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Your Money Matters by Thomas Sottile, Esq.
House Rules: Gamblers Lose
But Self-Exclusion Is A Sure Bet
Think of it as one continuous night without the day to divide it. Evening passes into morning and back to evening without notice. The place never closes and the chandeliered ballroom has no clocks or windows.
The exuberant stimuli of the gaming floor, with its food courts, attractive drink servers, and promises of jackpot winnings, mesmerizes the visitor. It’s a carnival scene of marquee neon and the xylophone sound of coins rushing down metal chutes. The moon and the stars - what are they?
The name “one-arm bandit” is dead on. But the wild speeded-up world of action created around these random number generators makes the robbery harder to resist. For the pre-disposed gamer, with a pocketful of money or a high credit limit, only sin itself may be more alluring.
The casinos go to great lengths to make sure that their customers have a fabulous time. And that we feel uplifted as we mosey back out to the parking lot with our wallets well-dented. Turn around and get a good look at that garish edifice against the skyline. “Vice knows she’s ugly so puts on a mask,” said Benjamin Franklin. It’s a safe bet that the billion-dollar gaming industry does not thrive because gamblers win.
Of course, human character and public opinion being the dithering creatures that they are do not have to look very long or hard to find redeeming qualities in, say, 2.6 billion dollars. That was the amount of money wagered on slot machines at the 10 Pennsylvania casinos during the month of February 2012. Of that amount, over 215 million dollars hit the bottom line as gross revenues for the month, which the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) informs us is an 8.9% increase as compared with a year ago. Atlantic City, NJ and Delaware casinos are, of course, also quite adept at separating players from their money.
How the money is made by the house on slot machines is no secret. On average, about 85 cents is returned as a payout for every dollar ventured. This is made possible through the courtesy of computer code which whirls the dials with the heartless precision of a parking meter. It’s easy for a slot machine player to lose sight of this redundant calculus as we pull the handle or press the button; watching and praying for the reels to align. And they do, with that effervescent tinkling sound! The machine is smart enough to let us win just enough of our own money back to keep us interested in betting more.
Think of it as giving someone a $1 bill with one hand and getting back 85 cents with the other. That’s a 15% surcharge, thank you very much. Play $100, and leave with $85. For some of us that’s a winning night. It certainly was for the casino.
The Wisconsin Council on Problem Gambling informs us that, although there are no national or state statistics on the subject, older Americans in particular are vulnerable to becoming addicted to betting and, thereby, the risk of financial ruination, and all of the negative ramifications which come with it. The Council reported that the last few years marked a reversal in a trend which saw gambling among seniors declining. It points to the fact that the proliferation of legalized gaming has given older Americans the opportunity to gamble now more than ever before.
Compulsive gambling is recognized by the American Psychiatric Association as an impulse control disorder; it’s a progressive ailment manifested in a psychologically out-of-control preoccupation and urge to gamble. An estimated 5%-7% of the U.S. population suffers from gambling problems.
In Pennsylvania, the state departments of Health, Agriculture, and Revenue, along with the PGCB, were involved last month from March 4-10 in “Problem Gambling Awareness Week,” to get the word out that help is available for citizens with gambling addiction problems.
The agencies offer information, assistance and referrals to services to increase public knowledge about problematic gambling behaviors. The Department of Health has approved 70 problem gambling treatment providers across the state which extend counseling services to those in need. Assistance is also available by calling the Department’s 24-hour gambling addiction hotline at 1-877-565-2112. The free call is confidential and anonymous. In New Jersey, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Individuals also can go to www.paproblemgambling.com for additional information. According to the Department of Health, more than 16,000 Pennsylvanians called the gambling help line in 2010 for all forms of gambling including: slots, card games, lottery, horse racing, sports and internet gambling. Callers nearly were split evenly between male and female, and represented all age groups from teens through seniors. The individuals’ reasons for calling the help line were for financial, family/marital and mental health issues. Probably one of the most forward-looking remedies offered by the state is the Self-Exclusion Program which allows a person to request to be banned from all legalized gaming activities; and to be prohibited from collecting any winnings, recovering any losses or accepting complimentary gifts or services or any other thing of value at any licensed facility. Self-exclusion only applies to the gaming floor of the licensed gaming facilities in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. (A similar program is available in New Jersey; visit http://www.state.nj.us/casinos/probgamb/.)
