WASHINGTON – The American Gaming Association (AGA) commemorated Responsible Gaming Education Week in Boston with a panel discussion on the industry’s efforts to address problem gambling. The event highlighted AGA’s updated Code of Conduct, the Responsible Gaming Collaborative and the inroads Massachusetts has made prioritizing innovative and expansive responsible gaming initiatives. The panel included representatives from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, the Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling, the National Center for Responsible Gaming, MGM Resorts International and Penn National Gaming.
Responsible Gaming Education Week provides an opportunity to showcase the industry’s year-round dedication to responsible gaming programs and is an important part of the industry’s steadfast commitment to promoting responsible gaming. This is the second of two events held this week, with the first at the UNLV International Gaming Institute on Tuesday in Las Vegas.
To highlight the 21st anniversary of the industry’s Responsible Gaming Education Week, gaming operators and manufacturers across the United States are commemorating the industry’s responsible gaming efforts by holding dozens of local events and educational activities throughout the week.
“Responsible gaming is a top priority for the gaming industry,” said Sara Slane, senior vice president of public affairs of AGA. “As you heard today, we are committed to providing a safe gaming environment for our patrons, employees and communities. Every day, gaming industry leaders are working with manufacturers, thought leaders, educators and property owners to proactively address problem gambling. Together, we are maximizing our investment to promote responsible gaming and innovating how we approach the issue.”
Thursday’s panel in Boston included Stephen Crosby, chairman, Massachusetts Gaming Commission; Dr. Russell Sanna, executive director, National Center for Responsible Gaming; Alan Feldman, executive vice president, MGM Resorts International; Jim Baldacci, deputy chief compliance officer, Penn National Gaming; Marlene Warner, executive director of the Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling and president of the board of directors for the National Council on Problem Gambling; and Slane.
AGA’s Code of Conduct guides industry efforts to build a more cohesive dialogue on responsible gaming. The updated code expands its guidelines to include wagers on sports, as well as new advertising provisions to ensure casino and sports betting marketing is targeted to an age-appropriate demographic with tasteful content and reasonable frequency.
To learn more about AGA’s Responsible Gaming initiatives, click here.
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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The AGA and our members are making strides on responsibility efforts across multiple fronts, including diversity, equity and inclusion and responsible advertising. Below, please find details on these initiatives as well as additional AGA updates.
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AGA Reports on Diversity in the Gaming Industry
Yesterday, the AGA released an in-depth examination of diversity in the gaming workforce, showing the industry is more diverse than national and hospitality industry benchmarks, while identifying areas for continued progress.
The findings:
- More than 6 in 10 (61%) of gaming industry employees are minorities, compared to 52% of the broader hospitality industry and 42% of the total U.S. workforce.
- 23% of gaming employees are Hispanic and 19% are Black—both higher than the national workforce and in line with the hospitality industry.
- 60% of operator employees are minorities, up nearly 20% from 2011 and higher than the hospitality sector and national workforces overall.
- 45% of gaming manufacturer employees are minorities, compared to 38% of the broader electronic manufacturing workforce.
Dive Deeper: While gaming has a significantly more diverse management pipeline than the broader hospitality industry and total U.S. workforce, the industry has opportunities to advance female representation and leadership.
- 45% of first/mid-level managers are minorities while 43% of professionals are minorities, both 10 to 12 points above national and hospitality benchmarks.
- 48% of gaming’s workforce is female, in line with the national workforce, but representation drops off at more senior level job classifications.
Download the full report and stay tuned for more from the AGA as we work to advance DEI in gaming in the months and years to come.
AGA Updates Responsible Marketing Code for Sports Wagering
In March, the AGA announced updates to its Responsible Marketing Code for Sports Wagering. Developed in collaboration with our members, these changes:
- Enhance protections for college-aged audiences by:
- Prohibiting college partnerships that promote, market or advertise sports wagering activity (other than to alumni networks or content focused on responsible gaming initiatives or problem gambling awareness).
- Prohibiting sportsbook NIL deals for amateur and college athletes.
- Add age restrictions (21+) for any individual featured in advertising.
- Change all references to the “legal age of wagering” in the Code to 21+.
- Ban all use of “risk free” in advertising.
Why it matters: These updates raise the bar for responsible advertising and demonstrate our membership’s intention and ability to evolve as the still nascent legal U.S. sports betting market grows. The code updates also formalize an annual review process, ensuring the industry can continue to stay agile as we navigate market expansion and build a sustainable sports betting environment.
