Group endorses responsible gaming campaign
Pub Date: 12/1/2006
The Gaming Research and Education Fund (R&E) spent a good portion of its meeting Nov. 15 examining its role in providing problem gambling referral, treatment and awareness programs.
Rich Miller, chairman of the group, as well as Executive Director of the Gaming Industry Association, said funding from business groups for the Montana Council on Problem Gambling (MCPG), which is funnelled through the research and education organization, had adequately met the MCPG's immediate needs.
Recently gaming associations increased by about one-third their annual contributions to the MCPG. The groups had also been working with the Lottery and intralot, the lottery contract services provider, to contribute. Miller announced intralot would be making a $25,000 donation to the MCPG at the Nov. 17 meeting of the Gaming Advisory Council.
Miller also said the MCPG was beginning to gather data from treatment providers to demonstrate efficacy of treatment regimens, but that it would require up to two year's data before meaningful results could be derived. He noted Iowa, which spends $2 million a year to treat half as many individuals as the Montana Council, is also beginning efficacy studies.
"The point is," Miller said, "no one really seems to know what is working."
Miller reminded the R&E board that earlier in the year the MCPG participated in discussions with various state agencies to explore the potential for state-sponsored problem gambler treatment, but opted to remain privately funded when it fully realized the resources that would be consumed by administrative overhead.
The Gambling Control Division had asked Miller if business groups would support a responsible gambling awareness campaign to coincide with Problem Gambling Awareness Week in March 2008. Gambling Control would include $25,000 in its budget, as would the Lottery, Miller related, if business interests would provide a like amount.
Three of the four main groups behind the Research and Education effort the Montana Tavern Association, Gaming Industry Association and Town Pumps have indicated they will ante up $6,250 each, and the Montana Coin Machine Operators Association will consider the matter at their next board meeting. Miller said he was told the State Lottery might also contribute some of its matching advertising spots to promote responsible gaming awareness.
Miller said Gambling Control secured permission to use some modified spots created by an Oregon program, and that R&E's own spots produced over the last several years could also be made available for the campaign, keeping production costs down. The group reviewed the Oregon spots, endorsing two of them, finding one marginally acceptable and a fourth unacceptable.
It was decided that Montana problem gambler help hotline traffic should be tabulated as should calls to the MCPG in order to gauge whether the campaign has a positive effect in prompting problem gamblers to seek available help.
The R&E group reviewed and approved of Gambling Control pamphlets and rack cards that were being distributed to licensed locations to clarify the rules surrounding credit gambling prohibitions.
Mike Kenneally of Town Pump suggested the group consider updating the gaming economic impact study that was conducted by the University of Montana's Bureau of Business and Economic Research (BBER) in 2002. He said studying the matter in 2007 would provide current data for release in 2008, and would help businesses and regulators see trends that develop over time, including employment, cost and income changes.
One board member observed a study update would also "set a business benchmark" from the time before a smoking ban is implemented state-wide in 2009.
The board members decided to go to their respective sponsoring organizations and give them notice funds for the study update would be sought in the coming year. A representative was to approach the BBER for estimated costs to refresh the study.
The group was notified a polling firm would be conducting a state-wide survey soon and that the group could piggyback a few questions for a fair price. The board decided to take advantage of the opportunity to poll on an issue of concern to business.
Mark Staples, representing the Montana Tavern Association, informed the directors that in three states that ran competing smoking ban initiatives on the ballots, all three adopted the most restrictive, resulting in total bans in Ohio and Arizona, and tighter restrictions in Nevada.
Cole Boehler of Continental Communications, publishers of the Montana Tavern Times and content managers for the gaming and liquor industry web-site, told directors site visitations, page views and so on were up significantly over one year ago, but about that same as six months ago.
He said some search engine optimization issues need to be taken up and resolved with the site developer and host Pyron Technologies of Missoula. Boehler also said he thought a newer, more efficient content management system ought to be explored to keep required labor and costs down.
Miller directed attention to a letter from Pyron suggesting they were contemplating contractual and rate changes for clients anyway, so it would be a good time to broach a number of subjects with them. The group instructed Boehler to contact Pyron and set up a meeting early in the new year.
The group, upon adjournment, did not set its next meeting time.
Source: The Montana Tavern Times, Dec., 2006, published monthly by Continental Communications, 125 W. Granite St., Suite 102, Butte, MT 59701.