NGISC Report, Part 5
The NGISC passed 76 recommendations, including at least 20 outlining future research initiatives. Some of the most notable recommendations are listed below.
3.2 "The Commission recommends that all legal gambling should be restricted to those who are at least 21 years of age and that those who are under 21 years of age should not be allowed to loiter in areas where gambling activity occurs."
3.3 "The Commission recommends that gambling 'cruises to nowhere' should be prohibited unless the state from which the cruise originates adopts legislation specifically legalizing such cruises consistent with existing law."
3.4 "The Commission recommends that warnings regarding the dangers and risks of gambling, as well as the odds where feasible, should be posted in prominent locations in all gambling facilities."
3.5 "The Commission recognizes the difficulty of campaign finance reform in general and an industry-specific contribution restriction in particular. Nonetheless the Commission believes that there are sound reasons to recommend that states adopt tight restrictions on contributions to state and local campaigns by entities-corporate, private, or tribal-that have applied for or have been granted the privilege of operating gambling facilities."
3.6 "The Commission received testimony that convenience gambling, such as electronic devices in neighborhood outlets, provides fewer economic benefits and creates potentially greater social costs by making gambling more available and accessible. Therefore, the Commission recommends that states should not authorize any further convenience gambling operations and should cease and roll back existing operations."
3.7 "The Commission recommends that the betting on collegiate and amateur athletic events that is currently legal be banned altogether."
3.10 "The Commission urges states with lotteries to disallow instant games that are simulations of live card and other casino-type games. Generally, the outcome of an instant game is determined at the point of sale by the lottery terminal that issues the ticket."
3.11 "The Commission recommends that all relevant governmental gambling regulatory agencies should ban aggressive advertising strategies, especially those that target people in impoverished neighborhoods or youth anywhere."
3.12 "The Commission recommends that states should refuse to allow the introduction of casino-style gambling into pari-mutuel facilities for the primary purpose of saving a pari-mutuel facility that the market has determined no longer serves the community or for the purpose of competing with other forms of gambling."
3.16 "The Commission recommends that states and tribal governments should conduct periodic reassessments of the various forms of gambling permitted within their borders for the purpose of determining whether the public interest would be better served by limiting, eliminating, or expanding one or more of those forms."
3.17 "The Commission recommends that federal, state, and tribal gambling regulators should be subject to a cooling-off period that prevents them from working for any gambling operation subject to their jurisdiction for a period of 1 year. Federal, state, or tribal lottery employees should be subject to a cooling-off period that prevents them from working for any supplier of lottery services for a period of 1 year."
3.18 "The Commission recommends that jurisdictions considering the introduction of new forms of gambling or the significant expansion of existing gambling operations should sponsor comprehensive gambling impact statements. Such analyses should be conducted by qualified independent research organizations and should encompass, in so far as possible, the economic, social, and regional effects of the proposed action."
3.19 "The Commission recommends that states with lotteries reduce their sales dependence on low-income neighborhoods and heavy players in a variety of ways, including limiting advertising and number of sales outlets in low-income areas."
3.21 "The Commission recognizes that lotteries and convenience gambling may play a significant role in the development of youthful gamblers. Further, with respect to all forms of legal and illegal gambling, the Commission recommends that all relevant governmental gambling regulatory agencies enact and enforce harsh penalties for abuse in this area involving underage gamblers. Penalties and enforcement efforts regarding underage gambling should be greatly increased."
3.22 "Heavy governmental promotion of lotteries, largely located in neighborhoods, may contribute disproportionately to the culture of casual gambling in the United States. The Commission therefore recommends that states curtail the growth of new lottery games, reduce lottery advertising, and limit locations for lottery machines."
4.1 "The Commission respectfully recommends that all relevant governmental gambling regulatory agencies require - as a condition of any gambling facility's license to operate - that each applicant adhere to the following:
- Adopt a clear mission statement as to applicant's policy on problem and pathological gambling.
- Appoint an executive of high rank to execute and provide ongoing oversight of the corporate mission statement on problem and pathological gambling.
- Contract with a state-recognized gambling treatment professional to train management and staff to develop strategies for recognizing and addressing customers whose gambling behavior may strongly suggest they may be experiencing serious to severe difficulties.
- Under a state 'hold harmless' statute, refuse service to any customer whose gambling behavior convincingly exhibits indications of problem or pathological gambling.
