Casino
Bosses Urge Patrons to mind their kids
( Daily Sun
Article 28 March 2005 )
Irresponsible parents, who spend hours gambling while
their children are neglected at casinos, could be barred
from the gambling houses.
And casino bosses are adamant that giving children money
and leaving them to play video games is not being
responsible.
Almost all the casinos in the province have dealt with
cases involving neglected children.
'We banned one gambler from the casino'
Some, as young as five, are reported to be handed money
and told to occupy themselves.
Prinella Pillay, Public Relations Manager at SunCoast
Casino, said that the casino had just recently put into
place a "Child Helpers Programme" charged with strictly
monitoring the children in the complex and ensuring none
of them are left loitering or neglected on the premises.
"The child helpers can be seen in bright red uniforms
patrolling the complex and they work every evening from
Friday through to Sunday between 8pm and 3am," Pillay
said.
"There are also strategically-placed posters on the
premises clearly indicating the importance of child
safety to SunCoast and that in the interest of safety
and peace of mind of the parents, children are not to be
left unattended within the complex."
Pillay added that the child helpers worked very closely
with security and the creche on the premises.
'I have personally attended to children'
"We reserve the right to remove unattended children to
the creche and take appropriate action," she said.
The programme has been in place for about a month and
already it is having a remarkable effect, she said.
"Like all casinos, we have had incidents of children
found loitering while their parents are gambling," she
said.
"The awareness that the programme has created has made
parents more cognisant of the realities they will face
if they leave their children unattended."
Pillay advises lost children at the complex to make
their way to the Club Desk, creche, security or the
closest child helper on duty.
Mike Burns, the Acting General Manager of Strategic
Operations at the National Gambling Board, said that
this initiative was very welcome and that he would
encourage all casinos to follow suit.
He added that the Gambling Board was very strict about
teenagers under the age of 18 being on the gambling
floor, but said that the welfare of the children in the
children's play area was usually up to the parents and
the casinos.
"It's wonderful to see such an initiative being put into
place because we are also committed to the welfare of
children," he said.
He added that at most casinos it was a general policy
among the staff and security to be on the lookout for
children loitering or left unattended by their parents.
"These children are usually identified and then their
parents are located," he said.
He added that he welcomed the strict regulations that
were being put into place.
Alec McMath, general manager of the Wild Coast Sun, said
they would not tolerate any parent leaving their child
unattended.
"We have facilities to take care of children with a
qualified child minder, and parents are obliged to come
and check on their kids every hour. During peak holiday
season we have extra staff on duty taking care of kids.
"If we find a child in the car alone, we will call the
police and that parent would be barred from our
complex," said McMath.
Patrick Beney, general manager of the Golden Horse
Casino in Pietermaritzburg, said they had only had three
cases of child neglect since the casino opened in 2002.
"Recently, we banned one gambler from the casino after
he continually neglected his child."
Beney said where necessary, the South African Police
Service or Child Welfare could be called in.
Melville Vogel, general manager at Sibaya Casino, says
that from Sun International's point of view they have
always been very pro-active on the issue of children on
their properties.
"We have a designated creche which is staffed by
childminders.
This is divided into a TV room and a play room with
games and toys, and an area with cots," he said.
"When parents or guardians arrive to admit the child
into our care, they are photographed and their details
recorded.
"We also take their cellphone numbers so that in the
event of a problem, or if the child is asking for the
parent or guardian, they can be contacted."
He added that there was a strict policy that children
could not be left in the facilities for longer than four
hours and that parents had to check on their children
every hour.
"If a parent or guardian breaches this rule, they are
automatically banned for a period from between three and
six months from the property."
"We are also able - through this monitoring - to check
on anyone who may be neglecting their children."
He added that the casino didn't just "throw out"
offenders.
"We do have a system in place whereby someone from the
management team chats to the parents about the issues,"
Vogel said.
"During our busy periods, such as holiday seasons, we
also employ extra staff to handle the children in the
creche and to ensure that children are not wandering
around unattended on the property," he said.
"Any child found wandering on its own is taken to an
appropriate area, and the parents are then sought out
and met with."
Vogel said that they had not had reason to ban any
parent from the property yet.
"We do, however, see neglect as a form of abuse, and
will take the appropriate action if required.
"I can confirm that along with other Sibaya management,
I have personally attended to children and liaised with
parents from time to time," he said.
More News Articles
|
Absolute
Slots
