The collaboration between the gambling industry and the 6th District City Hall has generated some good practices which were adopted at the level of the other districts of the capital city, as well as at national level.
At the end of last year, the 6th District mayor, Mr. Gabriel Mutu, called together several economic agents from the district to whom he presented his discontent related to the cleanliness preservation within the perimeter of the commercial spaces they are holding. Among those concerned were commercial networks, bars or gambling halls. The mayor asked a collaboration with them in a common endeavor of educating the locals frequenting these spaces and who do not keep the cleanliness of the adjacent commercial spaces. As a response, the gambling industry proposed several actions which were appreciated both by the local administration, and by the representatives of the National Gambling Office.
Present at the social responsibility seminar of the Association Responsible Gambling, organized within the Entertainment Arena Expo, Gabriel Mutu evaluated the actions from the industry in the last year as a “normalization of the industry’s relations with the local authorities”.
Gabriel Mutu : As representative of a community with over 400.000 inhabitants, I feel responsible to draw the attention over any transgression which may interfere with the good deployment of the activity from the district. Although the incidents are very rare, we wish they disappeared entirely and that we would work together with the purpose of assuring a clean and healthy environment, both inside the halls and outside them.
Starting from the situation from the 6th District, the members of the Slot Oragnizers’ Association used this good practice and applied the same measures in the other Bucharest districts, but also in other halls from the country. The set of rules has as purpose the involvement of the gambling operators in the maintenance of a harmonious climate in the local communities. The gambling halls employees were involved in educating the clients in what regards the order in front of the locations. They make sure that cleanliness is preserved in front of the gambling halls, they warn the gamers to not consume the drinks offered inside the hall outside it, not to damage the green area in front of the hall and to keep quiet after 22:00h.
Romslot answered promptly and positively to the call made by mayor Mutu and made some proposals in this respect, which were appreciated by the mayor during the Responsible Gambling conference, where he mentioned that many of the problems had been solved. Starting from the situation from the 6th District, Romslot proposed its members that the same measures would be applied in the other Bucharest districts, and also in the country. They are simple things which we can do, but with a positive impact at the level of the communities and they improve the relations with the local authorities, Viorela Rădoi, executive manager ROMSLOT.
Also during the seminar Responsible Gambling it was discussed about an increased involvement in the social responsibility project in the industry. More and more gamblers have understood that it is important to treat this activity as entertainment, and not as a money-earning activity.
The coordinator of the program Responsible Gambling, who is also a collaborator of the Social Care and Child Protection Directorate from the 6th District, dr. Cristian Andrei, proposed a partnership between the Association Responsible Gambling and this institution.
The famous psychologist believes that such a collaboration would lead to a targeted support programs and applied locally, giving as example the support groups from the local communities for other types of addictions. Taking into account that the gamblers are proximity players, dr. Andrei believes that such support groups would help those facing addiction issues.
In many other European countries this kind of services already represent a practice and have proved to be of real help to the locals from the respective communities.
The ROMSLOT members, the most important operators and manufacturers of slot-machines from Romania, prove once again that they are constant in what they propose: to create a responsible, transparent and ethical industry.
The project RESPONSIBLE GAMBLING was initiated by ROMSLOT in 2011 and is supported at the moment by three patronizing associations from the gambling industry, because a real social responsibility policy leads to the consolidation of a stable climate and the construction of a good reputation of the industry.
THE PROGRAM RESPONSIBLE GAMBLING MEANS:
Specialised support and therapy for the players with problems and their families
Educating the operators for adopting a responsible behaviour
Campaigns aimed at the education and prevention of excessive gambling
