The gaming industry is undergoing rapid transformation, with technological advancements, regulatory changes and heightened awareness of responsible gaming practices. iGB in partnership with OpenBet, the number one pit-stop crew for the world’s top sports betting brands, bring you an exclusive webinar of industry experts and thought leaders to discuss key trends, challenges facing the industry today, and strategic insights on how gaming operators can enhance their player protection capabilities, and promote responsible gaming.

Join us as we dive deeper into the challenges gaming operators face in implementing effective responsible gaming measures.

Agenda:

• How to identify opportunities for operators to align their business strategies with responsible gaming goals
• Exploring successful examples and best practice insights from a leading US gaming operator, a world class player protection specialist and the national voice of the legal industry
• Have the chance to ask your most pressing questions on responsible gaming strategies in our live Q&A

Washington – Among Americans familiar with unregulated “skill” machines, a decisive majority recognize that these devices are games of chance, not skill, according to new American Gaming Association data. Two-thirds (65%) of those who are familiar with “skill” games say that they are no different from slot machines where wins are based on random chance, and that even a skilled player cannot reliably influence the outcome.

“Unregulated machine manufacturers have built their businesses by duping consumers and small businesses while avoiding taxes, oversight and consumer protections,” said AGA President and CEO Bill Miller. “These results are further evidence that Americans see these machines as a threat that should be eliminated, not regulated.”

“Skill” machines are often found in convenience stores, bars, strip malls and other community establishments, operating outside of the regulated gaming marketplace. Previous AGA research estimates that 580,651 unregulated gambling machines exist in the U.S., constituting 40 percent of all gambling machines nationwide.

The survey also reveals those familiar with “skill” games overwhelmingly view the machines as negative influences in their communities:

• 71 percent say “skill” machines lack the player protections that are available to players in casinos.
• 64 percent agree “skill” machines are too easily accessible to children.
• 56 percent say “skill” games increase the risk of crime and endanger employees and customers of businesses where devices are located.

Upon learning that “skill” machines are taxed at a far lower rate and lack the same regulatory oversight as casino slot machines, two-thirds of Americans familiar with “skill” games (64%) express concern about the presence of such devices in their communities.

“Keeping America’s gaming industry strong, safe and responsible can only be done through the robust infrastructure of the well-established legal market, not by rewarding bad actors with half-measures that fail to address the dangers of unregulated gambling,” continued Miller.  

The new AGA data comes as the AGA and other industry stakeholders testify today during a Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Policy Committee hearing on the presence of “skill” games in the state, hosted by Chairwoman of the Senate Democratic Policy Committee Senator Katie Muth. The hearing will be held at 11am ET at the Radnor Township Municipal building in Wayne, PA (301 Iven Ave., Wayne, PA 19087) and can be streamed online here.

Background

• While most Americans see “skill” games as similar to traditional casino slots, AGA findings show for every dollar bet by consumers, regulated machines in Pennsylvania keep 7.7 cents on average, while unregulated machines across the country keep 25 cents.
• Americans wager $109 billion each year with unregulated “skill” machines according to AGA estimates, at an annual cost of $8.7 billion in state taxes and $27 billion in legal gaming revenue.
• In 2022, the legal gaming industry generated a record $13.49 billion in direct gaming tax revenue paid to state and local governments, not including billions more paid in income, sales and other taxes.
• Policymakers, regulators, consumers and gaming industry stakeholders and allies can find resources to join the fight against illegal gambling at StopIllegalGambling.org.

Methodology
Kantar, on behalf of the AGA, conducted an online survey from August 11-18, 2023, among a nationally representative sample of 2,002 American voters aged 21 and over. The margin of error is +/- 2 percent and greater among subgroups.

About the AGA
As the national trade group representing the U.S. casino industry, the American Gaming Association (AGA) fosters a policy and business environment where legal, regulated gaming thrives. The AGA’s diverse membership of commercial and tribal casino operators, sports betting and iGaming companies, gaming suppliers, and more lead the $261 billion industry and support 1.8 million jobs across the country.

Washington, D.C. – Today, the American Gaming Association (AGA) released new research providing an in-depth examination of diversity in the gaming industry workforce. The findings show that the gaming industry is more diverse than national and hospitality industry benchmarks and boasts a diverse executive pipeline, while identifying opportunities on gender representation.

“Consumers, policymakers and investors are raising their expectations for all businesses on how they contribute to society beyond the bottom line,” said AGA President and CEO Bill Miller. “Encompassing data from across commercial, tribal and manufacturing gaming verticals, the survey both highlights our industry’s leadership on diversity while presenting areas for continued progress.”

The study’s findings show tangible results of the industry’s broad reach and commitment to representing local communities:

• More than 6 in 10 (61%) of gaming industry employees are minorities, compared to 52 percent of the broader hospitality industry and 42 percent of the total U.S. workforce.
• 23 percent of gaming employees are Hispanic and 19 percent are Black—both higher than the national workforce and in line with the hospitality industry.
• 60 percent of operator employees are minorities, up nearly 20 percent from 2011 and higher than the hospitality sector and national workforces overall.
• 45 percent of gaming manufacturer employees are minorities, compared to 38 percent of the broader electronic manufacturing workforce.

