In 2006 I received a research grant from the Sycuan Institute on Tribal Gaming at San Diego State University to document tribal activities related to responsible gaming. Throughout the research period, I collected and analyzed a sample of the responsible gaming programs and materials offered by tribal government gaming facilities in California. I was particularly interested in the scope and effectiveness of current responsible gaming activities in California, including whether there was a coordinated approach to evaluating the effectiveness and the return on investment for these activities.

Tribal governments in California, as in other regions, are proud of their commitment to promoting responsible gaming. Tribal nations have invested heavily in a range of responsible gaming activities, including funding non-profit counseling services, supporting and promoting 24-hour toll-free help lines and committing to employee training about disordered gambling.

Required Reading
While local and state governments have encouraged-and sometimes required-tribal governments to support these activities, there is little or no research about their impacts or outcomes. This lack of documentation and evaluation has hindered public relations efforts since tribal governments and organizations are left to frame their commitments to responsible gaming in solely financial terms, leaving them open to criticism that they are not spending “enough,” regardless of the amount of their investments.

This research on responsible gaming-and the recommendations based upon its findings-is critically important and timely for a number of political reasons, including the negotiation of new and amended tribal-state gaming compacts in California, the publication of a California prevalence study, the creation of a problem gambling prevention program by the state’s Office of Problem Gambling and the tribes’ collective commitment to address responsible gaming.

As in other states such as Washington or New Mexico, where tribal-state gaming compacts specifically allocate funds to responsible gaming, the tribal governments in California are investing heavily in programs and materials about this important issue. But while the academic study of disordered gambling is still an emerging field, there are certain practices that are shown to be more effective than others. Certainly, casinos have an important role to play. Because casino employees and management are on the “front lines” of the problem, training and education of casino personnel is a critical piece of any prevention and education strategy.

There is work to be done, however, to make the kind of progress we all hope for. Currently, responsible gaming programs across tribal gaming facilities in the United States are a patchwork of strategies, principles and practices. And while tribal gaming representatives are committed to the issue and many have taken initial steps to address it, many are unsure of how to develop a comprehensive approach that will have a demonstrable impact and generate a positive economic and political return on their investment. The Indian gaming industry is also unable to fully document its commitment to responsible gaming due to a lack of good data.

Planning for Success
It is my conclusion that there is great need for a coordinated strategy of nation building and corporate governance in Indian Country, and tremendous potential for success in coordinating intertribal political and economic initiatives as they relate to responsible gaming initiatives. There also is an identifiable need for a comprehensive program and science-based, peer-reviewed resources to promote responsible gaming among tribal government employees and guests and to provide meaningful data to the public and policy makers about the Indian gaming industry’s commitment.

In fact, just such a program is now available. The National Center for Responsible Gaming (NCRG) has for the first time made its state-of-the art responsible gaming program available to tribal governments through its new Partnership for Excellence in Education and Responsible Gaming (PEER).

The NCRG is the only national organization exclusively devoted to funding academic research and education that helps increase understanding of pathological and youth gambling. It created the PEER program to give tribal governments full access to the comprehensive set of tools needed to develop and implement a world-class responsible gaming education program, no matter the size of the facility or number of employees.

If a tribal gaming facility decides to become a PEER program member, they’ll have access to an exclusive password-protected section of the NCRG website housing the online PEER Resource Guide, a virtual “one-stop shop” for addressing responsible gaming at your casino.

Yearly Reviews
All PEER education and training materials are based on peer-reviewed scientific research, and the program allows for an annual review of the tribe’s program that can be shared with regulating authorities. The annual report card also can serve as a symbol and measurement of the tribe’s commitment to responsible gaming education. These PEER materials, along with the EMERGE training program for employees, can be customized for tribal content and branding, making them an important way to educate employees about responsible gaming generally, and facility and tribal government information specifically.

For tribal governments who wish to start a new responsible gaming program, complement the one they already have, or satisfy a local or state government mandate that they create one, the PEER and EMERGE programs translate the latest research into practice. My own research revealed the need for a coordinated strategy and the NCRG research has provided the means to achieve one. For more information, I encourage interested parties to visit www.ncrg.org.

Members can view and download materials including:

• Videos, worksheets and other learning tools for employees
  
• Information on responsible gaming training programs, including special member pricing for EMERGE, the premier employee responsible gaming training program
  
• Best practices resources outlining elements of successful existing programs, as well as links to examples to help tribal facilities customize their own program or add tribal-specific content
  
• Brochures, signage and other materials, educating employees and patrons about responsible gaming, the odds of casino games, unattended minors and related topics
• Materials and resources for setting up a self-exclusion program
• Tools and best practices to train employees on preventing underage gambling/unattended minors
  
• Guidance in designing and implementing a responsible alcohol service policy
  
• Guidelines for advertising.