Multi-venue exclusion program and early detection of problem gamblers: what works and what does not?

Since April 2014, in Hesse (Germany), it has been possible to arrange an exclusion from all gaming halls. In addition, the Hessian Gaming Halls Act obligates operators to exclude individuals who show signs of addictive gambling behavior. The objective was firstly to quantitatively analyze the administrative data set of all excluded individuals (N = 12,253). Secondly, the compliance of staff in implementing various gambler protection measures was examined. Test players visited 64 of the 750 gaming hall sites in Hesse. The findings showed that third-party exclusion accounted for only 1% of all exclusions. Checks on on-site gambler protection revealed that in 16% of all attempts of access by test players and observers, no entry checks were conducted; in 28% of the gaming halls, they were able to play despite being excluded. Furthermore, staff reacted with appropriate interventions to signs of problematic gambling behavior in 7% of cases. The low level of compliance can be explained by an inherent conflict between economic interests and an adequate protection of gamblers. Measures for improvement should include the set up of a centralized, cross-sector exclusion system, a more closely monitoring of protection measures, and the introduction of a personalized gambler identity card. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]