What we’re saying: “Advertising plays an essential role in migrating consumers away from predatory illegal sportsbooks and into the protections of the legal, regulated market while providing responsible gaming resources. The AGA and our members are committed to building a sustainable marketplace that protects vulnerable populations and gives consumers the knowledge and tools to keep sports betting fun for adults.” – AGA President and CEO Bill Miller
What We’re Reading
- AGA CEO Bill Miller defends industry leadership on responsibility in The Hill.
- Senator Blumenthal (D-CT) commends AGA members in The New York Times.
- Agency EFE highlights diversity in the gaming industry workforce.
- Tech offerings bolster gaming’s global economic impact, AGEM study finds.
- UNLV study demonstrates how digital payments can strengthen problem gambling detection.
One More Thing
Kentucky recently became the first state to pass standalone legislation to ban unregulated gambling machines. The Bluegrass State joins Virginia in taking proactive government action to eliminate these pervasive bad actors, which take advantage of consumers and communities by posing as legal, regulated slots.
More than 580,000 of these machines exist throughout the U.S., according to AGA estimates. Read our full study.
The American Gaming Association’s (AGA) Board of Directors today named Bill Miller as the trade association’s next president and chief executive officer, effective January 14, 2019, following a comprehensive search and selection process.
During his tenure as senior vice president at the Business Roundtable (BRT), Miller helped grow the organization’s brand and advocacy footprint in Washington, leading the association’s outreach to Capitol Hill and the Administration.
“I am honored to join a team with a well-earned reputation for advancing the casino gaming industry’s legislative and communications priorities and addressing the issues that matter most to its members,” said Miller. “Much to the AGA’s credit, this is a remarkable time for gaming in America. The industry is growing, acceptance of gaming as mainstream entertainment has never been higher and the opportunities to continue to advance gaming’s agenda are abundant. I am eager to help lead the industry in this next era.”
A broad, seven-member search committee was formed in June, led by Tim Wilmott, CEO of Penn National Gaming and Chairman of the AGA Board of Directors.
“Bill’s extensive work with federal policymakers and as a seasoned leader of membership and industry advocacy organizations was critical to our decision,” said Wilmott. “He joins a successful organization at a time when our industry is enjoying great momentum, thanks in part to a major policy achievement – the ending of the federal sports betting prohibition. On behalf of the AGA Board, I am excited to welcome Bill to the team.
“The Board is extremely thankful for the leadership of Stacy Papadopoulos and Sara Slane, and the commitment of the entire AGA team during this period of transition,” continued Wilmott.
With senior level experience at leading business groups and trade associations including BRT and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Miller joins the AGA at a time when the gaming industry is growing both in size and popularity. The May 2018 Supreme Court ruling overturning the federal ban on sports betting was a landmark policy achievement for the industry. Revenue grew in twenty states with commercial casinos in 2017 and the commercial gaming industry as a whole brought in $40.3 billion in gaming revenue, while tribal casinos tallied $32.4 billion in total gaming revenue.
Today, the American Gaming Association (AGA) released the following statement in response to the “Sports Wagering Market Integrity Act of 2018,” introduced by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT).
“This bill is the epitome of a solution in search of a problem, representing an unprecedented and inappropriate expansion of federal involvement in the gaming industry, which is currently one of the most strictly regulated in the country,” said Sara Slane, senior vice president of public affairs for the American Gaming Association. “Across the country, nearly 4,000 dedicated public servants already regulate all forms of gaming, including sports wagering, with more than $500 million committed to ensuring the integrity of commercial casinos’ operations and $822 million spent on regulation of tribal gaming in 2015 alone. These state and tribal regulators have decades of experience effectively overseeing gaming operations within their jurisdictions.
“Additional areas this bill seeks to address – including the mandatory use of official league data and the creation of a national sports wagering clearinghouse – can, and should, be decided by marketplace negotiations between private businesses and cooperative agreements among jurisdictions. In the mere six months since the U.S. Supreme Court paved the way for legal, regulated sports betting, significant developments on both of these fronts have already occurred without any federal involvement.
“While federal regulation of sports betting will continue to be a non-starter for the gaming industry, we appreciate the sponsors’ recognition that more must be done to curb illegal sports betting operations, which continue to pose the biggest impediment to the success of a legal market that will benefit and protect consumers, sports leagues and casino operators alike.”
