FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Niagara Falls, ON) – November 26, 2015. November marks the 10th anniversary for the Responsible Gaming
Resource Centre (RGRC) program in Ontario gaming venues. Since opening its first centres at Fallsview Casino Resort and Caesars Windsor in 2005, the Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) has provided information, assistance and referral through the RGRC program to more than 1.3 million people.
“When launching a program like this, it can be hard to step up and be first in line,” says Jon Kelly, CEO of the Responsible Gambling Council. “I want to acknowledge the management and staff at Fallsview Casino Resort and the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) for the commitment they made – and continue to make – to this program, which has helped make it a model for the world.”
“OLG is proud of how the RGRC program showcases the strong three-way partnership with the Responsible Gambling Council, Falls Management Group and OLG,” says John MacFarlane, OLG’s Senior Vice President of Gaming. “In the decade since the RG Resource Centres first opened, the field of responsible gambling has matured, and we are gratified to know that all of our organizations have assumed positions of global leadership in this field and will continue to lead for decades to come.”
The RGRC at Fallsview Casino Resort is among eight full-service centres across the province where trained staff are available every day to answer questions about how the games work, share safety tips, and talk about gambling myths and facts. “Offering on-site information to patrons is essential if they are to make more informed decisions,” says Kelly. Special educational events, digital displays, and interactive kiosks are other forms of outreach conducted through the RGRC program, which is now in 54 venues across the province including Casino Niagara, a property operated under the same consortium as Fallsview Casino Resort.
RGRCs also offer assistance to people who may be concerned about their own gambling or that of someone they know. At Fallsview Casino Resort, more than 2,500 people have received immediate assistance with their concerns since 2005. And, RGC staff at RGRCs play an important role behind the scenes, connecting with venue staff to build awareness and foster collaboration. “Our employees share a strong relationship with the onsite RGRC at both our casino properties,” said Bruce Caughill, VP of Legal/Administration with the casinos. “It’s a partnership of mutual respect and dedication to providing our patrons with the highest standard of service excellence.”
Based on the success of the RGRC program in slots and casino venues, the program continues to grow. Starting last year, self-serve RGRCs have opened in 30 Charitable Bingo Gaming Centres, including Delta Bingo Niagara Falls in January 2014.
ABOUT RGC
The Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) is an independent non-profit organization dedicated to problem gambling prevention.
RGC works to reduce gambling risks by creating and delivering innovative awareness and information programs. It also promotes the adoption of improved play safeguards through best practices research, standards development and the RG Check accreditation program.
ABOUT OLG
OLG is a provincial agency responsible for gaming facilities, the sale of province-wide lottery games, the PlayOLG Internet gaming web site and the delivery of bingo and other electronic gaming products at Charitable Gaming Centres across the province.
ABOUT FALLSVIEW CASINO RESORT
Fallsview Casino Resort is an award-winning resort that has been offering premier entertainment and superior guest service since 2004. Featuring a CAA Four-Diamond Hotel with 374-luxury rooms and suites, Fallsview Casino houses one of the largest gaming floors in the world with over 3,000 slot machines and 100 gaming tables.
Winner of the Wine Spectator’s Best of Award of Excellence and CAA’s Four-Diamond Award for its two signature restaurants, Ponte Vecchio and 21 Club, Fallsview Casino also features a full–service spa and fitness centre, a state-of-the-art 1,500-seat Avalon Theatre, dozens of dining and shopping options and over 30,000 square feet of meeting and convention space. Fallsview Casino Resort is owned by the Government of Ontario through the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) and operated by a consortium of five companies, the Falls Management Group LP.
RGRC FACTS
1. The first ever on-site gaming resource centre opened at Crown Casino in Melbourne, Australia in 2001. The first in Canada was at the McPhillips Street Station Casino in Manitoba in 2003.
2. 1.375+ million people have accessed RGRC services since the program began in November 2005. Over 111K of those were at Fallsview Casino Resort.
3. Since 2005, 2,558 people have received assistance from a staff member at the RGRC at Fallsview Casino Resort regarding a concern about their own gambling, or that of someone they know. About 60% of these individuals accepted the referral offered by RGC staff for further information and support.
4. RGC currently operates 54 RGRCs in Ontario – 24 at OLG’s Slots & Casinos and 30 at Charitable Gaming Centres across the province, including three in Niagara Falls: Fallsview Casino Resort, Casino Niagara and Delta Bingo Niagara Falls.
5. The RGRC program employs around 66 full and part-time staff in Ontario.
6. Eight RGRCs are full-service centres, and 46 are self-serve. Self-serve RGRCs receive a regular site visits from RGC staff offering information to patrons and/or educational events.
7. Interactive information kiosks, called MARGI, were added to the RGRCs in 2007, and are now key components of every Centre.
8. All Centres visitors have access to brochures in 11 languages that were specifically developed by the Responsible Gambling Council, as well as community-specific materials from local service agencies.
9. Seven RGRC sites include a decommissioned slot machine that is used by staff to deliver a hands-on demonstration of how the machines work to patrons.
MEDIA CONTACTS
For further inquiries, please contact:
Jennifer Iveson, Manager, Communications and Policy
Responsible Gambling Council
[email protected] | 416-499-9800 ext. 245
Jennifer Murphy, Communications Specialist
Fallsview Casino Resort
[email protected] | 905-371-7538