RESPONSIBLE GAMBLING: a Statement of Principles and a Showcase of Best Practice from the European Gaming and Amusement Industry Contents EUROMAT Statement on Responsible Gambling p 2 Introduction p 3 Defining Responsible Gambling - Understanding the terminology p 4 The Who & How of CSR in Gambling p 6 Who? p 7 How? 1. research the facts p 8 2. effective education and communication 3. regulation 4. treatment and medical assistance Conclusion: Call for action p 14 COUNTRY REPORTS p 17 EUROMAT Who we are & What we do p 37 1 EUROMAT Members p 40 EUROMAT Statement on Introduction Responsible Gambling Adopted in Maastricht, Responsible Gambling 25 October 2007 is the commitment to promoting responsible behaviour amongst our customers, industry and employees. The European Gaming and We wish and need to co-operate with EUROMAT understands the diversity EUROMAT, the European Gaming and Amusement Federation, represents the Amusement Industry, represented those involved in the regulation of of regulations and control practices gaming and amusement machine industry before the European Union. EUROMAT by EUROMAT, provides citizens our sector to make «Amusement With existing in Europe, but considers members manufacture, distribute and operate gaming and amusement machines with a service that society demands: Prizes» what it is meant to be: that such diversity should not outside casinos. Gaming and amusement machines are designed to provide regulated entertainment and gaming a safe, reasonably priced and be an obstacle for a clear, honest customers with an enjoyable leisure and entertainment experience. in public places with the appropriate properly regulated entertainment and continued effort to promote controls. experience. responsible gambling within each Responsible Gambling is the commitment to promoting responsible behaviour jurisdiction. amongst our customers, industry and employees. EUROMAT and its members It is our aim that all those involved A person exercising a rational and publish this brochure to propose a Statement of Four Principles that should in the provision of these services sensible choice and acting upon that To that end, EUROMAT encourages be applied to the development of corporate social responsibility and to do so in the best possible way, choice based on his/her individual its Member Associations to highlight our industry’s long history of promoting responsible gambling. The respecting the legitimate interests circumstances and awareness of promote or co-operate in specific four principles are research, effective education and communication, regulation of all parties involved - citizens, site the intention of the entertainment programmes which make it possible and treatment of pathological gambling. Against the backdrop of the 2006 owners, operators, administrations - experience and its limitations for players to identify gambling European Parliament report on corporate social responsibility1 which while contributing to the prevention is what we understand to be a operations that are run in agreement rejects a one-size-fits-all approach, EUROMAT has adopteda Statement on of any damaging consequences of «Responsible Gambler». with the principles and practices of Responsible Gambling which reflects the individual imperatives of each EU our activity for more vulnerable responsible gambling. Member State and which has become the cornerstone of our activities in the individuals. With all the above in mind, promotion of responsible gambling. EUROMAT urges its Member Associations, and through them, This brochure is also designed to serve as a resource that showcases best the entire gambling Sector, to practice and in particular highlights industry initiatives to understand and co-operate with national authorities, proactively encourage corporate social responsibility in gambling. It concludes public and private institutions, with a Call for Action urging all stakeholders to engage in the debate on how to user groups and organisations effectively promote responsible gambling across the wider gambling industry. concerned with responsible gambling, in the development of Compulsive gambling, underage gambling and protection of the vulnerable, prevention programmes to avoid including children, are serious issues. All legal gambling actors should share the risks associated with the abuse responsibility and demonstrate positive and constructive action in addressing or misuse of gaming devices and them. While a degree of accountability does fall upon the industry, governments facilities. who enjoy substantial revenue from gambling activities every year cannot demur if called upon to play their part. Mutual recognition of the often unacknowledged political, fiscal, commercial and 3 moral agendas of stakeholders is a prerequisite to understanding the conflicting calls for more or less opportunity to play, regulation, taxation, and research, education and treatment. This healthy tension between players, regulators, the gaming industry, social welfare and civil liberty groups, academics, and treatment agencies is reflected in the variety and apparent inconsistency of corporate social responsibility policies in gambling across Europe. EUROMAT continues to be one of the chief advocates of responsible gambling and it is our hope that this publication will promote greater focus at EU and EU Member State level to facilitate a real commitment to responsible gambling by all stakeholders. 1 Article 9, European Parliament report on corporate social responsibility: a new partnership, (2006/2133(INT)) Defining Responsible Gambling - Understanding the terminology Responsible gambling refers to While the overwhelming majority of Pathological gambling individuals participating in gaming our customers play responsibly, it According to internationally activities while exercising rational is a fact that a very small minority recognised diagnostic criteria2, a The gambling and sensible choices and is the are unable to do so. These customers pathological gambler is a person industry aims to antithesis of the term problem are commonly referred to as who suffers from a psychiatric gambling. For the purposes of this problem and pathological gamblers, disorder which manifests compulsive provide its customers brochure, the practices marked by depending on their behaviour. behaviour over a number of with a high quality the term ‘responsible gambling’ are activities, including gambling. leisure experience. applicable on a pan-industry basis, Problem gambling though examples are taken from the A problem gambler is a person who gaming and amusement sector. is temporarily at risk of being unable to exercise rational choices, unaware The gambling industry aims to of the purpose of the entertainment provide its customers with a high experience, its limitations and quality leisure experience that the potential risk of developing a meets the demands of society for pathological gambling disorder. entertainment, fun and excitement with appropriate controls. Within this provision lies a responsibility for all stakeholders to protect customers, particularly the vulnerable, from being harmed or exploited. The gambling industry, A problem gambler local regulators, customers and other is a person who is stakeholders share the responsibility temporarily at risk to create and adopt effective corporate social responsibility of being unable to programmes directed at customers, exercise rational employees and local communities. 4 choices. 2 ICD-10 (Dilling, Mombour, Schmidt & Schulte-Markwort, 2005) and DSM-IV (APA, 2000) The Who & How of CSR in Gambling Customers Communities International studies show that the In partnership with governments, Industry, government, vast majority of the adult population public health bodies, academics, and stakeholders must work WHO? enjoy playing games of chance and social welfare groups and law find it exciting. For them, gambling enforcement agencies, we seek The targets for social responsibility together to ensure that social falls within the framework of their to lead in the understanding of - customers, communities, and responsibility serves leisure activities3. Corporate social responsible gambling, the promotion employees customers, communities, responsibility must target all of “evidence based” regulation, customers with particular emphasis and effective corporate social and employees. Industry, government, and on requirements to protect those responsibility in the context of stakeholders must work together who are vulnerable. Consumer local communities. We also work to ensure that social responsibility protection lies at the heart of all with governments to enforce laws serves customers, communities, and efforts to ensure that gambling protecting children and other Industry in Europe has employees. Specific requirements of is made available in a socially vulnerable people and to ensure that for decades adopted corporate social responsibility are responsible manner. The industry the industry plays an integral part determined by a rigorous analysis preventative measures is in the business of entertaining of the fabric of its local community. of individual country requirements which often have been its players and not capitalising on Not only do we entertain, but we also built around stakeholders’ consensus those few who exhibit compulsive provide, among others, direct and subsequently enshrined of risks and priorities. Whilst they or vulnerable behaviours. We make indirect employment, skills training, in legislation. will change overtime