Today, the American Gaming Association (AGA) released the following statement in response to the “Sports Wagering Market Integrity Act of 2018,” introduced by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT).
“This bill is the epitome of a solution in search of a problem, representing an unprecedented and inappropriate expansion of federal involvement in the gaming industry, which is currently one of the most strictly regulated in the country,” said Sara Slane, senior vice president of public affairs for the American Gaming Association. “Across the country, nearly 4,000 dedicated public servants already regulate all forms of gaming, including sports wagering, with more than $500 million committed to ensuring the integrity of commercial casinos’ operations and $822 million spent on regulation of tribal gaming in 2015 alone. These state and tribal regulators have decades of experience effectively overseeing gaming operations within their jurisdictions.
“Additional areas this bill seeks to address – including the mandatory use of official league data and the creation of a national sports wagering clearinghouse – can, and should, be decided by marketplace negotiations between private businesses and cooperative agreements among jurisdictions. In the mere six months since the U.S. Supreme Court paved the way for legal, regulated sports betting, significant developments on both of these fronts have already occurred without any federal involvement.
“While federal regulation of sports betting will continue to be a non-starter for the gaming industry, we appreciate the sponsors’ recognition that more must be done to curb illegal sports betting operations, which continue to pose the biggest impediment to the success of a legal market that will benefit and protect consumers, sports leagues and casino operators alike.”
IGT
“The values that we have built up over time are well established and will continue to be a foundation of our Company.” – Marco Sala, CEO
Advancing Sustainability
Lowering Carbon Emissions
IGT strives to continually improve its environmental management systems and lower its impact.
IGT’s Lakeland, Florida facility maintains an emissions-reduction program for its printing presses. In 2020, the facility reduced emissions of volatile organic compounds by nine percent over the previous year.
The Company’s North America Hubs initiative reduced emissions related to returns of electronic gaming machines from casinos through logistics improvements and regional consolidation hubs.
The MySelf project, which provides remote troubleshooting for point-of-sale gaming terminals without field intervention, resulted in reduced emissions of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides and particulate matter. With 101,072 planned interventions, 86,259 were completed in the field in 2020.
Reducing Resource Consumption & Waste
The reduction of energy consumption is one of IGT’s environmental strategy priorities. The Company’s industrial sites employ ISO 140001 Environmental Management Systems designed to continually improve energy efficiency.
On behalf of the Hoosier Lottery, IGT offers digital pay slips and has supported first-of-its-kind research into the environmental impacts of scratch-off lottery tickets.
IGT’s Lakeland, Florida facility was recognized as the Sustainability Program winner in the 2021 FTA Sustainability Excellence Awards for its waste reclamation program.
Disclosure
IGT’s disclosure efforts have been recognized by several of the most reputable ESG analysts and rating institutions, including the Bloomberg Gender Equality Index, the Carbon Disclosure Project, EcoVadis, Financial Times Stock Exchange, Sustainalytics and Morgan Stanley Capital Investment, the world’s largest ESG rating and research provider.
U.N. Sustainable Development Goals
IGT has selected nine sustainable developmental goals from the 2030 United Nations Agenda for Sustainable Development based on its business activities and sustainability priorities and is identifying specific targets and initiatives aimed at making progress toward these goals. IGT has also joined the world’s largest corporate responsibility initiative, the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), which calls on companies to align their business practices with principles in the areas of human rights, the environment, anti-corruption and labor.
Strengthening Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Strengthening Employee DEI
At IGT, employee networks centered around underrepresented dimensions of diversity, called Diversity and Inclusion Groups (DIGS), provide employees throughout the Company with opportunities for career development, networking and professional engagement. Advancing Cultural Education (ACE) at IGT is devoted to the advancement of people of African descent in the gaming industry.
In 2019, the All-In Diversity Project recognized IGT as one of the highest-ranking participants in its annual benchmarking of inclusion.
Supply Chain Responsibility
IGT’s Supplier Code of Conduct requires that all suppliers and vendors adhere to environmental, social and corporate governance standards.
IGT also works with many suppliers classified as diverse suppliers and businesses majority-owned by women, people of color, LGBTQ persons, veterans or persons with disabilities.
Suppliers are also screened for compliance with human rights and environmental practices. Major OEM (original equipment manufacturers) suppliers are subject to periodic visits to ensure compliance with social and environmental responsibility principles.
