FRANKFORT, Ky. — Nominations now are being accepted for the Arch L. Gleason Industry Award for Responsible Gambling Leadership. Named in honor of the former president and CEO of the Kentucky Lottery Corporation, the Gleason Award recognizes a gambling industry leader who embodies Mr. Gleason’s commitment to responsible gambling practices.
The initial Gleason Award was presented in a ceremony at the 2017 Kentucky Council on Problem Gambling (KYCPG) Annual Educational and Awareness Conference to Thomas Meeker, retired president and CEO of Churchill Downs, Inc. Meeker’s leadership established the Backstretch Program at Churchill Downs, which included problem gambling awareness and counseling; and he was instrumental in the founding of KYCPG in the mid-1990s.
Mr. Gleason, too, was instrumental in the founding of KYCPG, and his commitment to establishing responsible gambling awareness and promotion extended beyond the Kentucky Lottery to include leadership with the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries (NASPL) and the World Lottery Association (WLA). During his term as WLA president, the organization established the first certification standards for responsible gambling among lotteries.
The Gleason Award will recognize an individual who has demonstrated the ability to successfully manage a gambling enterprise in a socially responsible manner, embodying the concept of profitably operating a gambling company while incorporating responsible gambling principles across all aspects of the business. The nomination form and criteria may be found on the KYCPG website, www.kycpg.org. The deadline for 2018 award nominations is Aug. 15, 2017.
The Gleason Award honoree will commit to deliver the keynote address at the 2018 KYCPG Annual Educational and Awareness Conference, to be held at the Clarion Hotel, Lexington, Ky., Feb. 1-2, 2018. The nomination is open to anyone in the gambling industry worldwide who can document adherence to Mr. Gleason’s principles. Judging will be conducted by the KYCPG Awards Committee.