Sex- and Gender-Based Harassment in the Gaming Industry

Abstract

This article discusses the issue of sex- and gender-based harassment in the gaming industry and proposes potential solutions to the problem. Part II examines the different varieties of sex- and gender-based harassment that occur in casinos, potential causes of the harassment, research on harassment of employees in the casino/hospitality industry, and general research on preventing and remedying harassment. Part III discusses the Amended Gaming Regulations that the GCB proposed in light of the Wynn case, and analyzes the potential effectiveness of these regulations in light of the social science research concerning what works to end harassment and discrimination in workplaces. It also considers the unique characteristics of the gaming industry and calls for specialized, industry- and organization-specific research. It proposes a research plan that would permit researchers to understand exactly what causes harassment in the casinos and other gaming establishments, how effective the current policies are, and how to move forward with a model to defeat sex- and gender-based harassment and discrimination in the gaming industry. Finally, Part IV concludes that the casino industry would benefit from directed, specific, ethnographic research in order to create models to test their usefulness. Once models are found to be effective, change will occur only if industry leaders demonstrate how seriously they take harassment and require that harassing employees and customers be held accountable for their behaviors.

Keywords: harassment, gaming, gender, casino, hospitality