-open-longer-hours.html

American Gaming Association [Not all of us accept their propaganda]

Bill Kearney

 

June 25, 2014 - American Gaming Association

“While it’s up to Massachusetts to decide whether or not to welcome the thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in revenues gaming will bring to the Commonwealth, the AGA will ensure that voters have the facts about our industry instead of tired stereotypes."

Here are some facts for the American Gaming Association.

1 - First and foremost, let's not forget those ‘Billions’ not ‘Millions’ in revenue that casinos generate comes from their patrons losses.

2 - Those affiliated with the AGA, the lawmakers who support casino gambling along with the owners of casinos, and their loved ones, do not gamble in casinos.

3 - It's true casinos do pay high taxes, and the reason they can afford to pay them is because our lawmakers let them operate in a fashion that no other industry would ever be allowed to. With things like, 24/7 gambling, severing free booze, smoking areas, cashing personal checks, offering interest free credit, free play, and those 'freebies’ know as 'comps' that makes their patrons justify their losses.

4 - When it comes to job creation, sure they do that, but many of those jobs pays, like the ones on the casino floor, cocktail waitresses, and dealers, are subsidized by casino patrons’ tips.

5 - It’s a no-brainer when it comes to crime, and I’m not talking about robberies, vandalism, auto thefts, drunks fighting, or lewd behavior. Those are crimes that increase whenever you have hundred of thousands gathering in the same location week after week. The crimes I’m talking about are the ones that will be committed by those who will be feeding their compulsive casino gambling addiction, things like, embezzlement, tax evasion, insurance fraud, arson, domestic and child abuse.

6 - Now when it comes to laws protecting casino patrons, there are none. You could take a senior citizen with alzheimer's, put them in a wheelchair with oxygen tank attached, a priest next to them giving them their last rights, and as long as they have enough money to put into a slot machine or buy-in at a table game, they could gamble till they drop. And while that’s happening not one casino operator, employee, or casino control board employee who are stationed on the casino floor will intervene.

I can go on and on with deceptive and fraudulent practices that lawmakers sectioned in order for casinos to fill tax coffers, but still there will be those who will ignore them, and that’s because they like the others know better than to gamble in casinos.

Hopefully the citizens of Massachusetts will vote against casinos opening in their state, but if they don’t they better think about addressing the everyday operations of this so-called entertainment venue. See More

 

Casinos a bad bet for state's family-friendly reputation

Bill Lupfer: Casinos a bad bet for state's family-friendly reputation

By Bill Lupfer

7:21 p.m. EDT, March 25, 2014

Florida is envied around the world. Don't just take my word for it. Recent headlines have quantified our state's stellar reputation.

In 2013, Florida's population surged to 19.5 million, set to overtake New York as the nation's third most-populous state. And last year a record 94.7 million tourists visited Florida, a jump of 3.5 percent from 2012. They came here to experience what some natives take for granted.

No one takes for granted that 1.1 million Floridians worked in direct travel-related jobs in 2012. Our tourism industry understands we set the standard for the world in high-quality attractions that our family-friendly Florida brand means something to visitors, a priceless asset which can't be quantified.

 

Florida has a reputation. So do Las Vegas and Nevada. Other states might be willing or eager for casinos. Florida is not, and does not have to be. We know that even one new casino in South Florida would not be compatible with our brand. So, as lobbyists for "destination casinos" knock on doors in Tallahassee, ask them about Las Vegas.

Last year, visitors to Las Vegas were down to 39.6 million. In 2013, Nevada led the nation in unemployment for eight out of 12 months. Jobs in Las Vegas casinos were down last year, and casino employment in the rest of Nevada was down 43 percent from 2000. Even business at the state's bordellos is down.

Why would any state envy Las Vegas or Nevada?

Our family-friendly reputation is not confined to any particular region of the state. Our association is a cross-section of tourist attractions throughout Florida. Amusement parks, theme parks, state parks, historic sites, tour operators, outdoor recreation operators, museums, aquariums, gardens, agri-tourism sites, and much more are among our members.

