PARTNERSHIP RELEASES RECOMMENDATIONS FOR RESPONSIBLE GAMBLING POLICY 02/12/2010 RESPONSIBLE GAMBLING PARTNERSHIP ANNOUNCES RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PUBLIC POLICY BOSTON, MA (February 9, 2010) -- The Massachusetts Partnership for Responsible Gambling today announced a series of public policy recommendations to ensure responsible gambling practices in the Commonwealth.
As the Legislature continues debate about whether to expand gambling in Massachusetts, the Partnership held a press conference at the State House, where it recommended that any gambling legislation contain provisions to ensure adequate resources and funding for preventing, intervening and treating problem gambling, as well as comprehensive regulations and policies to ensure responsible gambling practices.
The Massachusetts Partnership for Responsible Gambling, a landmark alliance of gambling industry leaders and problem gambling experts, is committed to increasing public awareness of problem gambling, encouraging programs for education and prevention, and promoting responsible gambling policies and practices in the Commonwealth. Members include the Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling, Mohegan Sun, Suffolk Downs, Raynham Race Track, Plainridge Racecourse, the Massachusetts State Lottery Commission, and Wonderland Greyhound Park, Inc., among others.
“The Partnership supports programs that prevent the development of gambling-related problems, intervene when problems exist, and assure treatment for those who develop gambling-related problems and seek care,” said Kathleen M. Scanlan, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling, during the press conference.
Specific Partnership recommendations include provisions that require gambling operations in Massachusetts to have plans to guarantee compliance with the highest standards of responsible gambling programs; that any oversight authority include individuals with expertise in public health and in the field of gambling addiction; and that the authority continually study the efficacy of gambling laws and regulations, and their impact on public health.
Jeff Hartmann, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Mohegan Sun, along with Chip Tuttle, Chief Operating Officer for Suffolk Downs, and Mark J. Cavanagh, Executive Director of the Massachusetts State Lottery, all spoke during the press conference to discuss the Partnership and their shared vision for responsible gambling public policy.
“Mohegan Sun is proud to be a member of the Partnership for Responsible Gambling, and as a company that has been operating in the region for more than a decade, we understand the importance of developing and implementing responsible gaming practices and policies,” said Hartmann. “This Partnership continues to engage in important work and our goal with these recommendations is to provide input to help achieve the most effective gambling policies.”
"As a gaming destination in Massachusetts for 75 years, Suffolk Downs has a long-standing commitment to working with the Council and the Partnership on promoting responsible activities and programs,” said Tuttle. “This initiative will redouble and re-focus efforts as the Commonwealth looks seriously at expanded gaming."
Michael Botticelli, Assistant Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Bureau of Substance Abuse Services (DPH/BSAS) said that he was very pleased with the Partnership’s dedication to the issue and that the implementation of the recommended regulations was a vital component in governing the problem gambling services provided by DPH/BSAS.
An estimated 1 to 3 percent of the population has trouble with gambling at some point in their lives, according to a Harvard Medical School research study. In a recent national survey of funding for problem gambling services in the United States, Massachusetts ranked 18th in per capita expenditures to address problem gambling. The Partnership seeks to change this by making Massachusetts a national leader in responsible problem gambling public policy.
Massachusetts Partnership for Responsible Gambling members include: Paul I. Brody, Vice President of Development, Mohegan Sun; Thomas P. Carney, Manager, Raynham Race Track; Mark Cavanagh, Executive Director, Massachusetts State Lottery Commission; Diane Crowley, Special Projects Director, Mass. Council on Compulsive Gambling; Richard Dalton, President and CEO, Wonderland Greyhound Park, Inc; Jeff Hartmann, COO, Mohegan Sun; Steve O’Toole, General Manager, Plainridge Racecourse; Ray Pineault, Senior VP of Casino Operations, Mohegan Sun; Dan Rosenfeld, Director of Communication, Massachusetts State Lottery Commission; Kathleen M. Scanlan, Executive Director, Mass. Council on Compulsive Gambling; and Chip Tuttle, COO, Suffolk Downs Racetrack. # # # |