Virginia Law

A. A licensee shall implement a program to promote responsible gaming by its patrons and provide details of the same to the commission. At a minimum, such program shall require:

1. Posting in a conspicuous place in every place where pari-mutuel wagering on historical horse racing is conducted a sign that bears a toll-free number approved by the Virginia Council on Problem Gambling or other organizations that provide assistance to problem gamblers;

2. Providing informational leaflets or other similar materials at the licensee's facilities on the dangers associated with problem gambling;

3. Including in the licensee's promotional and marketing materials information on problem gambling and organizations that provide assistance to problem gamblers;

4. Routine auditing of patron activity to identify patrons who have suffered significant financial losses in repeated visits to the licensee's facilities and providing such patrons with information on organizations that provide assistance to problem gamblers;

5. If the licensee holds a license from the Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Authority to serve alcoholic beverages, training for employees to identify patrons who have consumed excessive amounts of alcohol to prevent such patrons from continuing to engage in wagering activity while impaired;

6. Partnership with the Virginia Council on Problem Gambling, the National Council on Problem Gambling, or other similar organization to identify and promote best practices for preventing problem gambling;

7. Training for all employees who have contact with patrons as well as administrative and corporate staff members that shall include skills and procedures to respond to situations where a patron exhibits warning signs of a gambling problem or where a patron discloses they may have a gambling problem. Such employees and staff should be trained immediately upon their hiring and retrained and tested regularly; and

8. Ensuring that any request by a patron who wishes to self-exclude from the licensee's facilities is honored by the licensee.

B. A licensee shall report annually to the commission and make a copy available to the public on its efforts to meet subsection A of this section, its efforts to identify problem gamblers, and steps taken to:

1. Prevent such individuals from continuing to engage in pari-mutuel wagering on historical horse racing; and

2. Provide assistance to these individuals to address problem gambling activity.