Half of our members are privately-held companies – many of them we affectionately call "mom and pop" attractions. Another 30 percent are non-profit community-supported cultural, historic and heritage attractions. Big or small, mom or pop, casinos will prey upon them.

Casinos destroy jobs by giving away things that are the bread and butter for many longstanding Florida businesses — things like "comp" meals and hotel stays.

Atlantic City's situation can never be hammered home enough: A year after casinos made their debut, 40 percent of restaurants closed, and a third of retailers were shuttered. Jobs disappeared.

To put Florida's record-breaking year for tourism in perspective, Gov. Rick Scott said, "Every 85 visitors to Florida equals one job in our state – and it is clear that more visitors to the Sunshine State means more jobs for Florida families."

As the Legislature's Spectrum Gaming Group's report said, casinos would have only a minimal economic impact on Florida, that less than 5 percent of the patrons to casinos would be tourists.

Three times Florida voters have rejected gambling-expansion proposals, but out-of-state casinos refuse to take "no" for an answer. Today in Tallahassee, casinos are back, with legislation that would pave the way for Las Vegas-style casinos and expanded gambling in our state, risking Floridians' lifestyle and livelihood.

Instead of making things easier for out-of-state casinos, legislators should tighten Florida laws and regulations to stop the spread of gambling.

Florida is used to pitches and promises. And from the history of the casino industry here and in other states, we know casinos under-deliver on promises and over-deliver on social and economic costs.

Family-friendly Florida tourism is the economic engine driving Florida's robust economy. Our tourism doesn't promise results – it delivers results every day. No brag, just fact.

Bill Lupfer is president and CEO of Florida Attractions Association.




http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/fl-oped-gambling-association-of-attractions-20140325,0,1026567.story

 

Casino 'Freebies'

Bill Kearney

Massachusetts ‘Gaming’ Future

The casinos ‘COMP’ their patrons in order for them to justify their losses. This is why my safeguard ‘Casino Monthly Statements’ must be made the law. The statement would be sent to those enrolled in casino reward card programs whose winnings or losses are equal to or greater than $500.00. Those enrolled in these programs account for 80 to 85% or more of a casino's patron base.

Pittsburgh Tribune - March 9, 2014 - Wheeling loosens point system ...to lure table game players

Wheeling Island Casino is betting that it will attract more gamblers by being more generous with players club points.

The West Virginia casino, where table-game revenues have dropped precipitously every year since 2009, this month accelerated point accumulation for table-game players. For years, the casino awarded one point for every $25 a player bet; starting March 1, the ratio dropped to $10 per point.

“The change makes us even more competitive,” says Kim Florence, the casino's senior director of marketing. “We thought it was the right thing to do.”

At Wheeling Island, each 100 points translates into $1 that can be used toward free play or on-site purchases of food, beverages, retail shops or hotel rooms.

Read more: http://triblive.com/aande/gambling/5717754-74/million-players-points#ixzz2vZWCQN00

 

 

Players clubs ready to branch out.....

Bill Kearney

Massachusetts ‘Gaming’ Future

Hey, who knows, maybe one day your casino reward card points will get you new body parts, or let you use them to gamble.

Pittsburgh Tribune - Feb. 16, 2014, - Players clubs ready to branch out with non-casino partners...

Those player's club cards that earn points toward free play and casino comps are evolving into ways to generate discounts at nongambling attractions.

“They're gearing up to become more sophisticated,” says John Antonello, managing director with Phoenix Marketing International, a market-research company based in New Jersey. “Casino (loyalty) programs look a lot different than they were five years ago, and five years from now they'll look a heck of lot different than they do now.”

Antonello, who oversees the company's travel and leisure division, says casinos have sophisticated databases that show when and how often players visit, along with how long they stay and how much they spend. By learning what other loyalty programs a customer belongs to, casinos can develop partnerships to tailor offers to each player.

Read more: http://triblive.com/aande/gambling/5582606-74/players-million-percent#ixzz2tg4Uu43R

 

 

 

 

 

Casinos Preying on Older Adults

Bill Kearney

Massachusetts 'GAMING' Future

Psychology Today
iAge
Changing how we see aging...
by Mario Garrett, Ph.D.

