MGM program attempts to head off overindulging

“The longer you play, the more money you’re likely to lose. Chasing losses almost always leads to bigger losses.” This sage gambling advice comes from a source you might not expect: MGM Resorts.

Many assume casinos want patrons to blow their entire paycheck or house payment, but MGM’s new GameSense program aims to stop them from doing just that.

Begun last month at MGM’s Nevada casinos, GameSense has cautionary messages on slot machines, video advertising screens and at MGM Resorts’ M life Rewards center. Next month, the program is being expanded to MGM properties throughout the country.

“Shouldn’t we really be communicating with everyone?” said Alan Feldman, MGM Resorts’ executive vice president. “Why wait until there’s a problem?”

GameSense, modeled on similar programs in Massachusetts and British Columbia, has a website that aims to dispel myths about gambling. Its guide to slots, for example, explains how the machines randomly generate outcomes and that “persistence doesn’t pay off.”

Even if you’ve lost 20 times in a row, slots are “never due for a win,” according to the site. “They don’t go cold after a win,” and if you walk away, “you’re not leaving a jackpot waiting.”

MGM’s goal is to “have a conversation with as many people as we can,” Feldman said. “The best place to do that is going to be at our M life Rewards center, which is where our most frequent customers congregate.”

GameSense’s basic premise, Feldman emphasized, is that gambling should be affordable, and players should have a good time. “If at any moment it isn’t one of those things, then we have information that can help you out.”

Here are some tips from GameSense:

Take frequent breaks: Walk away periodically to refresh your mind and make better decisions.

Set a dollar limit: Before you start playing, decide how much you can spend that night, take that much cash to the casino, and leave your wallet in the room.

Set a time limit: Decide in advance when you’ll quit, and shut it down at that time.

Balance gambling with other activities: Seeing a show or going out for dinner may seem cheap compared with the cost of gambling.

At MGM, Feldman said, “we are all very sensitive to the fact that for us to be a sustainable business long-term, we need to have sustainable customers . ... To do that over time, we need to be certain that our customers are doing just fine.”

For more information: www. mgmresorts.com/en/gamesense/ gambling-myths.html