INDIANAPOLIS - Problem gamblers could ban themselves for life from all of Indiana's riverboat casinos under a program the Indiana Gaming Commission is considering.
In 2003, the Legislature granted the commission authority to create a program to let individuals ban themselves from all of Indiana's riverboat casinos.
Currently, each casino keeps a list of people who have asked not to be allowed to enter. And Hoosiers also can call the commission to register, but until the new program is in place, its list is not private.
To get on the proposed list, which would be confidential, an individual would have to apply in person at a commission office at one of the casinos or in Indianapolis. A staffer would take his photograph and add his description to the list.
The new program would let people ban themselves for one year, five years or life. If a person signs up for a lifetime ban, he cannot revoke it.
Even once the one-year or five-year ban expires, he would have to apply to be removed from the list.
Each casino will have to come up with a program for how they plan to keep the listed people off the boat, but at a minimum when a person presents identification to cash a check, get a line of credit or collect a winning in excess of $1,200, they would be screened out.
A casino also could attempt to catch banned patrons as they enter the boat, but the proposed rules do not require that because casinos do not check IDs on entry, so there would be no guaranteed way to catch someone coming on.
If a person on the list would make it on a boat and win an amount in excess of $1,200, which triggers filing tax paperwork, his winnings would be confiscated and given to the gaming commission. Also, casino officials could call law enforcement to have the person arrested for trespassing.
Once the program is in place, the commission could fine any casino that doesn't enforce the list.
Some gambling opponents feel the proposed rules won't do enough.
"I think they need more teeth," said Walter Schulz, a lobbyist for the Indiana Coalition Against Legalized Gambling.
Schulz said he'd like the rules to contain published fines for casinos rather than having the commission set fines on a case-by-case basis.
And he also would like casinos that track customers with perk cards to print out a monthly report of their gambling habits and how much they've won or lost.
"They should be given a wake up call, if you will, that they are losing this amount of money," Schulz said. He said family members also should be able to request monthly reports.
But Gaming Commission spokeswoman Jenny Byrd Arnold said that considering the commission has been trying to get legislative approval for this program for three years, it is a good first step.
"We're not in any way claiming that we're going to be able to find (a listed person) every time they step foot on (a casino) property," she said. "But it gives a tool."
She said casinos also can choose to have a stricter exclusion program, including keeping someone on their exclusion list after they've been de-listed with the state.
The commission also might study programs in other states, such as Missouri, where casino employees earn incentives for noticing a listed person in the casino.
Jim Brown, general manager of the Casino Aztar, said most of the new proposals are already in effect at Aztar, but the new plan will take them statewide.
"We don't want problem gamblers here and we want them to get help," Brown said. "We will do what we can to attempt to keep them out of our facility and a statewide program will assist in that effort."
The commission will hold a public hearing on the proposed rules in Indianapolis today and will consider the final version in Evansville on Nov. 14.
Once the commission decides on final rules for the program, the Attorney General and governor still have to approve them. Byrd said the program could be in place in three to six months.
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In 2003, the Legislature granted the commission authority to create a program to let individuals ban themselves from all of Indiana's riverboat casinos.
Currently, each casino keeps a list of people who have asked not to be allowed to enter. And Hoosiers also can call the commission to register, but until the new program is in place, its list is not private.
To get on the proposed list, which would be confidential, an individual would have to apply in person at a commission office at one of the casinos or in Indianapolis. A staffer would take his photograph and add his description to the list.
The new program would let people ban themselves for one year, five years or life. If a person signs up for a lifetime ban, he cannot revoke it.
Even once the one-year or five-year ban expires, he would have to apply to be removed from the list.
Each casino will have to come up with a program for how they plan to keep the listed people off the boat, but at a minimum when a person presents identification to cash a check, get a line of credit or collect a winning in excess of $1,200, they would be screened out.
A casino also could attempt to catch banned patrons as they enter the boat, but the proposed rules do not require that because casinos do not check IDs on entry, so there would be no guaranteed way to catch someone coming on.
If a person on the list would make it on a boat and win an amount in excess of $1,200, which triggers filing tax paperwork, his winnings would be confiscated and given to the gaming commission. Also, casino officials could call law enforcement to have the person arrested for trespassing.
Once the program is in place, the commission could fine any casino that doesn't enforce the list.
Some gambling opponents feel the proposed rules won't do enough.
"I think they need more teeth," said Walter Schulz, a lobbyist for the Indiana Coalition Against Legalized Gambling.
Schulz said he'd like the rules to contain published fines for casinos rather than having the commission set fines on a case-by-case basis.
And he also would like casinos that track customers with perk cards to print out a monthly report of their gambling habits and how much they've won or lost.
"They should be given a wake up call, if you will, that they are losing this amount of money," Schulz said. He said family members also should be able to request monthly reports.
But Gaming Commission spokeswoman Jenny Byrd Arnold said that considering the commission has been trying to get legislative approval for this program for three years, it is a good first step.
"We're not in any way claiming that we're going to be able to find (a listed person) every time they step foot on (a casino) property," she said. "But it gives a tool."
She said casinos also can choose to have a stricter exclusion program, including keeping someone on their exclusion list after they've been de-listed with the state.
The commission also might study programs in other states, such as Missouri, where casino employees earn incentives for noticing a listed person in the casino.
Jim Brown, general manager of the Casino Aztar, said most of the new proposals are already in effect at Aztar, but the new plan will take them statewide.
"We don't want problem gamblers here and we want them to get help," Brown said. "We will do what we can to attempt to keep them out of our facility and a statewide program will assist in that effort."
The commission will hold a public hearing on the proposed rules in Indianapolis today and will consider the final version in Evansville on Nov. 14.
Once the commission decides on final rules for the program, the Attorney General and governor still have to approve them. Byrd said the program could be in place in three to six months.
www.myinky.com