February 14, 2014 - Casinos Preying on Older Adults

Casinos' predatory practices are a test case for financial elder abuse.

 After it was revealed in February 2013 that San Diego’s former mayor, 67 year old Maureen O’Connor, lost more than a billion dollars at casinos, the gaming industry shed its disguise and became the gambling industry again. This was definitely not entertainment.

Maureen O’Connor reported that she was suffering from a brain tumor that might have impaired her judgment. A vulnerability that was not moderated by Las Vegas casinos sending private jets to fetch Ms O’Connor from San Diego. A trend that was also seen with Terry Watanabe who risked more than $825 million in 2007 at two casinos owned by Harrah's where it is alleged Harrah's seniormanagement made a conscious decision to exploit his well-known addiction with alcohol and prescription drugs. No lawsuit has ever won. But what they do is expose the human tragedy fueled by the industry’s predatory use of complimentary services called “comps” against the increasing vulnerability of some older adults.

Bill Kearney—a staunch advocate for effective regulations of casinos—defines the world of comping in his excellent 2001 book “Comped”. Comping might start off with a free room, meals, free drinks and then, like Ms. O’Connor, ends up with to limos, helicopter and Learjet flights, interest-free loans, and lavish penthouse suites that the casinos provide as they cultivate their profits. These comps are in addition to exemptions that the gambling industry has gained, including no-limit ATM machines, sales tax exemptions, smoking exemptions, and many others. All these exemptions and comps transform the industry from one of entertainment—where you pay a predefined cost for a service—to predation.

Predation involves monitoring older adults’ gambling behavior and promoting both the frequency—through comping—or the amount—through interest-free loans, cashless gambling, free alcohol and medication pills. When you have older adults with obvious cognitiveimpairment then you need to question if such predatory behavior constitutes financial elder abuse under state laws.

Read more: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/iage/201402/casinos-preying-older-adultsSee More

This is why I call casino hosts ‘CASINO PIMPS’

Bill Kearney

Massachusetts ‘GAMING’ Future

This is why I call casino hosts ‘CASINO PIMPS’

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review - Feb. 2, 2014 - Casino hosts turn to stats in rating players, giving comps...

That nice casino host who hands out free meals, concert tickets and fancy suites isn't paid to be a player's friend.

The host's primary job is to increase the casino's bottom line by getting gamblers to play and spend more, says Stephen R. Marshall, senior vice president of relationship marketing for the Fine Point Group, a gaming management and consulting company based in Las Vegas.

Read more: http://triblive.com/aande/gambling/5509017-74/casino-player-percent#axzz2sGKmGzgWSee More

 

Casino hosts turn to stats in rating players, giving comps and worshipping EXPLOITATION!

Kristina Binkley wrote a great book ['Winner Takes All'] that described Gary Loveman's genius in originating the tracking of 'patrons,' creating LOYALTY, ensuring a patrons return by employing 'COMPS,' and much else. [Several other books have been written subsequently that describe Loveman's amoral genius of carefully avoiding any consideration of COSTS - the COSTS of Gambling Addiction, the personal cost and of sucking every last dollar from those least able to afford it, the transfer of wealth.

As a nation, when did we relish exploitation as virtue?

When did we support EXPLOITATION by Government?

Why would we endorse and support WEALTH TRANSFER?

This defines how it's done:

 

 

Casino hosts turn to stats in rating players, giving comps

About Mark Gruetze

Mark Gruetze 412-320-7838
Administrative Editor
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Mark Gruetze has been a recreational gambler for more than 30 years, focusing on blackjack, video poker and poker. He is administrative editor of the Tribune-Review.    

Details

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Money trail

 

Statewide loss by slots players, week ending Jan. 26: $33.61 million, down from $39.18 million in the comparable week last year

 

Statewide slot payout rate since July 1: 89.91 percent; for every $100 bet, the machines return an average of $89.91

 

High and low payout rates: 90.75 percent at Parx in Philadelphia; 89.2 percent at Penn National near Harrisburg

 

Rivers: 89.72 percent payout; weekly slot revenue $4.35 million, down from $4.67 million last year

 

Meadows: 89.95 percent; weekly revenue $2.69 million, down from $3.96 million

 

Presque Isle: 89.57 percent; weekly revenue $1.53 million, down from $1.77 million

 

Lady Luck Nemacolin: 90.68 percent payout; weekly revenue $226,753; not open last year

Player charged in fake-chip scheme

A Fayetteville, N.C., man was charged with sneaking fake chips into a tournament during the Borgata Winter Poker Open in Atlantic City.

