Casino Meets Warning Label Rule By Making The Label Flash And Play A Jingle
Regulators asked for a notice that players could not ignore. Players now stay at the machine waiting for it to come round again.
ATLANTIC CITY. A rule requiring every slot machine in the state to carry a gambling harm warning took effect on Monday. By Monday afternoon the Harbor Crest Casino had fitted all 2,140 of its machines with a version of the warning that flashes gold, rotates, and plays a four-note chime every ninety seconds.
The rule, written by the state’s Office of Wagering Standards, says the warning must be “clearly visible and impossible to ignore.” Inspectors who walked the casino floor on Monday evening confirmed that it was both.
The warning reads “Gambling can be harmful. Know your limits.” On Harbor Crest’s machines it appears in the animated gold lettering otherwise used for the Grand Jackpot, inside a shower of falling coins, and is followed by the sound the machine makes when a player wins more than they bet.
We built it to the letter of the regulation. Clearly visible: it is the brightest thing on the machine. Impossible to ignore: it is also the loudest.
Guests have responded well. In a survey carried out by the casino, 71 percent of players said they had noticed the warning, and 64 percent said they had kept playing in order to see it again. Several asked staff how to trigger it.
The Office of Wagering Standards said it is reviewing the design. Harbor Crest said four other casinos have asked to license it, and that a version with a bonus round is in testing.
