The American Gaming Association (AGA) has teamed up with RG24seven Virtual Training to launch an unprecedented online educational program. The first-of-its-kind training will teach gambling industry workers how to combat human trafficking free of charge.

The free education is presented by the AGA and industry experts. It uses videos and special quizzes to teach gambling industry employees everything they should about human trafficking identification and prevention.

The program is based on AGA’s existing Guide to Preventing and Combating Human Trafficking and leverages the expertise of the industry body’s Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force, a number of charities and the US law enforcement.

According to the AGA, all gaming companies will be able to access the free training if they request organization-wide access to the training. To do so, executives should contact RG24seven via its official email, [email protected].

In addition to the training, the AGA also announced the release of an updated gaming-specific toolkit for combating human trafficking. Representatives of the association will also participate in anti-trafficking campaigns throughout the month, including events hosted by the University of Maryland’s SAFE Center and the US Department of Homeland Security’s Center for Countering Human Trafficking.

AGA representatives will also take part in a congressional briefing hosted by the US Chamber of Commerce.

Alex Costello, AGA’s vice president of government relations, commented on the new program, highlighting the importance of combating human trafficking. She said that her team is glad to be able to provide employees with such crucial training for free.

The AGA is proud to lead the industry’s fight against this abhorrent crime and this free training empowers employees at all levels to spot and prevent cases of human trafficking.

Alex Costello, VP of government relations, American Gaming Association

Wendy Anderson, RG24seven’s chief executive officer, also commented on the matter, saying that responsibility in the gambling industry extends beyond the promotion of safer gambling. According to her, true responsibility means “a commitment to all forms of customer and community safety.”

We’re honored to work with the AGA and advance the gaming industry’s efforts with the launch of today’s training.

Wendy Anderson, CEO, RG24seven

Unveiled on National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, the initiative mirrors the recent reiteration of Hard Rock’s commitment to fighting human trafficking. For reference, Hard Rock and Seminole Gaming just promised to continue working hard to set a new standard for anti-human trafficking training in the gaming industry.

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Hard Rock International and Seminole Gaming have bolstered their commitment to combat human trafficking. To that end, the parties introduced new support tools for victims and at-risk individuals. In addition to that, the companies introduced a new youth education program, as well as special employee training. Finally, Hard Rock and Seminole Gaming announced that they will work with new community partners to increase their impact.

The move is in line with Hard Rock and Seminole Gaming’s continued efforts to increase awareness of the risks of human trafficking and prevent it as a whole. These efforts included the training of over 27,000 hotel and casino team members across the companies’ properties, as well as collaborations with community partners and advocacy groups.

The efforts will continue in 2024 as Hard Rock seeks to provide direct support to victims, survivors and at-risk youth.

Jim Allen, the chief executive officer of Seminole Gaming and chair of Hard Rock International, commented on the matter, saying:

We are deeply committed to the work our community partners provide for those at risk, victims and survivors of human trafficking in the United States and around the world, as we work together to combat human trafficking.

Jim Allen, CEO, Seminole Gaming

Hard Rock and Seminole Gaming Are Planning Several Initiatives

In 2024, Hard Rock and Seminole Gaming will continue their efforts in the war on human trafficking, introducing a variety of new programs.

One of these programs is the Twentyfour-Seven QR Code, which provides information and support to those who need it. In addition, the code deters traffickers from targeting individuals on member properties. Hard Rock and Seminole Gaming will become the first hospitality brands to globally implement the Twentyfour-Seven sticker across 44 hotels and casinos across 13 countries.

Hard Rock and Seminole Gaming will also expand their youth education in classrooms across Mexico, teaching students to recognize the red flags and avoid online luring. The content provided to thousands of students across the country has been created in partnership with experts from PACT-, ECPAT-Mexico and EduNetwork Partners.

The Hard Rock Social Identity Quest, on the other hand, has so far been adopted and taught by 60,000 teachers in 45 US states, reaching 1.2 million high schoolers.

In addition, Hard Rock and Seminole Gaming will continue to fund community partners through their Change for Change program, which raises funds to combat human trafficking. Hard Rock property visitors will have the opportunity to donate change to the Hard Rock Heals Foundation where 100% of the funds will benefit PACT and Twentyfour-Seven.

