Responsible Play
Learn more about today’s gaming industry and our commitment to responsible leadership.
The adrenaline of chance.
The excitement of winning.
It wouldn't be possible without
a foundation of responsibility.
From the moment an account is opened to when we payout winnings, our top priority is ensuring customers play responsibly and for fun.
From its inception in Atlantic City to the evolution to a new era of gaming today, responsible gambling is ingrained in our industries DNA. As seen below, responsible gaming is embodied and promoted in many forms.
Meeting High Regulatory Standards
Gaming is one of the most regulated industries in the U.S.
More than 8,400 dedicated state and tribal regulators establish and enforce robust licensing and regulatory frameworks. These regulators provide careful and effective oversight and ensure it evolves with the growth of the marketplace. Our members recognize that every license to operate is a privilege and are focused on meeting and exceeding regulatory standards.
RESOURCE
Responsible Code of Conduct
The AGA and its members pledge to prioritize responsible gaming as an integral part of our industry’s daily operations.
Responsible Gaming
The industry dedicates hundreds of millions of dollars every year – nearly $500 million from operator investments alone – to provide tools for customers to bet responsibly, train employees to monitor and engage players who need help, and fund research to prevent and treat problem gambling.
The industry leads investment in responsible and problem gambling research. Since 1996, the gaming industry has committed more than $40 million to independent academic research to better advance responsible gambling and treat problem gambling. That includes $10 million in the last five years alone.
Play Smart from the Start
To further our industry’s approach to responsible gaming, the American Gaming Association utilized research to develop Play Smart from the Start, providing players actionable tools to inform play responsibly.
- Maintain the Right State of Mind: Keep it fun and know your boundaries
- Act Intentionally: Set a budget and stick to it and take breaks when needed
- Know the Game: Understand the rules so that every bet – whether a win or a loss – is not a surprise
Consumer Hub
Play Smart from the Start‘s Consumer Hub is amped with resources to help players make informed decisions:
- Pre-Play Checklist: To help players assess their mindset and set personal limits before betting
- Know the Game Glossary: Demystifies odds, house advantage, and common sports betting terms.
- Responsible Gaming IQ Quiz: Allows players to evaluate their gaming habits.
- Easy access to support: Resources like the National Problem Gambling Helpline (1-800-GAMBLER) and state self-exclusion options.
Advertising Responsibly
Advertising is critical to migrate and maintain customers in the legal market, ensure they see responsible gaming messages, and build a thriving marketplace.
Today, public perception often overstates the prevalence of sports betting advertising, but in reality, it remains a very small player in the broader advertising arena.
- Less than one-half of one percent (0.3%) of tv ad units are for sports betting, compared to 0.6% for alcohol and nearly 14% for pharmaceuticals.
- For every sports betting ad, viewers see four telecom or wireless commercials – and a 39 pharmaceutical ads.
Recently, a new form of sports betting advertising – outside of state and tribal regulated frameworks – have flooded the market.
- In 2025, nearly one in five digital sports betting ads seen by consumers came from prediction markets
- In just the first five months of 2026, that figure was nearly half.
- In the same period, consumers have seen 74% more sports ads from prediction markets than in 2025.
That is a fundamental change in who’s targeting the sports betting audience.
That is concerning because prediction market sports advertisements lack the responsible gaming messaging required of state- and tribal- licensed operators.
Protecting Younger Populations
Whether online or in-person, our industry applies robust Know Your Customer protocols to confirm the age, identity, and source of player funds. Regulated gaming operators enforce strict player age requirements to ensure entertainment is only accessible by adults.
In addition to legal industry efforts, parents play an essential role in preventing underage gambling. Verified players, including parents, should never provide access to minors to gamble. It is not only against the law and violates an operator’s terms of service but puts an adult product in the hands of a vulnerable population. Instead, like any other adult product, families should have a healthy dialogue about the risk of gambling, the legal age, and how to engage responsibly.
Illegal Gambling
Illegal gambling—whether offshore websites, prediction markets, or unregulated machines—pose serious risks to consumers and communities.
Illegal operators prey on vulnerable customers, offer no consumer protections, provide no age verification or responsible gaming tools, do not ensure integrity or fair play, and provide no data protection for personal and financial information.
Players are entirely on their own when something goes wrong – which is why it’s important to bet with legal, state- and tribal- regulated operators who can support in a dispute or concern.
Ensuring Help is Available
The expansion of legal gaming in the U.S. means there’s never been more attention paid, more resources invested or more programs dedicated to responsible and problem gambling than there is today.
Today, we are the top marketers of problem gambling helplines. Problem gambling helplines like 1-800-RESET are vital for providing support and counseling to those for whom gambling is no longer fun.
If you or someone you know is struggling with a gambling problem, help is available.