Events Calendar

Jul 2010

Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa
        1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11 12 13 14 15 16 17
18 19 20 21 22 23 24
25 26 27 28 29 30 31
   

Subscribe to Newsletter

Enter in Your Name* & Email Address*

Responsible Gaming

Corporate Compliance Statement

The Aspers Group is committed to conducting its business with integrity and to adopting respectable and ethical standards, acting across its business interests with due care and diligence. The Company is committed to compliance with the Gambling Act 2005, the Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice and the Licensing Act 2003.

The Company ensures that its employees are aware of and fully comply with the licensing objectives and will deal with the Gambling Commission in an open and co-operative way. We are committed to socially responsible gambling and run and support the Aspers initiative, 'Community Action for Responsible Gaming' (CARG), in any area that we operate an Aspers casino.

The Aspers Group has internal procedures in place to ensure that it's business is conducted in compliance with all relevant primary and secondary legislation. The procedures will be communicated to all relevant staff and all those staff members who are required to hold a Gambling Commission Personal Licence will have the requisite competency for the licence held and the responsibilities associated with that position. We have well established staff practices and procedures in place including procedures for all staff to report grievances.

We believe that a well structured and organised corporate business with well trained management and staff is essential to our success. We deliver this success within the UK gambling legislative framework, working with our regulator through our management and compliance teams.

Damian Aspinall
Damian Aspinall
Chairman

Managing your gambling

We all take risks, and gambling is a particular style of risk taking that is exciting and fun. For most people who enjoy gambling in a casino it is an entertaining experience.

The temptation to try your luck or experience an early win may be irresistible. Each time you win you may find that you spend your winnings on more gambling, and if you lose you may desperately continue, hoping that a ‘big win’ is just round the corner. The moreyou do this the more absorbed you become in the activity.

This is why gambling is so habit forming. If you have lost control with your gambling, and gambling isn’t fun for you anymore read on, this leaflet may help; or if you know someone who is not gambling responsibly, pass on this leaflet.

Do you have a gambling problem?

The following questions have been devised for gamblers to ask themselves

  • Have you put at risk important or significant relationships, educational studies, a jb or your career because of gambling?
  • Do you chase losses by continuing or quickly returning to gamblewhen on a losing streak?
  • When you win do you have a strong desire to return and win more?
  • Have you lied, stolen or borrowed to get money for gambling?
  • Are you reluctant to spend gambling money on anything else?
  • Do you ever gamble for longer than you had planned?
  • Do you ever use gambling to escape worry trouble, disappointment or frustration?
  • Do you feel depressed or suicidal because of your gambling?
  • Are you in debt because of your gambling?
  • Have you ever sold your own or your family’s possessions to attain money to gamble or to pay gambling debts?

The more you answer ‘yes’ the greater the likelihood of a serious gambling problem. Speak to someone about this.

Strategies for help

Talk about it

  • Be honest, firstly with yourself and then with others.
  • Talk about it with someone you trust; your family, a friend, a counsellor or call the Gamcare Helpline.
  • Talk to your casino General Manager, they do understand. Their experience in the industry gives them an awareness of the issues involved. There are a number of options that the casino can implement to help you get the gambling dependency under control.
  • Request to self exclude from the casino by either completing a form or speaking to a Casino Manager. The Manager will explain the self exclusion programme to you and the minimum 6 month period of exclusion.
  • Consider setting financial limits by limiting the amount of money that can be withdrawn.
  • Regularly take a reality break; get up and walk away from the gaming activity.
  • Resign from the casino in writing stating the reason for your resignation.
  • Most of all take responsibility for yourself. Don’t run away from your problems, it never solves anything.

Practical Steps

  • Stop all gambling while breaking the habit.
  • Look for patterns in your behaviour. Do you gamble when you’re bored, stressed or under a lot of pressure?
  • Use a calendar and mark each day you do not gamble, so you can see the progress you are making.
  • Ask someone you trust to handle your money for an agreed amount of time (e.g. 3 months).
  • Reward yourself after a period free from gambling by spending some of the money you have saved on yourself.?
  • Remember take one day at a time. Overall be optimistic, you can overcome a gambling dependency. Some gamblers find it impossible to go back to gambling without losing control, whilst others at a later stage are able to return to controlled gambling.

Help & Advice

Certificate of Social Responsibility

Gamcare

Helpline 0845 6000 133
www.gamcare.org.uk

Provides information, advice and counselling to individuals, their family and friends who
are concerned about problem gambling.

Gamblers Anonymous (GA)

Helpline – 020 7384 3040
www.gamblersanonymous.org.uk

A self help fellowship of compulsive gamblers wanting to address their gambling problems. Their sister organisation, GamAnon, runs groups for partners/families of compulsive gamblers groups are helped weekly throughout the country..

Gordon House Association

Helplines - 020 8778 3331/
01384 241292
www.gordonhouse.org.uk

Providing accommodation, therapy and rehabilitation for compulsive gamblers and internet counselling service..

National Debtline

Helpline 08088 084000
www.nationaldebtline.co.uk

Offers advice and support to enable callers to deal with their debts in a pro active and informed way. Self help information packs are sent free to individuals with debt problems.

Gamble Aware

www.gambleaware.co.uk

Establised by the Responsibility in Gambling Trust (RIGT) to provide advice and information about responsible gambling.

Community Action for Responsible
Gaming (CARG)

Community Action for Responsible Gaming is an iniative unique to Aspers and seeks to constructively address problem gambling
issues in society. It is a voluntary, not-for-profit group, made up of a cross section of community representatives including the Police, the Church, GamCare and Aspers management, designed to facilitate discussion, increase knowledge and reduce the risks of problem gambling.

If you feel that you or someone you know needs advice regarding gambling problems, please do not hesitate to speak to any of the
Aspers Casino Management team.