SALEM, Ore. – More than 6,000 Oregon Lottery retailer employees around the state have been trained on how to help players gamble responsibly. Last year, the Oregon Lottery launched “Responsible Gambling & You.” To date, 3,903 traditional and video lottery retail locations (99% of all Oregon Lottery retailers) have completed the program.
Convenience stores make up approximately 32% of all Oregon Lottery retailers, or about 1,200 locations. Oregon Lottery sells traditional lottery products like Scratch-it tickets and jackpot games such as Powerball and Oregon’s Game Megabucks.
“As part of our commitment to the state of Oregon, the Lottery recognizes that we have a shared responsibility with our retailers for the promotion of responsible gambling practices,” said Stacy Shaw, director of corporate and social responsibility for the Oregon Lottery, in a press release. “We are dedicated to ensuring that players and their families have the information they need to make informed choices about gambling as well as direct access to help that is free, confidential and effective. It is also part of our commitment that we provide ongoing education and training to our retailers and their staff regarding responsible gambling practices.”
Recognizing the challenges associated with training frontline retail staff, the Lottery developed a simple, short and tailored program that could easily be taken on any mobile device or desktop computer. The training is not intended for employees to counsel people, but is designed to point them to resources for help. This training also helps direct family, friends and other loved ones to finding the assistance they may need.
Lottery Corporate Accounts Manager Debbie Jahn, said that the retailer training has been well received. “Several retailers have commented about how the training is helping their customer service folks,” Jahn said. “By supplying pamphlets, providing the training video and other materials, we are committed to helping retailers provide a fun, safe play environment for Lottery games.”