The Colorado Gaming Association (CGA) defines problem gambling as any gambling behavior negatively impacting the lives of individuals, resulting in serious personal, financial, or legal consequences. Problem gambling takes two major forms: compulsive gambling and underage gambling, which affect both guests and employees. CGA believes problem gambling is a serious issue that deserves a proactive response from the casino industry. CGA is taking positive steps to address problem gambling because we do not want this behavior to harm our customers, employees, business operations, communities or industry. We have committed human and financial resources to promote education and awareness of compulsive gambling among our guests and employees. We have put in place policies and practices to deter underage gambling and discourage compulsive gambling. Our goal is to promote and support, to the fullest extent practical, responsible gambling behavior at every member casino of the Colorado Gaming Association.
Colorado Gaming Association Training
The CGA provides regular training to casino employees as well as community and civic groups on the issues of problem and underage gambling. CGA will also provide custom training unique to your organization’s needs in these areas. For more information, send e-mail or call CGA at (303) 237-5480.
Self Exclusion Program
The Problem Gambling Coalition of Colorado (PGCC), working in conjunction with the Colorado Gaming Association, offers persons who are unable to gamble responsibly a voluntary self-exclusion program. This program allows persons to be removed from casino marketing lists, cancel slot club memberships, and cancel any check-cashing privileges with any and all casinos in Colorado. The PGCC takes its self-exclusion program seriously, as it is intended to help persons with gambling addiction overcome their illness and seek treatment. The self-exclusion program is not designed as a temporary “time out” for persons who would like to stop gambling “for a little while” and eventually return to their previous gambling behaviors. This program is designed for persons who want to permanently cease their gambling activities. Please think about this program seriously before making a commitment to self-exclude from Colorado casinos. For more information on this program, please call the Problem Gambling Coalition of Colorado at 303-662-0772. Please read about Self Exclusion here. If you would like to self-exclude from Colorado casinos, you may download a self-exclusion form here. You must have Adobe Acrobat© Reader in order to download this form.
Please note that two of our member companies, Ameristar Casino and The Isle/Lady Luck Black Hawk consider self-exclusion a permanent decision, and these properties will not allow persons who rescind their self-exclusion applications to gamble at their facilities.
Here are two publications by the American Gaming Association that will help gamblers understand the odds of different casinos games, and learn how slot machines operate and how they are regulated.
Colorado Gamblers Anonymous
The Colorado Gamblers Anonymous site is for persons in recovery from gambling addiction. The site contains information about meetings in Colorado, and other resources for gamblers and their families. http://www.coloradoga.org/
National Center for Responsible Gaming
When the NCRG was established in 1996, it started a revolution in the way we understand gambling disorders, funding groundbreaking research on pathological and youth gambling and providing support for cutting-edge advancements in the field. Today, the NCRG remains at the forefront of this field by continuing to fund only the highest quality research and creating public education initiatives to translate research findings into practical, real-world applications. http://www.ncrg.org/
National Council on Problem Gambling
The National Council on Problem Gambling is the umbrella organization for state problem gambling councils. The national council provides education and treatment resources, as well as research, on a variety of problem gambling issues.www.ncpgambling.org
Problem Gambling Coalition of Colorado
The Problem Gambling Coalition of Colorado provides educational and treatment options for families in Colorado who face challenges with their gambling behaviors.http://www.problemgamblingcolorado.org/