"Churchill Downs Incorporated is honored to accept this distinguished award in recognition of the efforts made by our employees nationwide to educate our customers on the importance of responsible wagering," CDI president Tom Meeker said in a release. "While research shows that approximately 95% of our customers do wager responsibly, it is still important to reach out to patrons who do not always use our products wisely and make educational and counseling information available to them."CDI traces its formal involvement with responsible wagering initiatives back to the mid-1990s, when the company provided the initial funding for the creation of the Kentucky Council on Problem Gambling.
Churchill Downs Inc. has received the 2004 Industry Award from the National Council on Problem Gamlbing. The award was presented June 18 at the Conference on the Prevention, Research, and Treattment of Problem Gambling in Phoenix, Ariz.CDI was nominated by the Kentucky Council on Problem Gambling for its "Be Smart, Bet Smart - Wager Responsibly" campaign, which was implemented throughout the company in 2003. The campaign includes informational cards and brochures, advertisements in racing programs and on tote tickets, signage in pari-mutuel areas, and videotaped public service announcements.The CDI program also provides regular training seminars, newsletters, and help-line numbers, and knowledge-based questionnaires for company employees to help them identify the signs of problem gambling and offer assistance to customers in need.