Importantly, across job levels, gaming’s leadership pipeline is significantly more diverse than national averages at the first/mid-level manager and professional levels: 45 percent of first/mid-level managers are minorities while 43 percent of professionals are minorities, both 10 to 12 points above national and hospitality benchmarks.

Gender diversity presents an opportunity for the industry. Gaming’s workforce is 48 percent female, in line with the national workforce, but representation drops off at more senior level job classifications.

“As today’s report shows, our industry has made impactful strides toward becoming more diverse, but there is more work to do,” added Miller. “The AGA will use this research to engage our membership on how we can collectively advance DEI in gaming in the months and years to come.”

The benchmarking report comes a year after the AGA identified core pillars of ESG in gaming: advancing sustainability, strengthening DEI, investing in communities and leading responsibly.

Methodology
A total of 26 AGA member organizations participated in the study, including companies from the manufacturer (8) and the commercial and tribal operator (18) segments of the gaming industry. Through the EEO-01 form, participants provided gender, race/ethnicity and job classification data for their workforces. Participants submitted data to a third-party accounting firm which calculated the various diversity metrics and safeguarded confidentiality. The data submitted has been reviewed for consistency across participants.

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About the AGA
As the national trade group representing the U.S. casino industry, the American Gaming Association (AGA) fosters a policy and business environment where legal, regulated gaming thrives. The AGA’s diverse membership of commercial and tribal casino operators, sports betting and iGaming companies, gaming suppliers, and more lead the $261 billion industry and support 1.8 million jobs across the country.

Marketing surrounding online sports betting is a constantly evolving landscape. From licensing to the review of advertising language and prohibited phrases, the U.S. has seen many different approaches to this area. Can the industry successfully regulate itself or will regulators need to step in to police the market? Are the recent fines levied in Ohio a sign of a changing regulatory perspective? Will there be a ripple effect in other regulated jurisdictions where previously regulation on marketing was light-touch? Hear from experts in the industry discuss their thoughts on the future of marketing regulation in the U.S.

As part of the the American Gaming Association’s (AGA) Get to Know Gaming series, gaming industry stakeholders gathered at The Meadows Racetrack and Casino in Washington County, Pennsylvania to discuss gaming’s role in the state as a driver of economic growth and a community partner.

Washington County Chamber of Commerce President Jeff Kotula moderated the discussion, beginning by sharing his perspective on gaming’s impact on the local economy, “[The Meadows’ impact] has been substantial. Not only do they employ over 1,000 employees, they also add to our economy, not only in purchasing locally but also in terms of giving back, in terms of community service.”

Bill Miller, AGA president and CEO, framed the discussion with AGA’s research report, Casinos and Communities: Pennsylvania, which was released in conjunction with the panel. Announcing, “Our industry generates $6.3 billion in total economic impact across the Keystone State, providing $1.8 billion in supported wages. Gross gaming revenue taxes alone reached $1.5 billion just last year—this represents 7% of all state sales tax collected throughout Pennsylvania in 2018.”

Representative Guy Reschenthaler (PA-14) corroborated these findings, commenting that gaming has been integral to revitalizing Pittsburgh’s North Shore Neighborhood. Reschenthaler also stressed the need to allow the gaming industry to continue to innovate and keep pace with changing demographics, remarking that, “We can only allow the industry to adapt and to grow if we make sure we’re updating the laws and regulations pertaining to gaming.”

Owner of The Ivy Green florist shop, Melissa Green, gave her firsthand account of gaming’s economic ripple effects, “In a one-mile radius from where my shop is, 10 flower shops were open when I purchased my shop and there’s two left.” Adding, “my partnership with the casino probably has prevented me from becoming one of those statistics.”

Continuing the discussion on community impact, North Strabane Township Fire Department Chief Mark Grimm recounted how his department recently partnered with The Meadows to organize the largest Toys for Tots donation in the area. “We do a lot in the community, and I think that one of the partnerships that we’re most proud of is with the casino because we’re both in business for customer service.”

As the conversation turned toward responsible gaming, Tim Wilmott, AGA chairman and Penn National Gaming CEO, explained, “We work with states to make sure that people can self-identify and self-exclude themselves from coming to the [casinos]…we certainly don’t want to have a business that is predicated on or supported by people that cannot control themselves within our environment.”

Representative Reschenthaler further remarked that, “The industry does a really good job of promoting responsible gaming,” adding that taking gambling out of illegal markets allows states to regulate the market, capture tax revenue, and ensure that people can get help if they need it.

Additional panel topics included sports betting and casino tax rates.

