FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 

 December 21, 2022 

 CONTACT: Aaron Pickus, aaron@pickuscommunications.com 

 Maverick Gaming Urges Advance of Problem Gambling Task Force Recommendations 

 Maverick Gaming CEO and co-founder shares letter of support with Legislative committees 

 WASHINGTON –Maverick Gaming this week submitted a letter to members of the Senate Labor & Commerce Committee and House Gaming & Regulated Substances Committee, urging the Legislature to move forward with the proposed recommendations of the Problem Gambling Task Force. Maverick Gaming served on the Task Force, which was created at the direction of the Legislature to “review existing outreach, prevention, and treatment resources for problem and disordered gambling, and determine if services need to be increased.” 

 

“As the CEO and co-founder of Maverick Gaming – a local commercial owner of 19 licensed card rooms in Washington State – I am proud of our partnership with state agencies, our employees and the communities where we operate in the work to reduce the prevalence of problem gambling,” wrote Eric Persson, CEO and co-founder of Maverick Gaming. 

 A full copy of Persson’s letter is available upon request. 

 According to a review in Psychology Today, problem gambling affects 1-3% of US Adults. This national review aligns with the recent survey by the Washington State Health Care Authority which found that 1.5% of adult Washingtonians are affected by problem gambling. Other states with commercial gaming sectors such as Arizona, California and Colorado report similar rates within the national trend – 2.3%, 2.7% and 2.4%, respectively. For those who like to play cards for fun, problem gambling affects a small minority – in the Health Care Authority survey, 43.5% of Washington adults reported participating in one or more gambling activities in the past year, with 3% of those adults affected by problem gambling. The lottery (32.6%), Tribal casinos (15.3%), pull-tabs/bingo/raffles (8.9%) were the most frequently accessed forms of gambling in Washington. Of those who reported gambling in the past year, 4.2% reported visiting a commercial card room.  

 “The combination in our state of the statistical rigor in identifying which minority of adults is most at risk for problem gambling, the collaboration to reach the recommendations of the Problem Gambling Task Force and the partnership of licensed commercial operators I believe puts our state at the forefront in mitigating the harms of problem gambling,” Persson wrote. 

 In his letter, Persson shared Maverick Gaming’s ongoing practices and efforts to reduce problem gambling, which include: 

• Policy to incorporate state-wide self-exclusion list in all Maverick-operated properties 
• Signages and materials that explain gambling problems be readily available to guests in our properties. Materials and signage are provided by the Evergreen Council on Problem Gambling and are posted in high traffic areas. 
• Proper employee training to help identify guests who show signs of gaming addiction and provide resources to the individuals. Managers take training directly from the Evergreen Council on Problem Gambling.  
• Policy to safely confiscate gambling funds that belong to guests who violate the state-published self-exclusion policy by conducting gambling activities in our properties while remaining active on the self-exclusion list. Such funds are sent to the problem gambling account created with the state treasury per RCW 41.05.751 

• Maverick Gaming is a Platinum Sponsor of the Evergreen Council on Problem Gambling 

 “Thank you for your commitment to collaboration in advancing policies and recommendations for mitigating the harms of problem gambling in our state. I stand with you as a partner in pursuit of these recommendations by the Problem Gambling Task Force and in future efforts,” Persson concluded in his letter. 

 About Maverick Gaming 

Maverick Gaming, based in Kirkland, operates 19 cardrooms in Washington located from Kirkland to Tukwila to Lakewood to Kennewick as well as the Wendover Nugget, Red Garter  

Hotel, Red Lion Casino and Gold Country Casino in Nevada, and three properties in Colorado. In Washington, Maverick Gaming currently employs more than 2,000 team members and intends to invest $500 million in licensed cardrooms and planned entertainment developments across the state. Maverick Gaming is a proud employer of Teamsters Local 117 workers at its Washington locations as part of its commitment to providing sustainable, family-wage jobs. 

 

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