Hard Rock International and Seminole Gaming Tuesday announced that their ongoing commitment to fighting human trafficking will include new support tools for victims and those at risk. Hard Rock and Seminole Gaming will also provide a youth education program and new training to help team members combat and prevent human trafficking and will work with new community partners to create a greater impact.
“We are deeply committed to the work our community partners provide for those at risk, victims and survivors of human trafficking in the United States and around the world, as we work together to combat human trafficking,” said Hard Rock International Chairman and Seminole Gaming CEO Jim Allen in a statement.
Hard Rock and Seminole Gaming have previously implemented comprehensive protocols to increase awareness of and prevent human trafficking, including the training of more than 27,000 hotel and casino team members and collaborations with community partners and advocacy groups.
Through various programs, Hard Rock and Seminole Gaming will continue direct support for victims, survivors, and at-risk youth.
Hard Rock and Seminole Gaming are the first hospitality brands to implement Twentyfour-Seven’s QR code sticker, providing critical information and support to those in need while deterring traffickers from targeting individuals on properties. The Twentyfour-Seven QR code sticker, which has resulted in several law enforcement investigations, is being implemented in 44 company hotels and casinos across 13 countries. The QR code offers information in several languages and helps those at risk understand their situations and the resources available for protection.
Using the Hard Rock Social Identity Quest (SIQ), an educational program that helps teens understand the risks of being lured online, Hard Rock and Seminole Gaming are expanding the program into Mexican classrooms following a pilot in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo last year that reached 35,000 students. Quintana Roo’s governor has made the program a mandatory part of the educational curriculum. The SIQ content was co-developed with experts from PACT (Protect All Children from Trafficking, formerly ECPAT-USA), ECPAT-Mexico, and EduNetwork Partners.
To date, the Hard Rock Social Identity Quest has been adopted and taught by 60,000 teachers in 45 U.S. states, reaching 1.2 million high school students. Nearly 2,000 Hard Rock team members also completed the program with a young person in their lives.
Through its Change for Change program, Hard Rock and Seminole Gaming will raise funds to combat human trafficking in January. Casino guests can donate change from redeemed gaming vouchers to the Hard Rock Heals Foundation, where 100 percent of the funds will benefit community partners PACT and Twentyfour-Seven. In 2023, the program raised $100,000 for PACT and Covenant House New York.
First offered in New York City and extended to South Florida in 2023, Hard Rock and Seminole Gaming’s Youth Employment Program is designed to help protect at-risk youth and support survivors escaping trafficking by helping them start careers in hospitality. Partners include Covenant House New York City, and FLITE Center, South Florida’s leading agency for vulnerable youth and those aging out of foster care.
Hard Rock and Seminole Gaming are also supporting the American Gaming Association’s Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force, which announced today it will provide gaming industry employees with training to recognize and combat human trafficking.