Along with a zero-tolerance approach to modern slavery anywhere in the supply chain, IGT also requests that suppliers adopt conflict mineral policies.
Investing in Communities
Expanding Education & Career Opportunities
After School Advantage (ASA), IGT’s flagship giving program, provides students around the world access to digital learning centers and technology to promote STEM education opportunities. In 2020, IGT opened 15 new ASA learning centers.
Addressing Critical Community Needs
Composed of more than 160 employees throughout the world, IGT’s Community Ambassador program allows employees to organize local community engagement and connections with local organizations. The Matching Gifts, Day Off for Volunteerism, and Dollars for Doers programs support IGT employees’ community support efforts. IGT is also a long-time supporter of Children’s Cabinet, a social support agency providing critical family services in Nevada.
Responsible Leadership
Protecting & Empowering Consumers
Responsible gaming tools are incorporated into all IGT products and services. IGT sponsors the National Council on Problem Gambling’s annual conference. IGT’s advertising and marketing complies with AGA’s Responsible Gaming Code of Conduct. IGT also supports the AGA’s Responsible Gaming Education Week (RGEW). In 2020, IGT created an internal campaign to test employee knowledge of responsible gaming and an external social media campaign mirroring AGA’s RGEW campaign.
IGT-operated lotteries in the U.S. received Level 4 in Responsible Gaming Certification from the World Lottery Association and is a Premium Partner of the European Lotteries.
Establishing & Following Rigorous Business Standards
IGT was the first gaming vendor in the world to receive G4’s responsible gaming accreditation, which it renewed again in 2020. G4 accreditation requires employee training, dedicated responsible gaming policies and a commitment to research. IGT also advises gaming organizations throughout the world on best practices for responsible gaming.
Training Employees
IGT-designed training courses provide employees at all levels with role-specific training. All newly hired employees receive responsible gaming general awareness training and all employees renew their responsible gaming training every three years.
IGT was the first gaming Company to implement the Game Awareness in Player Protection training, which helps game designers understand the relationship between game mechanics and responsible gaming.
IGT collaborates with stakeholders, including researchers, to review trainings such as its B2C contact center training, which provides role-specific responsible gaming training to employees that have regular contact with players.
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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It’s been one year since the repeal of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), the failed federal ban on sports betting.
At the American Gaming Association (AGA), we’ve made it a priority to understand how the expansion of legal markets affects consumers, operators, governments, leagues and other stakeholders.
Check out the one pagers on the right of this page for AGA’s top research on sports betting and an infographic showing all of the progress from the past year.
Washington, D.C. – American support for legal sports betting has grown significantly since the federal ban on sports wagering was lifted in 2018, according to new American Gaming Association (AGA) research. Key findings show:
- 85 percent of American adults agree with the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), compared to 63 percent in 2019.
- 77 percent of American adults support legalization in their state of residence.
- 39.2 million American adults have placed a traditional sports wager in the last 12 months.
- 78 percent of bettors place all or most bets through regulated operators.
- 77 percent of online sports bets are now placed through regulated operators, compared to just 44 percent in 2019.
“American adults have always enjoyed betting on sports, and overwhelmingly value the ability to bring their action into a legal market, close to home,” said AGA President and CEO Bill Miller. “The rapid spread of legal sports betting—fueled by regulated, responsible entities—has contributed to communities and established consumer protections by migrating betting away from the illegal market monopoly that PASPA perpetuated.”
Since May 2018, Americans have legally wagered $220 billion nationwide, generating $3 billion in state and local taxes for education, healthcare, infrastructure, responsible gaming and problem gambling resource funding and more.
Bettor Migration to Legal Sportsbooks
As the legal market grows, it is increasingly attracting and retaining customers from illegal bookies and offshore operators:
- Nearly half (46%) of bettors that currently bet primarily with unregulated operators plan to transition to regulated operators within the next 12 months.
- Nine in 10 (90%) bettors who place most of their bets legally intend to stay within the legal market in the next year.
Among the top reasons bettors are choosing legal operators over illegal operators are confidence bets will be paid out (71%), trust in account security and easier payment options (68%), and availability of responsible gaming resources (58%).
Consumer Awareness
Compared to five years ago, consumers have a significantly better understanding of the legal status of sports betting in their state, however, survey results also point to continued need for consumer education:
- Only 29 percent of American adults say they are unsure of the legality of online sportsbooks in their state, a 45 percent decrease since 2018.