Christian Lusardi, 42, was arrested at an Atlantic City motel after $2.7 million in tournament chips were found flushed down a toilet at nearby Harrah's Resort, the Associated Press and CNN reported.

 

Officials said Lusardi won $6,814 during the Open's first tournament. That event was canceled with 27 players still in contention after 160 of the fake $5,000 chips were found among the legitimate chips. Other events in the Open went on. The chips have no value outside a tournament and cannot be cashed in.

Daily Photo Galleries

Monday - February 3, 2014

By Mark Gruetze

Published: Sunday, Feb. 2, 2014, 9:00 p.m.Updated 15 hours ago

That nice casino host who hands out free meals, concert tickets and fancy suites isn't paid to be a player's friend.

The host's primary job is to increase the casino's bottom line by getting gamblers to play and spend more, says Stephen R. Marshall, senior vice president of relationship marketing for the Fine Point Group, a gaming management and consulting company based in Las Vegas.

 

“If you're a host, your role should be to increase the casino's revenue,” Marshall says. He spoke last week at a webinar encouraging casino executives to adopt a data-driven approach to providing comps for their best customers.

The Fine Point Group began in 2005, founded by veterans of Harrah's Entertainment who had been deeply involved in gaming operations and marketing.

Keeping the big players happy is essential for any casino, Marshall says, adding that it's not unusual for 40 percent of a casino's gross gaming revenue to come from fewer than 10 percent of its customers.

 

[Harrah's, now Caesars, determined under Gary Loveman's genius that 90% of their profits came from 10% of the patrons, a statement never disputed by Caesars.]

 

Casinos judge players with statistics such as average daily value, or how much the casino expects to win each day a player visits, and cumulative value, which tracks a player's loss over several months or a year. A player who bets relatively small amounts but visits a casino several times a week might have a low daily average but a high cumulative total.

Marshall suggests that casinos track a player's action closely to determine his value to the casino. He recommends knowing the theoretical loss, which is based on the average bet, hours played and the house edge; the actual loss; days played; and total trips. Then casinos can identify their most valuable players and encourage them to return with offers of free play, comps and other amenities.

Understanding what casinos are looking for can pay off for players. Recognize your value to the casino. Never gamble more than you can afford simply to try to qualify for a particularly attractive comp; whatever it costs, it's cheaper to pay for it yourself than play over your bankroll in the hopes that the casino will pick up the tab.

Realize that no casino wants its big players to find another place more attractive.

“The No. 1 rule is to keep them away from the competition,” Marshall says.

He says a host's techniques should distinguish between “active” players who visit frequently and those who show up only once in a while. The host should use a “moderate” approach on those already visiting frequently, enough to keep them coming back, while being “aggressive” with the infrequent player in the hopes of turning him or her into a regular customer.

“Make clear: The relationship (between host and player) is a business relationship, not a personal relationship,” he says. The host is a salesman for the casino and should follow the ABC commandment: Always Be Closing.

Generally, casinos are said to return about 40 percent of a player's expected loss in comps. A blackjack player who bets $10 a hand and plays for four hours would have an expected loss of $48; that would mean comps of about $19.

However, Marshall recommends that executives know what nearby casinos offer and stay competitive. That means areas with little competition, such as Pennsylvania, won't necessarily have to be as generous as facilities in destination areas such as Las Vegas.

Marshall says the most common mistake for a host is focusing on the wrong customers, paying too much attention to those already loyal to a property instead of going after the player who will bring in new revenue.

 

“Ultimately, it's about making more money,” he says.

 

 http://triblive.com/aande/gambling/5509017-74/casino-player-percent#ixzz2sGWMsYG1