WASHINGTON – New research released today at a Get to Know Gaming event at the IP Casino Resort Spa in Biloxi, Mississippi, shows the Mississippi casino gaming industry strengthens communities by providing good jobs, supporting small businesses, and partnering with local charities.
The American Gaming Association’s (AGA) newest report, Casinos & Communities: Mississippi, provides an up-close look at the gaming industry’s economic and social contributions to communities in the Magnolia State. This new research pairs gaming’s economic impact data—more than 37,000 jobs supported and $1.6 billion in wages generated annually across Mississippi—with firsthand perspectives from local nonprofit leaders, business owners, and elected officials.
“Mississippi’s gaming industry has been a true leader nationally, demonstrating to the rest of the country how a policy framework focused on growth and opportunity can take an industry to new heights,” said Bill Miller, president and CEO of the American Gaming Association. “I’m amazed at how this industry, which began with dockside casinos, has expanded into an economic juggernaut for this state, turning around communities and supporting its neighbors at every turn.”
AGA’s Get to Know Gaming campaign engages local leaders in a discussion about the critical role gaming plays as a community partner. Wednesday’s Get to Know Gaming roundtable panel included Richard Bennett, state representative, Mississippi Legislature; Allen Godfrey, executive director, Mississippi Gaming Commission; Mike Alise, owner of Gulf Coast Produce; John McFarland, executive director, southeast Mississippi chapter of the American Red Cross; Duncan McKenzie, general manager, IP Casino Resort Spa; and Miller. Larry Gregory, executive director of the Mississippi Gaming and Hospitality Association, moderated the panel. You can view a recording of this morning’s discussion here.
Gaming industry stakeholders and local media packed a lecture hall at UNLV’s International Gaming Institute to hear remarks from:
- U.S. Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV);
- Dr. Bo Bernhard, executive director, International Gaming Institute, UNLV;
- Robin Bernhard, senior manager, marketing & education, BMM Testlabs;
- Jennifer Shatley, responsible gaming policies and compliance specialist, Caesars Entertainment;
- Connie Jones, director of responsible gaming, Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers; and
- Sara Slane, senior vice president of public affairs, American Gaming Association.
Resources
Press Coverage Summary
Las Vegas Review-Journal – AGA expanding code of conduct for responsible gaming
Gambling Compliance – Responsible Gaming Advocates Hope Lawmakers Pass Legislation To Help Consumers
Associated Press – Casino trade group updates rules to include sports betting
Entain
Advancing Sustainability
Lowering Carbon Emissions
In 2018, Entain set a target to reduce Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 15 percent per colleague by the end of 2021 and achieved this target early. While this decrease in emissions was expedited by the pandemic and resulting shop and office closures, data demonstrate Entain was already on track to achieving its goal based on pre-pandemic GHG emissions.
In early 2021, Entain committed to net zero GHG emissions by no later than 2035, 15 years ahead of the 2050 target for carbon neutrality set by the Paris Agreement. The Company also invested in GHG offsets for the first time in 2020. It purchased its offsets from Brynk, an independent platform that facilitates tree planting and reforestation projects. By 2023, these investments alone are predicted to offset its global Scope 1 and 2 emissions.
Entain also works with its suppliers to decarbonize the supply chain. As one example, Entain is highly engaged with its major third-party data centers, which make up most of the Company’s data center energy consumption.
Additionally, Entain started to focus in 2021 on increasing efficiency and transparency of minor suppliers in order to reduce Scope 3 emissions.
To integrate our commitment internally, Entain’s Green Ambassador program consists of 120 employees that work to identify practical ways they can improve environmental efficiency in the workplace.
Strengthening Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Increasing Board and Management Diversity
Twenty three percent of Entain’s Senior Management are women, which represents an improvement over the previous three years. Entain is working to continue the trend to realize additional improvement. Women now make up 40 percent of the Board of Directors.
Strengthening Employee DEI
Entain recognizes the need to strengthen diversity within its Company to remain at the forefront of customers’ needs and innovation. It launched its international diversity and inclusion strategy in 2018, “Everyone’s in the Game,” to create a more inclusive business within three years in four main areas: recruitment, progress and policy, people development, and awareness and education. Currently, women make up 47 percent of Entain’s total employee population.
Supporting Racial Equality and Social Justice Efforts
Entain actively supports diversity and inclusion in the gaming industry through the All-in Diversity Project, an industry-driven initiative that highlights diversity, equality and inclusion for the global betting and gaming sector.
Entain Foundation
In September 2019, the Entain Foundation committed to donating more than $131 million over five years to projects and foundations related to responsible betting and gaming, recreational sports, diversity in technology and local community projects near Entain’s offices.
Investing in Communities
Expanding Education and Career Opportunities
Entain launched two initiatives in early 2021 for young women interested in pursuing careers in technology. Additionally, Entain supports Girls Who Code and Tech Girls Movement in Australia. Currently, women make up 30 percent of Entain’s technical roles.
