1. 2. Employee Training
Resource sheet provided to employees

2. 2. Employee Training
sent to new employees
Hi, and welcome aboard!
We've got a unique mission here at the Lottery to raise funds and serve the people of Minnesota. On the fun side, we have a really solid set of games that give people a chance to win some really exciting prizes. That leads to a lot of people choosing to play our games which is great news for us.
However, we really want to encourage people to play for the right reasons. Playing for fun and entertainment with discretionary income is a healthy leisure activity. Playing in a desperate attempt to win back money lost on previous bets (Lottery or otherwise) is not. In fact, it's is one of the signs of a potential gambling problem.
The Lottery is committed to doing our part to promote responsible play but we'll need your help to get there. While the number of people having problems with lottery games is small, there’s always a chance that you might come across someone with a problem. If you haven’t yet watched our responsible gambling video, please take the time to do so. And please take a look at the attached information. It includes the signs of a gambling disorder, links to more information and the phone number to the problem gambling helpline: HOPE.
Internally, the Lottery is guided in this area by our responsible gambling committee. If you'd like to learn more about this effort please talk with Don Feeney, Ben Freedland, Jason LaFrenz, Chris Kwapick, Todd Maki, Loretta Nicholson, Jerry Ouren, or our Director for Communications (when a new person is named to this position).
At the end of the day the Lottery "wins" when we have millions of players who choose to play our games in a responsible way. Thanks for being part of our team.

3. 2. Employee Training
Resource sheet provided to employees
(excerpt)

4. 2. Employee Training
Staff evaluation of training video and presentation
“The scenes shown in the video are ones that could happen in real life”

5. 2. Employee Training
Staff evaluation of training video and presentation
“After watching the video I feel I am better prepared if I encounter someone who might have a gambling problem”

6. “I found the discussion with Doug Wills and Cathie Perrault useful.”
2. Employee Training
Staff evaluation of training video and presentation
“I found the discussion with Doug Wills and Cathie Perrault useful.”

7. “The video should be required viewing for all new lottery employees.”
2. Employee Training
Staff evaluation of training video and presentation
“The video should be required viewing for all new lottery employees.”

8. OFFICE MEMORANDUM DATE: August 12, 2014 TO: Lottery Staff
TO: Lottery Staff
FROM: Ed Van Petten
SUBJECT: Responsible Gambling
I’d like to take this opportunity to follow up on the presentation on problem gambling at the August all-staff meeting.
Problem gambling is a very serious matter. It’s been estimated that problem gamblers, on average, have debts between $55,000 and $90,000. More significantly, one out of every five people who show up for gambling treatment has attempted suicide.
However, problem gambling is not an issue that is strongly associated with lotteries. From April through June of this year, only 11 of the 192 callers to the state problem gambling helpline mentioned the lottery as one of the forms of gambling that were causing them problems. Yet that number is not zero. Any one of us on any given day could have contact with someone with a gambling problem, whether in a work setting or a social one. Just last week we received an from a lottery player that read (in part) “I am a single parent who buys way more scratch offs than I can afford. Feel free to call me an addict suffering from another addiction that has been slowly creeping up on me and getting worse. I would say I have hit rock bottom with this problem.” The writer could just as easily have phoned us or come up to one of us in a retail environment, or even in a non-work setting. It is essential that we all have some idea of how to respond.
Let me be clear: I am not asking you to be a counselor or a therapist. As Cathie Perrault (Director of the Northstar Problem Gambling alliance) said at the staff meeting, the most important thing you can be is a good listener. However, it’s important that we all know how to refer someone to those organizations that can help. Attached to this memo you will find a card with key resources. Please keep this next to your phone or in your van. You’ll also find some additional background information that I encourage you to familiarize yourself with. Take some time to look at some of the websites listed and better understand this important issue. If you have questions or concerns, Don Feeney, Debbie Hoffmann, and Todd Maki are well-versed on problem gambling and related programs.
I am very proud of the leadership role that the Minnesota Lottery has taken on problem gambling. Minnesota is fortunate to have some of the best services in the country, and the bulk of the funding for these services comes from the Lottery. In addition, we are not only corporate members of the National Council on Problem Gambling and the Northstar Problem Gambling Alliance, we are active participants in both organizations.
I’d welcome any suggestions on how we can better address our role in responsible gambling.