Media Highlights

• Bill Miller: Casinos are Job Creators, Community Partners, TRIB Live
• Gaming Industry Boosts Pennsylvania Communities, Casino Beats
• Pennsylvania Cashing In On Economic And Social Contributions of Casinos, PA Online Casino 

Sports betting is spreading across the US, and with igaming likely to follow in the coming years, the pressure is on the gaming industry to evolve alongside an increasingly sophisticated and tech-savvy player base.

Players are used to mobile-first products and seek out seamless, immediate solutions. How can operators meet, and exceed, these expectations?

With IGA round the corner, iGB and Worldpay are holding a special panel discussion outlining what consumers want, and how the payments industry is catering to these demands.

Our expert panel will be looking at the role of payments in engaging and retaining customers. You’ll also hear about the role of payments in driving revenue growth, while drilling down customer acquisition costs, fighting fraud and ultimately future-proofing your gaming business.

As this year’s NCAA men’s basketball tournament builds to a dramatic finish, the American Gaming Association (AGA) released the following findings from their recent survey on March Madness:

• Of the 47 million American adults who planned to wager on or fill out a bracket for March Madness, only 10 percent of bettors have their favored team still in play:
  • Five percent picked the University of Virginia;
  • Four percent picked Michigan State University;
  • One percent picked Texas Tech University; and
  • 0.009 percent picked Auburn University – meaning just one out of the 11,002 people surveyed made this pick.
• Every state represented in the Final Four – as well as the host state of Minnesota – have pending sports betting legislation.
• Nearly 6-in-10 Americans, not just bettors, said they would find the final four games more entertaining to watch on TV if they had bet on one of them to win the tournament.

 Methodology

This survey was conducted on behalf of the AGA by Morning Consult between March 1-7, 2019, among a national sample of 11,002 adults. The interviews were conducted online, and the data were weighted to approximate a target sample of adults based on age, race/ethnicity, gender, educational attainment and region. The margin of error is +/- 1% and greater among subgroups. Bettors include those who expect to place a bet online, with a bookie, with a casino sportsbook, casually with a friend or participate in a bracket contest.

About AGA: The American Gaming Association is the premier national trade group representing the $261 billion U.S. casino industry, which supports 1.8 million jobs nationwide. AGA members include commercial and tribal casino operators, gaming suppliers and other entities affiliated with the gaming industry. It is the mission of the AGA to achieve sound policies and regulations consistent with casino gaming’s modern appeal and vast economic contributions.

WASHINGTON – With American acceptance of gaming at an all-time high, casino gamblers are actively practicing responsible gaming, according to new research released today by the American Gaming Association (AGA). Bettors report setting budgets, sticking to them and being aware of available responsible gaming resources at significantly high rates.

According to the research:

• 9 in 10 casual bettors set a budget before they visit a casino;
• 90 percent of those visitors report success in tracking their spending; and
• 8 in 10 casual casino visitors and 9 in 10 avid casino visitors are aware of responsible gaming resources.

“Responsible gaming is our industry’s top priority,” said Bill Miller, president and CEO of the American Gaming Association. “This research indicates that our unwavering commitment to responsibility is resonating with our customers. But success in this key area will never mean our work is done, and we look forward to continuing to work with gaming regulators, our partners in the fight against problem gambling and our employees to ensure customers continue to engage in this form of mainstream entertainment responsibly.”

This research comes on the heels of a recent AGA study that highlighted continued growth in acceptance of gaming. That research indicates that 88 percent of American adults view gambling as an acceptable form of entertainment. Americans also have a positive view of the industry’s role as a community partner, with 80 percent of people recognizing gaming’s role as a job creator, and 6 in 10 Americans believing casinos help their local economies.

“Gaming has made great strides over the past few years with the public increasingly recognizing our industry as the community partner and economic driver we know it to be,” continued Miller. “I look forward to working with our members and all interested stakeholders to build upon this great momentum in the years to come.”

The U.S. gaming industry commits more than $300 million to responsible gaming annually, supporting education, training and rehabilitation programs across the country.

Last year, AGA launched the Responsible Gambling Collaborative, convening a renowned group of thought leaders, stakeholders and academics to chart a new course on the complex issue of responsible gaming.

AGA members adhere to the association’s Responsible Gaming Code of Conduct which guides industry commitments to responsible gaming and is updated annually to reflect new developments and industry innovations. In 2018, AGA updated the Code to enhance provisions on sports betting and responsible advertising.

Methodology: Today’s data comes from two separate polls completed in late 2018. Data on Americans’ acceptance of gaming comes from our survey of Americans’ attitudes towards gaming and was conducted by the Mellman Group of 1,000 registered voters, both online and on the phone. Data on casino visitors’ responsible gaming practices comes from a survey of 2,014 past year casino gamblers. This survey was conducted online by BrandOutlook.

About AGA: The American Gaming Association is the premier national trade group representing the $261 billion U.S. casino industry, which supports 1.8 million jobs nationwide. AGA members include commercial and tribal casino operators, gaming suppliers and other entities affiliated with the gaming industry. It is the mission of the AGA to achieve sound policies and regulations consistent with casino gaming’s modern appeal and vast economic contributions.

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