- Yet, 70 percent of sports bettors who placed most of their bets with illegal operators believed they were betting either exclusively with legal sportsbooks or splitting their bets evenly between legal and illegal operators.
Consumer confusion is in part attributable to illegal offshore sites misrepresenting their legal status by marketing themselves as regulated sites. Among online sports bettors, they believe a site is legal based on a statement on the website (38%), odds being mentioned by the media (36%), and search results (32%).
“Five years post-PASPA, the AGA and our members continue to support responsibly expanding the legal market while cracking down on predatory illegal operators,” continued Miller. “The regulated industry and our partners across the entire ecosystem—policymakers, law enforcement, regulators, leagues, media, technology providers and more—have made significant strides in our collaborative consumer education efforts since 2018, and we will continue to find new ways to enhance consumer protections as the market matures.”
Background
- 33 states and Washington, D.C. currently feature live, legal sports betting markets, with four additional legal markets awaiting launch.
- More than half of American adults (57%, 141M) live in a live, legal sports betting market.
- AGA’s Have A Game Plan.® Bet Responsibly.™ campaign is bringing sports betting stakeholders together to promote responsible gaming.
- AGA research shows Americans currently wager $64 billion annually with illegal operators, down from pre-PASPA estimates of $150 billion. This 40 percent of market share robs states of $700M in tax dollars annually.
Methodology
Heart+Mind Strategies conducted the online survey on behalf of the AGA between March 14-20, 2023, among a national 21+ sample of 1,066 general population adults and a sample of 1,005 sports bettors. The data were weighted to approximate a target sample of adults based on age, race/ethnicity, gender and region. The overall margin of error is +/-3 percent. Sports bettors are defined as adults who have placed a traditional sports bet at a casino, online or with a bookie in the past 12 months.
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Supporting the Legal Sports Betting Market
Since the federal ban was overturned in 2018, states and sovereign tribal nations have had the opportunity to establish frameworks for legal sports betting, which protect consumers and create tax benefits for local communities.
Embracing America’s Passion Through Effective Regulation
In May 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), a decades-old federal law that prevented states other than Nevada from allowing legal, regulated wagers on collegiate and professional sports. This federal prohibition inadvertently created a massive illegal market — along with a myriad of associated public policy problems.
The Supreme Court’s 7-2 decision was a win for millions of Americans who seek to participate in sports wagering in a safe, legal and regulated manner. States and tribal nations can now set their own policies to legalize and regulate sports betting in an effective manner that protects consumers and creates tax benefits for local communities.
Since May 2018, sports betting is legal in 38 states and Washington, D.C., and has generated more than $2.45 billion in federal, state and local taxes.* This tax revenue funds infrastructure, education, responsible gaming education, problem gambling services, and other core priorities.
*Based on AGA’s compilation of state gaming regulator reporting and estimates of federal excise tax.
Repealing Federal Excise Tax on Sports Betting
The Internal Revenue Code currently imposes a federal excise tax of 0.25 percent on the amount of any legal sports wager with a sportsbook, as well as an additional $50 annual head tax for every employee engaged in receiving wagers for or on behalf of any legal sports betting operator. This tax was established in the 1950s, not as a revenue source, but rather as a tool for prosecuting illegal bookmaking operations that didn’t pay the tax.
Currently, this tax serves no dedicated purpose and represents an added operating cost to legal sportsbooks that illegal operators do not pay, further impeding customers’ move away from the predatory, illegal market to safe, regulated sports betting channels. Congress can help empower the success of a safe, regulated marketplace by repealing the federal excise tax that unnecessarily disadvantages legal sports betting operations.
Resources
Novomatic
“As an operator of international venues and a worldwide exporting technology supplier, we recognize our responsibility towards our approximately 21,000 employees as well as customers around the globe. Driven by our sustainable business strategy, we are strongly committed to ESG issues.” – Johannes Gratzl, Executive Board Member
Advancing Sustainability
Lowering Carbon Emissions
NOVOMATIC is aware that the way in which a Company handles energy, CO2 emissions, waste and water consumption has a major impact on the environment. The main priority for NOVOMATIC is to keep consumption of all resources as low as possible in both manufacturing and gaming facility operations.
NOVOMATIC aims to continuously reduce its absolute and relative energy use, as well as Scope 1 and 2 CO2 emissions. The Company continues to increase use of energy from renewable sources, including generating electricity via solar panels in Australia. In Spain, Basque Gaming and Salones Macao already use 100 percent renewable energy. In the UK, the Company is expanding its vehicle fleet with hybrid cars. In addition, NOVOMATIC facilities worldwide are adopting LED lighting.
