November 22nd, 1999
Slots for Tots in Cross Hairs
By David Strow
Las Vegas Sun
Gaming industry foes today called on Congress to investigate what they call “slots for tots”—slot machines that may appeal to children.
A letter to the chairmen of the House and Senate Commerce committees today called for the panels “to investigate whether the gaming industry is luring impressionable children to gambling or casinos by employing slot machines bearing cartoon characters or other themes popular with children.”
“This looks like the Joe Camel of the gambling industry,” said Gary Ruskin, director of Commercial Alert, Ralph Nader’s consumer advocacy group based in Washington. “We mean that the staff ought to obtain internal market research and documents, then hold hearings on it as well.”
The letter is signed by four members of the National Gambling Impact Study Commission, including Chairwoman Kay James. Other commission signatories are James Dobson, president of Focus on the Family; Leo McCarthy, former lieutenant governor of California; and Richard Leone.
Specific games cited in the letter include WMS Industries Inc. “Monopoly,” Shuffle Master’s “The Three Stooges” and International Game Technology’s “South Park” and “The Pink Panther.”
Those involved in the effort said it was triggered by news coverage of the state Gaming Control Board’s discussion on modifying slot machine regulations over concerns that new games may appeal to children.
“I think it was the media reports emanating out of Las Vegas regarding these developments,” said Ron Reno, senior research analyst at Focus on the Family. “We’re seeing an increasing surge of these machines targeted toward kids, and people are beginning to get very concerned.
“Obviously, this is a trend in the gambling industry, and it needs to be countered and brought to light.”
The 20 signatories called on the committee chairmen to “investigate, subpoena, review and publicly release the market research used to develop these child-enticing slot machines, and to review the broader efforts of the casinos and gambling industry to market gambling to children.”
Reno said potential national legislation against slot machines is not yet in the cards.
“That may come in the future, but that’s not the current discussion,” Reno said. “I think we’re on the front end of this ... something obviously has to be done.”
But Frank Fahrenkopf, president of the American Gaming Association, branded the letter an effort by gaming industry foes to “get some attention.”
“The No. 1 recommendation of the study commission was that the regulation of gambling ... properly lies within the jurisdiction of the individual states,” Fahrenkopf said. “This is another attempt to go around what the commission recommended.
“The fact that Nevada gaming authorities have initiated hearings on this very subject shows that state regulation works.”
Steve DuCharme, chairman of the Gaming Control Board, argued that Nevada manufacturers were already taking steps to ensure that children wouldn’t be attracted to the newest generation of slot machines.
“We’ve had very good cooperation from all segments of the gaming industry to address the issue and set some industry guidelines,” DuCharme said. “We believe we’re addressing the issue. It doesn’t need any federal oversight.
“These operators and manufacturers are not intentionally targeting underage gamblers because they don’t have the resources to support the industry. So I don’t believe that’s a valid accusation.”