Furthermore, Hard Rock and Seminole Gaming will continue the Youth Employment Program, which seeks to protect young people escape a life of trafficking by helping them forge careers in hospitality. This program also has a number of partners, including Covenant House New York City and FLITE Center.

Finally, Hard Rock and Seminole Gaming will work hard to set a new standard for training in the gaming industry. To that end, the companies will team up with the American Gaming Association’s Anti-Human Trafficking Risk Force. The AGA will provide Hard Rock employees with the training they need to recognize signs that trafficking may occur and step in.

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A Las Vegas convict faces charges of kidnapping an underage girl and forcing her into prostitution by threatening her with a gun. The girl was eventually able to return to her mother and provided the police with details about her kidnapper, Corey Canton.

According to the official report, on December 1, the police responded to a report filed by the girl’s mother in which the latter claimed that her daughter had been the victim of sex trafficking. As it turns out, the girl had, for unspecified reasons, run away from her family, which was staying in a hotel in Las Vegas.

While walking on the Las Vegas Strip, the girl met another female juvenile who asked her if she’d like to make a “quick buck.” While the eventual victim did not know what that meant, she went along with the other girl.

The Girl Became the Victim of Sex Trafficking

The two of them ended up in the Days Inn motel and met with Canton, who was the second girl’s boyfriend, the report says. Canton compelled the first girl to sleep with him and allegedly prevented her from leaving afterward by threatening her with a gun.

The two girls later went to the Luxor where they were paid $100 to sleep with a man they did not know. According to the police, Canton’s girlfriend stole $1,000 from that man’s pants.

On November 29, Canton had the two girls walk onto the Las Vegas Strip and offer sex services to men. According to the police, the criminal told them to charge $100 to $300 for the act. The next morning they returned to the motel room and were provided with some food, liquor and drugs before returning to the Strip.

In the end, the girl who had run away from her family was able to leave the motel room and reunite with her mother. The mother then contacted the police, prompting the investigation.

Canton Faces Seven Charges

The police raided Canton’s motel room and found the handgun the girl had mentioned. As it turns out, Canton was a convicted felon already and was prohibited from owning a firearm. Canton himself was later found in his residence in the 6100 block of Carmen Boulevard and taken into custody.

He now faces a number of charges, including two counts of sex trafficking of a minor, assault with a deadly weapon, two counts of kidnapping of a minor and owning a gun by a prohibited person.

Canton is held in jail on a $25,000 bail as of the time of this writing. He is set to appear before court on Monday.

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The Philippine authorities continue the crackdown on Philippine Online Gaming Operator-related crime. Previously, authorities busted an illegal POGO operation that was involved in human trafficking and found that a number of local police workers may have been involved.

In the wake of the raid, the Philippine Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) will undergo a thorough assessment of the Alien Employment Permits (AEPs) which allow foreigners to work for local gambling operators and companies.

As a result, the DOLE will look into as many as 42,000 foreigners working for POGO companies and take punitive action if it learns that some of them are involved in crime. The department warned that people who have participated in fraudulent activities risk the cancelation of their AEPs or even prison time.

Senate Members Proposed Blanket Ban on POGOs

The action comes amid intense calls for a crackdown on POGOs and the review of AEP workers. The Philippine Senate recently underscored the importance of a blanket ban on offshore operators.

Senator Joel Villanueva slammed the POGOs, saying that these companies should not be allowed to operate and freely offer their services when their licenses have been revoked. The head of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, Sherwin Gatchalian, on the other hand, said that POGOS should be kicked out from the Philippines as soon as possible.

The Philippines has a serious problem with AEP-related fraud as foreign criminals would oftentimes obtain their permits illegally and then buy a password. This creates a dangerous internal threat for the Asian country and has prompted the authorities to act.

Incidents often involve illegal gambling, human trafficking and gun crime and sometimes end in killings. A recent attack, for example, left two people dead and one severely injured. Authorities believe that the attack might also be related to POGO-related crime.

In the meantime, the Philippine government continues its efforts to exit the FATF grey list.

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