Reducing Resource Consumption & Waste
NOVOMATIC is committed to minimizing its environmental footprint through efficient handling of energy and resources, as well as by reducing the waste and emissions that it produces. The Company strives to make positive contributions to environmental protection using both production and operational measures.
Evaluation of previous years shows clearly that the majority of waste produced is non-hazardous. The goal is to continue to reduce total and relative waste volume in the future.
Strengthening Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Strengthening Employee DEI
NOVOMATIC’s principles include promoting diversity and equality for all groups, regardless of age, ethnicity, religion, gender and sexual orientation. Embracing diversity, integration and equal opportunities is a basic principle of the NOVOMATIC corporate culture. Doing so also provides a decisive competitive edge for sustainable corporate success. For years, the Code of Conduct, valid for the entire Group, has stated that any type of discrimination within the Company or towards third parties (e.g. customers, suppliers) has no place at NOVOMATIC.
NOVOMATIC acknowledges that it is responsible for creating fair working conditions when hiring and selecting personnel, during career development, as part of the compatibility of family and career, and as part of generation management. NOVOMATIC Americas has a people first, multicultural diversity and inclusion strategy in the U.S. market which has enabled the Company to attract and retain a robust and diverse workforce that represents its country, customers and community well. In job postings, NOVOMATIC uses gender-neutral language and offers applicants the option to use a third gender (m/f/d where “d” stands for diverse). Currently, 56 percent of NOVOMATIC employees are women.
The Company also continued the employee connection programs NOVOSilver Family and NOVOMoms & Dads. In Austria, NOVOMATIC continues to use the job platform WiSR to find and hire older applicants for their technical experience and expertise.
Increasing Board and Management Diversity
In 2020, 39 percent of the NOVOMATIC’s management positions were made up of women.
Investing in Communities
Addressing Critical Community Needs
NOVOMATIC’s commitment is to contribute to society by sponsoring activities, donations and volunteering. The Company is an active and responsible corporate citizen and invests in its local communities by promoting valuable partnerships and sustainable initiatives. As an international industry leader, NOVOMATIC takes social responsibility seriously. In addition to its economic and regional importance for the economy, the labor market and tax revenue, NOVOMATIC makes an important contribution to society with its social commitment. The Company focuses sponsorship efforts on problem gambling prevention and player protection, sports and competition, art and culture, and strengthening the economy.
In selecting which projects to support, NOVOMATIC looks for international and regional connections, promotion of education and talent, and long-term cooperation in place of short-term activism.
Biometric System
One NOVOMATIC innovation in the area of responsible entertainment is the NOVOMATIC Biometric Systems (NBS). This biometric system allows for unique authentication of registered customers using fingerprints and offers the advantage of fully automated access. The advantage for player protection is its unique allocation of biometric data to a registered guest. This means vulnerable groups, such as minors and customers who have been banned from this location, can be quickly identified and excluded.
Responsible Leadership
Protecting and Empowering Customers
NOVOMATIC creates suitable framework conditions to keep gaming fun. The Company prevents minors and other vulnerable groups from using its products through innovative technology. NOVOMATIC welcomes clear legal regulations and is only active in regulated gaming markets.
At NOVOMATIC, Responsible Entertainment covers measures for gaming addiction prevention in the gaming segment as well as measures in the sports betting, lottery and online gaming segments. Responsible Entertainment is a key element in the implementation of business activities at NOVOMATIC.
Responsible gaming initiatives at NOVOMATIC include implementation of Responsible Entertainment employee training, gaming venue visits and workshops in cooperation with the Gesellschaft für Spielerschutz und Prävention (Society for Player Protection and Prevention, GSP), and development of a comprehensive social program for sports betting businesses together with GSP.
Training Employees
NOVOMATIC makes sure its employees are well trained in player protection and that they pay close attention to identifying problematic behavior and act accordingly.
Investing in Research and Partnering with Advocacy Groups
NOVOMATIC understands that prevention and player protection is not just important on-site at gaming facilities. It also takes on central importance in connection with sustainable funding. NOVOMATIC uses long-term partnerships to support initiatives that deliver important scientific information and help improve treatment options. Recently, the Company sponsored the Medical University of Vienna’s research on addiction and addiction therapies.