State lottery ads set to promote video gambling

State lottery ads set to promote video gamblingProjected losses from a smoking ban spur the move to use new advertisements

BY DAVID STEVES

The Register-Guard

Published: Nov 27, 2008 06:44AM

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SALEM — Starting early next month, an actor dressed as a knight will urge Oregonians to try their hands at video gambling.

In one TV ad, this “knight of fun” gives a novice a ride on a white horse from his dreary living room to a neighborhood bar, where video terminals with slot machine-style games await.

The Oregon Lottery is hoping people take the cue and venture into any of Oregon’s 2,353 video lottery retailers after a Jan. 1 smoking ban forces all the establishments to go smoke free.

The ads will mark the first time in Oregon government’s 16 years in the video gambling business that the Oregon Lottery uses advertising to promote video poker and slot machine gaming.

[Read the full article here]

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What effects of this advertising do you anticipate? 

How can problem gambling prevention providers address the increased marketing of games that are cited as the favored games of 70% of problem gamblers in Oregon problem gambling treatment? 

Please post your comments!

Three Rivers to serve alcohol on entire gaming floor

Siuslaw News, 11/8/08:

Three Rivers to serve alcohol on entire gaming floor
Florence casino will be first in Oregon to offer service.

Three Rivers Casino and Hotel in Florence is the first Oregon casino to announce it will offer alcohol service on the entire gaming floor beginning Dec. 19.

The announcement was made by Michael Rose, COO of Three Rivers Casino and hotel, who said the new service was being conducted with the assistance and cooperation of the Oregon Liquor Control Commission and was in response to numerous customer requests.

"Everything we have done since the facility opened has been geared to enhance the guest experience," said Rose. "And this service has been the number one request from the beginning."

The service will be available daily from 7 a.m. until 2 a.m.

The Hotel and Casino is in the midst of a casino-wide training program conducted with OLCC for frontline employees to upper management, whether they serve alcohol or not.

"there is a large responsibility to the strep we are taking," Rose said, adding that the OLCC has extensive experience in hospitality service and that their programs dovetail nicely with the goals and service standards set by the Three Rivers Casino and Hotel.

At the same time, Three Rivers Casino and Hotel will pen a new non-smoking slot room. The room is designed to hold up to 50 new slot machines with gives players a total of 700 machines to choose from.

"The gold standard for the casino experience is, of course, Las Vegas," said Rose. "And we have been leading the way in bringing that to Oregon."

Rose said that since opening in 2004 Three Rivers has been a leader in providing the most complete gaming experience in Oregon in regards to availability of the various gaming options from slot machines to table games, Keno and major promotions. Gaming began in Oregon in 1992.

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This is unprecedented in Oregon.  The article in the Florence paper last Saturday was apparently the first time the community heard about it. In Lane County,  a recovering gambler from the Florence area wanted to bring this to our group's attention in concern that other casinos in Oregon may soon follow suit. Since this has just now come known even to our community, now is the time to start working. We need help!

Knowing what we know about the high co-occurrence with problem gambling and alcohol abuse/dependence, what effects might we expect from this change?

How would this issue be best addressed, knowing the tribes are under different jurisdiction than state government laws? How could groups in Oregon address this policy change? How could we work with OLCC?