An advocate against human trafficking has urged casinos to start training sessions to help their staff identify potential victims of human trafficking. Anna Sovcik is the director of Busing on the Lookout, an organization that has been at the forefront of fighting against human trafficking.
While addressing the World Game Protection Conference held in Las Vegas, Sovcik said that she believed the gaming impact could significantly end human trafficking. The director noted that casinos had been the prime destinations for human sex traffickers soliciting victims.
The possible explanation for this is that casinos attract different people willing to take risks and spend vast amounts of money. Casinos are some of the most places where money changes hands. According to Anna, most casinos are often attached to hotels, making it easy to kidnap and hide victims of human trafficking.
The Las Vegas Metro Police report indicates that over 400 children are taken from the streets and introduced to prostitution every year. The US Justice Department pointed out Las Vegas as one of the top 17 destinations in human trafficking in America.
How the Gaming Industry Can Make a Difference
According to Sovcik, victims expressed that casinos make them feel like hiding in plain sight. This revelation shows that casinos can change from dangerous to a refuge for victims. If the staff receive the necessary training, they will identify the signs of human trafficking and alert the authorities.
Some of the red flags that the staff should look out for are:
- Signs of bodily harm
- The inability to tell the day or time
- Looking anxious and unsettled
- People who seem under the control of others
- Telling a story that appears rehearsed
- Telling details that do not make sense
- Making regular eye contact
Anna encouraged people, staff in casinos, and the general public to ask a few questions any time you observe such signs. One or two questions can save a victim from trafficking.
Busing on the Lookout has come up with a training system that is personalized for casinos. The organization has a toolkit for managers ready to contribute to the campaign against trafficking.
Sovcik noted that several casinos in Las Vegas and other areas have started joining the campaign. She also acknowledged that most casino staff and managers work together with law enforcement to curb this menace.
Sting Operation by the Las Vegas Police
The Las Vegas Police recently launched a preemptive operation. The operation is meant to challenge the rise of trafficking, especially now that Las Vegas is crowded for the NHL All-Star and NFL Pro Bowl games.
The sting operation involved both female detectives and a male firefighter. The female detective posed as potential victims while the firefighter from the Clark Fire Department posed as a pimp. This operation was carried out to capture the traffickers and save victims of trafficking.
About Busing on the Lookout
Busing on the Lookout (BOLT) is an organization by truckers that was started to fight and end human trafficking. There are over 40 million enslaved people all over the world. More so, all states in the US have reported cases of human trafficking.
BOLT is on a mission to reduce the number of trafficking victims from hundreds of thousands to none. The organization prepares training sessions for schools, casinos, and all social amenities to educate people on the signs of trafficking.
Most trafficking victims are women and children who are later sold to sex slavery. The victims are prostituted on the streets, homes, and illegal businesses — most of the training lessons by BOLT focus on the two groups.
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