Responsible Gambling Awareness Week

October 1-7, 2006 marked the fifth annual Responsible Gambling Awareness Week (RGAW) in Nova Scotia. The Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation (NSGC) launched RGAW in 2002, with the goals of increasing public awareness about responsible gambling and increasing players' knowledge of responsible gambling and the signs/risks associated with problem gambling. The theme for RGAW 2006 was Focus on the Future. The meaning of this theme was two-fold: it incorporated a focus on youth gambling prevention and also referred to innovation and future trends in the industry.
Each year, the events of RGAW are targeted at specific communities across the province. The communities targeted in 2006 were:

Halifax Regional Municipality
Cape Breton Regional Municipality
Truro
Municipality of Lunenburg
Municipality of Digby
Millbrook
Membertou

Several events were incorporated into the Week, including the following:

A two-day Responsible Gambling Conference on October 2nd and 3rd which featured more than 20 top speakers and leading authorities on gambling and community issues.
A one-day Youth Gambling Prevention Summit on October 3rd which was tailored specifically to the needs and interests of youth influencers and educators, and focused entirely on youth gambling prevention.
Interactive information displays in Halifax, Sydney, Truro, Lunenburg and Digby malls that provided the public with important facts about gambling responsibly.
All video lottery terminal locations in the target communities received a comprehensive responsible gambling package that delivered factual information to help players make responsible choices.
All ticket lottery retailers in the target communities also received print materials that provided players and residents of the community with factual information about gambling risks and making responsible choices.
Community consultation sessions were held in three target communities, which allowed for NSGC’s President and CEO to engage in open discussion with community leaders about the future gaming environment in Nova Scotia.