In order to accomplish this, an individual must go in person to the PGCB in Harrisburg, PA, or to another approved location, and be photographed and possibly fingerprinted. The Office of Compulsive and Problem Gaming Enforcement (telephone no. 717-346-8300) has information on additional places to do this. However, a person may not place a family member or other individual on the list; the process is voluntary and must be done by the person seeking exclusion.
The individual filing the request for self-exclusion may ask to be barred from gaming activities for one year, five years or a lifetime. The one and five year bans will remain in effect indefinitely or until the self-excluded person requests removal from the PGCB list after the initial term expires.
Licensed facilities must refuse wagers from and deny gaming privileges to any self-excluded person. This includes denying check cashing privileges, player club memberships, complimentary goods and services, junket participation and other similar privileges and benefits, to any self-excluded individual. They also must ensure that self-excluded persons do not receive junket solicitations, targeted mailings, telemarketing promotions, player club materials or other promotional items relating to gaming activities; and may prohibit self-excluded persons from entering their properties in other jurisdictions.
After an individual is placed on the self-exclusion list, a casino must refuse to accept the person’s wagers, will ask the person to leave the gaming floor, and the person may be arrested for trespass. In 2010, a Pennsylvania casino received a $10,000 fine for permitting a self-excluded patron to gamble after his one-year voluntary ban had ended, but before he requested to be removed from the list.
The PGCB received 2,000 requests for self exclusion, reported Liz Lanza, Director of the PGCB’s Office of Compulsive and Gambling Problems, at a public Board meeting on January 26, 2011. “The Self-Exclusion Program has continued to grow into a very effective and proven tool to assist a problem gambler in removing himself or herself from the temptation of gambling,” said Ms. Lanza. Of these 2,000 self-excluded persons, 539 were age 55 or older.
It’s doubtless that the legalized gambling juggernaut is going to fade into the sunset anytime soon. According to the PGCB, the millions of dollars generated by slots gambling in the state have gone to school and statewide property tax relief endeavors, and to reduce the Philadelphia city wage tax. These are worthwhile causes, objectively speaking, unless we happen to be among those who suffered financial hardship in pursuit of that jackpot that never hit.
*
Thomas Sottile is an attorney in Media, PA. He retired from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service after 23 years as an investigator and attorney.
House Rules: Gamblers Lose
But Self-Exclusion Is A Sure Bet
Think of it as one continuous night without the day to divide it. Evening passes into morning and back to evening without notice. The place never closes and the chandeliered ballroom has no clocks or windows.
The exuberant stimuli of the gaming floor, with its food courts, attractive drink servers, and promises of jackpot winnings, mesmerizes the visitor. It’s a carnival scene of marquee neon and the xylophone sound of coins rushing down metal chutes. The moon and the stars - what are they?
The name “one-arm bandit” is dead on. But the wild speeded-up world of action created around these random number generators makes the robbery harder to resist. For the pre-disposed gamer, with a pocketful of money or a high credit limit, only sin itself may be more alluring.
The casinos go to great lengths to make sure that their customers have a fabulous time. And that we feel uplifted as we mosey back out to the parking lot with our wallets well-dented. Turn around and get a good look at that garish edifice against the skyline. “Vice knows she’s ugly so puts on a mask,” said Benjamin Franklin. It’s a safe bet that the billion-dollar gaming industry does not thrive because gamblers win.
Of course, human character and public opinion being the dithering creatures that they are do not have to look very long or hard to find redeeming qualities in, say, 2.6 billion dollars. That was the amount of money wagered on slot machines at the 10 Pennsylvania casinos during the month of February 2012. Of that amount, over 215 million dollars hit the bottom line as gross revenues for the month, which the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) informs us is an 8.9% increase as compared with a year ago. Atlantic City, NJ and Delaware casinos are, of course, also quite adept at separating players from their money.
How the money is made by the house on slot machines is no secret. On average, about 85 cents is returned as a payout for every dollar ventured. This is made possible through the courtesy of computer code which whirls the dials with the heartless precision of a parking meter. It’s easy for a slot machine player to lose sight of this redundant calculus as we pull the handle or press the button; watching and praying for the reels to align. And they do, with that effervescent tinkling sound! The machine is smart enough to let us win just enough of our own money back to keep us interested in betting more.
Think of it as giving someone a $1 bill with one hand and getting back 85 cents with the other. That’s a 15% surcharge, thank you very much. Play $100, and leave with $85. For some of us that’s a winning night. It certainly was for the casino.