- Under a state 'hold harmless' statute, respectfully and confidentially provide the customer (as described above) with written information that includes a state-approved list of professional gambling treatment programs and state-recognized self-help groups.
- Provide insurance that makes available medical treatment for problem and for pathological gambling facility employees."
4.2 "The Commission recommends that each state and tribal government enact, if it has not already done so, a Gambling Privilege Tax, assessment, or other contribution on all gambling operations within its boundaries, based upon the gambling revenues of each operation. A sufficient portion of such monies shall be used to create a dedicated fund for the development and ongoing support of problem gambling-specific research, prevention, education, and treatment programs. The funding dedicated for these purposes shall be sufficient to implement the following goals:
- Undertake biennial research by a nonpartisan firm, experienced in problem gambling research, to estimate the prevalence of problem and pathological gambling among the general adult population. Specific focus on major sub-populations including youth, woman, elderly and minority group gamblers should also be included. An estimate of prevalence among patrons at gambling facilities or outlets in each form of gambling should also be included.
- Initiate public awareness, education, and prevention programs aimed at vulnerable populations. One such purpose of such programs will be to intercept the progression of many problem gamblers to pathological states.
- Identify and maintain a list of gambling treatment services available from licensed or state-recognized professional providers, as well as the presence of state recognized self-help groups.
- Establish a demographic profile for treatment recipients and services provided, as state and federal laws permit. Develop a treatment outcome mechanism that will compile data on the efficacy of varying treatment methods and services offered, and determine whether sufficient professional treatment is available to meet the demands of persons in need.
- When private funding is not available, subsidize the costs of approved treatment by licensed or state-recognized gambling treatment professionals for problem and pathological gamblers, as well as adversely affected persons. Additionally, such funds shall ensure that persons in need of treatment can receive necessary support based upon financial need. Treatment cost reimbursement levels and protocols will be established by each state."
4.4 "The Commission recommends that each gambling facility must implement procedures to allow for voluntary self-exclusion, enabling gamblers to ban themselves from a gambling establishment for a specified period of time."
4.6 "The Commission recommends that each state-run or approved gambling operation be required to conspicuously post and disseminate the telephone numbers of at least two state-approved providers of problem-gambling information, treatment, and referral support services."
5.1 "The Commission recommends to the President, Congress, and the Department of Justice (DOJ) that the federal government should prohibit, without allowing new exemptions or the expansion of existing federal exemptions to other jurisdictions, Internet gambling not already authorized within the United States or among parties in the United States and any foreign jurisdiction. Further, the Commission recommends that the President and Congress direct DOJ to develop enforcement strategies that include, but are not limited to, Internet service providers, credit card providers, money transfer agencies, makers of wireless communications systems, and others who intentionally or unintentionally facilitate Internet gambling transactions. Because it crosses state lines, it is difficult for states to adequately monitor and regulate such gambling."
5.2 "The Commission recommends to the President, Congress, and state governments the passage of legislation prohibiting wire transfers to known Internet gambling sites, or the banks who represent them. Furthermore, the Commission recommends the passage of legislation stating that any credit card debts incurred while gambling on the Internet are unrecoverable."
5.3 "The Commission recognizes that current technology is available that makes it possible for gambling to take place in the home or the office, without the participant physically going to a place to gamble. Because of the lack of sound research on the effects of these forms of gambling on the population and the difficulty of policing and regulating to prevent such things as participation by minors, the commission recommends that states not permit the expansion of gambling into homes through technology and the expansion of account wagering."
6.2 "The Commission recommends that IGRA's classes of gambling be clearly defined so that there is no confusion as to what forms of gambling constitute Class II and Class III gambling activities. Further, the Commission recommends that Class III gambling activities should not include any activities that are not available to other persons, entities or organizations in a state, regardless of technological similarities. Indian gambling should not be inconsistent with the state's overall gambling policy."
7.1 "Because of the easy availability of automated teller machines (ATM's) and credit machines encourages some gamblers to wager more than they intended, the Commission recommends that states, tribal governments, and pari-mutuel facilities ban credit card cash advance machines and other devices activated by debit or credit cards from the immediate area where gambling takes place."
7.9 "The Commission recommends that students should be warned of the dangers of gambling, beginning at the elementary level and continuing through college."
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