The Washington Post - Annys Shin
The casino industry is partnering with child safety advocates to try to stop casino customers from leaving children unattended in cars while they gamble — an issue all over the country, including in Maryland, where a 4-year-old was left alone in a parking garage for eight hours at Maryland Live.
The American Gaming Association, whose members include Caesars Entertainment, MGM Resorts, and Penn National Gaming, announced this week that it is working with KidsandCars.org, a Kansas City, Mo.-based group that works to prevent injuries and deaths to children in and around motor vehicles. AGA chief executive Geoff Freeman said the aim of the partnership is to raise awareness and strengthen the industry’s
security practices. “We all hear these stories at grocery stores or theme parks,” he said in an interview. “Many of us are parents of young children. If there is anything we can do to be partners to prevent children from being left in cars, we are glad to lead the way.” The announcement, which earned praise from child advocates and gambling critics, follows a string of headline-grabbing incidents at casinos across the country, including the one in Maryland on Dec. 31, when a 24-year-old woman from Baltimore was charged with child abuse after police said she left a 4-year-old in a car at Maryland Live in Hanover for eight hours. The temperature that day was in the mid-30s.
Learn more: 2014-08-07-washingtonpost-heat-casino
