Press Release: Harrah's Entertainment, Inc.
October 20, 2000
LAS VEGAS, NV -- Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: HET) yesterday unveiled a corporate Code of Commitment governing
its relationships with its casino guests, employees and the communities where Harrah's properties are located.
Harrah's also announced new guidelines for its advertising and marketing practices on a national, regional and
local basis. With these two measures, the company is setting a higher standard for accountability in its dealings
with its employees, customers, and communities.
The Harrah's marketing and advertising code is more stringent than the current voluntary American Gaming Association
guidelines. The Harrah's advertising code also strictly prohibits marketing to minors, and contains specific guidelines
related to virtual casinos and Internet sites.
The corporate Code of Commitment seeks to promote responsible gaming among Harrah's customers, and codifies the
company's commitment to employees and the communities where Harrah's casinos are located.
``Harrah's has always been a leader and an innovator in the casino industry, and today's commitment reaffirms that
position,'' said Harrah's Chairman and CEO Phil Satre. ``The Code's purpose is to hold our company publicly accountable
to the very high standards we've set for our relationships with our customers, our employees and our communities.''
Under the new marketing and advertising code:
-- Advertising and marketing materials are not placed in magazines,
newspapers, television programs, radio programs or other media where
more than 30 percent of the audience is reasonably expected to be
below the legal age to gamble in a casino.
-- No product name, logo, trademark, or service mark is used or licensed
for use on clothing, toys, game equipment or other material intended
primarily for persons below the legal age to gamble in a casino.
-- Harrah's web site is designed for individuals who are of legal age to
gamble in a casino. Precautions are taken to ensure visitors to the
play-for-fun casino are of legal gaming age.
-- A Code Review Board comprised of Harrah's employees will meet at least
annually to evaluate Code compliance. The board will review current
recognized electronic and print composition data to ensure that
advertisements are placed in compliance with the Code. The board will
prepare an annual written report outlining the extent of Code
compliance and, if necessary, describing means to insure greater Code
compliance.
The provisions of this Code apply to any marketing or advertising activity undertaken on or after Jan. 1, 2001.
Under the corporate Code of Commitment:
-- Harrah's displays toll-free helpline numbers for problem gambling in
its ads, brochures and signs, and provides financial support for those
helplines.
-- Harrah's shares its financial success with its communities by donating
1 percent of company net profits to civic and charitable causes.
Harrah's is committed to sharing its financial success through
programs such as cash bonuses for frontline employees.
-- Harrah's actively seeks and responds to employee opinions on all
aspects of their jobs, from the quality of their supervisors to the
quality of the company's casinos.
``Harrah's has continually been recognized as a gaming industry leader for innovative marketing programs such as
Total Rewards,'' Satre said. ``We have also been recognized for our programs addressing problem and underage gambling.
``We expect that this new articulation of core principles governing our relationships with our employees, our customers
and our communities will solidify our position as a leading company in a responsible industry,'' he said.
The entire texts of the Code of Commitment and Advertising Code are available on the company's web site at harrahs.com/about_us/.
Harrah's Entertainment Chairman and CEO Phil Satre will host a conference call from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Pacific Daylight
Time Thursday, Oct. 19, to discuss the initiatives with members of the media. The call-in number is 1-608-250-9281
and the participant code is 427774.
Founded more than 60 years ago, Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. is the most recognized and respected name in the casino
entertainment industry, operating 21 casinos in 17 markets in the United States under the Harrah's, Showboat, Rio
and Players brand names. With a combined database of more than 19 million players, Harrah's is focused on building
loyalty and value with its targeted customers through a unique combination of great service, excellent products,
unsurpassed distribution, operational excellence and technology leadership.
This release includes ``forward-looking statements'' intended to qualify for the safe harbor from liability established
by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements generally can be identified
by phrases such as the company ``believes,'' ``expects,'' ``anticipates,'' ``foresees,'' ``forecasts,'' ``estimates''
or other words or phrases of similar import. Similarly, such statements herein that describe the company's business
strategy, outlook, objectives, plans, intentions or goals are also forward-looking statements. All such forward-looking
statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially
from those in forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, economic,
bank, equity and debt-market condition, changes in laws or regulations, third-party relations and approvals, decisions
of courts, regulators and governmental bodies, factors affecting leverage, including interest rates, abnormal gaming
holds, and effects of competition.
SOURCE: Harrah's Entertainment, Inc.