A Good Call Bingo Training

What is A Good Call Bingo Training?

A Good Call is a mandatory training program for bingo facility licensees' registered gaming workers.

In this course, participants learn about:

• Responsible gambling – what it is and how bingo hall managers and their staff can promote healthy attitudes towards gambling;
• Problem gambling and some of the signs of gambling addiction
• The words and actions that tend to reinforce the gambler’s myths that lead to unhealthy behaviours and how to avoid their use; and
• Programs and services that are available to help reduce the incidence of problem gambling.

There is an exam following the completion of the program. Participants may go back and review the lessons before taking the exam. Registered gaming workers who pass the exam will receive a certificate of completion.

Why was it created?

A Good Call Bingo Training was developed jointly in 2006-07 by the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission (AGLC), the Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission (AADAC) and the bingo industry. The program was created to help bingo hall managers and their staff understand how they can provide assistance to customers who may have a gambling problem, in the form of support and referrals.

The AGLC is committed to ensuring that individuals working in the gaming industry are adequately trained to:

• Promote responsible gambling
• Help licensees and staff fulfill social responsibilities
• Help achieve a balance between creating a safe and enjoyable atmosphere for customers and reducing liability
• Help licensees and staff understand and apply relevant legislation

What are the benefits of this training?

Often, unknowingly, we can perpetuate illusions about gambling which can encourage gamblers to continue to practice unhealthy and harmful behaviours. If employees understand those myths and how not to perpetuate them, they can be very helpful in correcting the gambler’s irrational thinking, thereby helping to prevent gambling problems.

A Good Call will help learners better understand the nature and extent of gambling in Alberta, what responsible and problem gambling is, and the role bingo hall managers and their staff can play in promoting responsible gambling and reducing problem gambling at their place of work.

Who is required to take it?  And by when?

Effective January 1, 2010, all bingo hall managers and their staff are required to certify with A Good Call training. Staff must complete the training within 30 days of their employment start date.

All registered gaming workers who successfully complete A Good Call are issued a laminated card that must be presented to an AGLC inspector upon request. A Good Call certification applies to the individual named on the certificate, not to the venue where that person works. A person with valid A Good Call certification may use it at any bingo hall in Alberta.

What topics are covered?

In this course, you will:

• Develop an awareness of responsible gambling
• Learn how to recognize problem gambling and some of the signs of gambling addiction
• Understand the words and actions that reinforce the gambler’s myths that lead to unhealthy behaviours, and learn how to avoid their use
• Learn how to make help available to problem gamblers and become aware of the programs and services available to help reduce incidences of problem gambling

Effective July 1st, 2010, bingo hall managers and their staff will be required to obtain A Good Call program certification within 30 days of being hired. For more information about the A Good Call program, please visit goodcall.aglc.ca.

I took my A Good Call training before July 1st, 2010.  How will this change affect my current training certificate status?

Your current training certificate requirement will remain the same. These new harmonization changes apply to you after your current certificate normally expires. Training acquired after July 1st, 2010 will continue to be valid for a period of five years.

What if I become a new employee just prior to July 1st, 2010? How long do I have to get my SMART Training?

If you are a new employee to the liquor and gaming industry and you have not completed the SMART Training program(s) required for your position as of July 1st, 2010, you will have 30 days to complete the appropriate SMART programs.

How do I register?  How much does it cost?

You can register for A Good Call online. If you have completed ProServe, ProTect, Reel Facts, or Deal Us In online, you already have an account.  Please visit goodcall.aglc.ca and use the same login and password to complete the A Good Call course online. There is no charge for the A Good Call program.

What is expected of me after I take the program?

Employees are not expected to be counselors or to interfere with a patron’s gambling. Workers should be aware of signs of problem gambling, be available to talk with a patron who may open up to them, and be able to discreetly and respectfully offer information on assistance programs.

What if I change my place of employment, but am still working for a bingo hall?

The A Good Call certificate of completion may be used as proof of program completion in all bingo halls across Alberta. If you have relocated and have not received your certificate, please contact the SMART Training office.

Toll-free, the SMART Training administrative support team can be reached at 1-877-436-6336, Mondays through Fridays, from 8:15 a.m. until 4 p.m.  The SMART Training office is closed on weekends and statutory holidays.

What if I already took other training?

Responsible gambling awareness programs from outside the province of Alberta are not transferable.

What happens if I do not comply?

A Good Call is mandatory under AGLC policy. Bingo hall owners and managers who employ non-certified workers can be issued a warning, fine, license suspension or license termination. AGLC bingo policies are available online.

What if I have questions?

For information about A Good Call Bingo Training or to register for training, please visit goodcall.aglc.ca.

Detailed information about A Good Call may be obtained by:

Phone: Contact the SMART Training office toll-free at 1-877-436-6336 during business hours (Mondays through Fridays, from 8:15 a.m. until 4 p.m.)  The SMART Training office is closed on weekends and statutory holidays.

Fax: 780-447-7550