The Wisconsin Council on Problem Gambling informs us that, although there are no national or state statistics on the subject, older Americans in particular are vulnerable to becoming addicted to betting and, thereby, the risk of financial ruination, and all of the negative ramifications which come with it. The Council reported that the last few years marked a reversal in a trend which saw gambling among seniors declining. It points to the fact that the proliferation of legalized gaming has given older Americans the opportunity to gamble now more than ever before.
Compulsive gambling is recognized by the American Psychiatric Association as an impulse control disorder; it’s a progressive ailment manifested in a psychologically out-of-control preoccupation and urge to gamble. An estimated 5%-7% of the U.S. population suffers from gambling problems.
In Pennsylvania, the state departments of Health, Agriculture, and Revenue, along with the PGCB, were involved last month from March 4-10 in “Problem Gambling Awareness Week,” to get the word out that help is available for citizens with gambling addiction problems.
The agencies offer information, assistance and referrals to services to increase public knowledge about problematic gambling behaviors. The Department of Health has approved 70 problem gambling treatment providers across the state which extend counseling services to those in need. Assistance is also available by calling the Department’s 24-hour gambling addiction hotline at 1-877-565-2112. The free call is confidential and anonymous. In New Jersey, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Individuals also can go to www.paproblemgambling.com for additional information. According to the Department of Health, more than 16,000 Pennsylvanians called the gambling help line in 2010 for all forms of gambling including: slots, card games, lottery, horse racing, sports and internet gambling. Callers nearly were split evenly between male and female, and represented all age groups from teens through seniors. The individuals’ reasons for calling the help line were for financial, family/marital and mental health issues. Probably one of the most forward-looking remedies offered by the state is the Self-Exclusion Program which allows a person to request to be banned from all legalized gaming activities; and to be prohibited from collecting any winnings, recovering any losses or accepting complimentary gifts or services or any other thing of value at any licensed facility. Self-exclusion only applies to the gaming floor of the licensed gaming facilities in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. (A similar program is available in New Jersey; visit http://www.state.nj.us/casinos/probgamb/.)
In order to accomplish this, an individual must go in person to the PGCB in Harrisburg, PA, or to another approved location, and be photographed and possibly fingerprinted. The Office of Compulsive and Problem Gaming Enforcement (telephone no. 717-346-8300) has information on additional places to do this. However, a person may not place a family member or other individual on the list; the process is voluntary and must be done by the person seeking exclusion.
The individual filing the request for self-exclusion may ask to be barred from gaming activities for one year, five years or a lifetime. The one and five year bans will remain in effect indefinitely or until the self-excluded person requests removal from the PGCB list after the initial term expires.
Licensed facilities must refuse wagers from and deny gaming privileges to any self-excluded person. This includes denying check cashing privileges, player club memberships, complimentary goods and services, junket participation and other similar privileges and benefits, to any self-excluded individual. They also must ensure that self-excluded persons do not receive junket solicitations, targeted mailings, telemarketing promotions, player club materials or other promotional items relating to gaming activities; and may prohibit self-excluded persons from entering their properties in other jurisdictions.
After an individual is placed on the self-exclusion list, a casino must refuse to accept the person’s wagers, will ask the person to leave the gaming floor, and the person may be arrested for trespass. In 2010, a Pennsylvania casino received a $10,000 fine for permitting a self-excluded patron to gamble after his one-year voluntary ban had ended, but before he requested to be removed from the list.
The PGCB received 2,000 requests for self exclusion, reported Liz Lanza, Director of the PGCB’s Office of Compulsive and Gambling Problems, at a public Board meeting on January 26, 2011. “The Self-Exclusion Program has continued to grow into a very effective and proven tool to assist a problem gambler in removing himself or herself from the temptation of gambling,” said Ms. Lanza. Of these 2,000 self-excluded persons, 539 were age 55 or older.
It’s doubtless that the legalized gambling juggernaut is going to fade into the sunset anytime soon. According to the PGCB, the millions of dollars generated by slots gambling in the state have gone to school and statewide property tax relief endeavors, and to reduce the Philadelphia city wage tax. These are worthwhile causes, objectively speaking, unless we happen to be among those who suffered financial hardship in pursuit of that jackpot that never hit.
*
Thomas Sottile is an attorney in Media, PA. He retired from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service after 23 years as an investigator and attorney.