Inside Asian Gaming

MAY 2018 INSIDE ASIAN GAMING 41 “The only way our business will thrive over time is to continue to have healthy customers. Someone who is experiencing the consequences of disordered or addicted gambling is not going to be a good customer.” – Alan Feldman Ben Blaschke : Firstly Alan, why is it important to promote responsible gaming discussions? Alan Feldman: The only way our business will thrive over time is to continue to have healthy customers. Someone who is experiencing the consequences of disordered or addicted gambling is not going to be a good customer; not in the short term and certainly not in the long term. Our business is only sustainable if people have fun, can pay their bills and come visit again in the future. BB: How do you strike a balance between acknowledging the importance of responsible gaming and keeping its prevalence in perspective, given that most players gamble responsibly? AF: The prevalence of problems associated with gambling have remained constant throughout the past two decades. In that same time, the growth of the legal gambling industry, tribal and commercial, has been extraordinary. The best way we can impact the prevalence rate is to continue to encourage responsible play among our customers. BB: What are some of the problems you’ve seen in some responsible gaming programs over the years? AF: I think we were mostly focused on problem players in the past as opposed to focusing and, hopefully, increasing the numbers playing responsibly. Those who have problems need to be encouraged to seek help in whatever form works for them individually. BB: What should responsible gaming programs focus on in order to be most effective? AF: We need to have as many conversations with our customers as possible. For the vast majority of the public, we should regularly FEATURES encourage them to have fun and enjoy themselves and support them in making responsible choices. BB: Do you believe the intense media focus on problem gambling is disproportionate to the actual problem or is it important to keep that discussion out in the public domain? AF: It’s very important to continue to have these conversations publicly. Not only will that increase awareness of both problem and responsible gambling, it will also eventually help normalize the conversation and, over time, reduce the stigma associated with problem gambling. BB: What are some of the common challenges faced in regards to responsible gaming when entering new markets? What impact do cultural differences have? ALAN FELDMAN – MGM RESORTS