Sands China organizes responsible gaming team training

Tuesday 17th of October 2017

Sands China Ltd. delivered its annual Responsible Gaming Team Training Programme at The Venetian Macao’s Adelson Advanced Education Centre for the fifth consecutive year Monday and Tuesday.

The elite programme is part of the company’s effort to enhance team members’ knowledge of problem gaming and awareness of the importance of responsible gaming. Certificates issued by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) were presented to 80 participating team members, who came from the gaming operations, security, and human resources departments to attend one of two training sessions Oct. 16-17.

Launched in 2013, the Responsible Gaming Team Training Programme is a global initiative of parent company Las Vegas Sands Corp. It features new and enhanced elements each year, and demonstrates Sands China’s ongoing commitment to responsible gaming in Macao. It is also part of the company’s efforts to support the measures introduced by the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ). To date, over 430 participants have attended training sessions, and nearly 2,400 hours of training have been provided through the annual campaign.

“It is satisfying to see our team members gain and strengthen a practical set of skills and knowledge in the important area of responsible gaming through this training programme,” said Cetin Tanisman, senior vice president of casino operations for Sands China Ltd. “Minimising the social impact of problem gaming in Macao is very important to Sands China, and this programme represents one of our successful efforts to that end.”

The programme is delivered by Professor Bo J. Bernhard, executive director of the UNLV International Gaming Institute; along with Sands China’s in-house trainer Romeu Júlio do Espírito Santo, who completed the Macao Responsible Gambling Advisor (MRGA) and Train the Trainer last year; and senior counsellors from responsible gaming service provider Sheng Kung Hui (SKH) Macau Social Services Coordination Office. Attendees, including gaming managers, security managers and human resources trainers, were educated on the behaviours of problem gamblers, how to provide appropriate information and assistance on responsible gaming, and the application procedures and particulars of the self-exclusion and third-party exclusion programmes. They also participated in role-play scenarios, and learned more about the gaming counselling service provided by SKH – supporting the government’s efforts to further promote the 24-hour counselling hotline.

This year’s programme again included the participation of Sheng Kung Hui Macau Social Services Coordination Office, which teaches crisis management and intervention skills.

“This is my second year participating in the training, and I’m still learning new things,” said one of the participants. “This programme is well presented, and enables me to do a better job and serve our guests better; I recommend it for both new trainees and those who have already taken the training before.”

Bricks & Mortar Training Responsible gambling