7 Principles for Safer Betting and Gaming
Entain has established seven principles that aim to make betting and gaming safer than ever before:
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- Understanding the problem by funding research to find the best possible solutions.
- Educating stakeholders about the potential risks of gambling and how to avoid them.
- Promoting responsible attitudes through advertising, marketing, and sponsorships.
- Empowering customers by adding features that help customers gamble safely.
- Funding addiction treatment.
- Championing responsible product design principles to make sure products are as safe as they are fun.
- Changing gaming for the better by making it safer across the board.
Responsible Leadership
Educating Customers
Entain aims to educate its customers through the Advanced Responsibility and Care Program, which utilizes evidence-based markers to identify risky behaviors.
Establishing and Following Rigorous Business Standards
In 2020, Entain continued to grow its responsibility programs by introducing its Advanced Responsibility and Care (ARC) program. The strategy is fully aligned with the UK Gambling Commission’s principal objectives to ensure betting and gaming is crime-free, fair, conducted openly and protects children and other vulnerable persons.
Training Employees
All team members are trained on safer betting and gambling practices. Starting in 2021, Entain employees were assessed on whether certain milestones of the (ARC) Program have been achieved.
Investing in Research and Partnering with Advocacy Groups
In 2021, Entain increased its research, education and treatment (RET) for problem gambling with a commitment to increasing RET to 1 percent of gross gaming yield by 2023. This commitment exceeds the four largest operators in the UK. Entain is on track to realize this commitment in 2022, a full year early.
Entain will continue to compile evidence and coordinate its response with other betting and gaming operators within the gaming industry.
Entain partners with The Young Gamers and Gamblers Education Trust (YGAM) as well as Cognacity at Lean House to help young people avoid gambling related harm through education, safeguarding, and treatment services.
Bringing Gaming Together to lead gaming forward
As the premier national trade group for the U.S. casino industry, the AGA fosters a policy and business environment where legal, regulated gaming thrives.
Our Strategic Pillars
AGA leads a rigorous, inclusive process to define our industry’s positions on all significant issues. We support policies that promote industry reinvestment and innovation. We prioritize issues that provide our industry and members the most leverage and greatest business value.
Gaming by the Numbers
America’s gaming industry is an economic powerhouse that improves communities across the country by providing new job opportunities,
a diversified tax base, and a broad set of entertainment options.
Our Membership
AGA represents U.S. gaming industry stakeholders and serves as the single most effective advocate for commercial and tribal casino operators, gaming suppliers and allies in the gaming industry, which includes financial institutions, industry vendors, state associations and media.
Core Members
Commercial Operators
Bally’s Corporation
bet365
Churchill Downs
Circa Resorts LLC
The Cordish Companies
Delaware North
DraftKings, Inc.
ECL Entertainment, LLC
Entain PLC
Fanatics Betting & Gaming
FanDuel Group
Genting Americas, Inc.
Greenwood Racing
J&J Ventures Gaming, LLC
Las Vegas Sands
MGM Resorts International
PENN Entertainment
Rush Street Gaming
South Point Hotel & Casino
The Venetian Resort Las Vegas
VICI Properties, Inc.
Wynn Resorts
Tribal Operators
Cherokee Nation Entertainment, LLC
The Chickasaw Nation
Choctaw Nation
FireKeepers Casino Hotel
Foxwoods Resort Casino
Mohegan Gaming and Entertainment
Morongo Band of Mission Indians
Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians
Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation
Seminole Hard Rock Gaming
Wind Creek Hospitality
Diversified Gaming Suppliers
Ainsworth Game Technology
Aristocrat Technologies
Bluberi
Everi
Evolution
Games Global
GeoComply
IGT
Incredible Technologies
Interblock
Konami Gaming
Light & Wonder
Novomatic
OpenBet
Playtech
Sportradar
Independent Testing Labs
BMM Testlabs
Gaming Laboratories International (GLI)
Payment & Transaction Systems
FABICash
JCM Global
NRT Tech
Nuvei Technologies Inc.
Pavilion Payments
PayNearMe
Paysafe
Shift4
Sightline
Trustly
Worldpay
Ally Members
Financial Institutions
Raymond James
Non-Gaming Vendor: B2B
Covington & Burling LLP
Fitch Ratings
Garmisch Gaming Consultants
State Associations
Casino Association of Indiana
Colorado Gaming Association
Illinois Casino Gaming Association
Iowa Gaming Association
Louisiana Casino Association
Mississippi Gaming & Hospitality Association
Missouri Gaming Association
Nevada Resort Association
2021 marked a record-setting recovery for the commercial gaming industry after COVID-19 drove industry revenue to all-time lows in 2020, according to the American Gaming Association’s State of the States 2022 report.
Key Findings
“Our industry’s success goes beyond the bottom line and into communities across the country. The record state and local tax contributions fund vital services from infrastructure and education to healthcare and emergency services" - AGA President And CEO Bill Miller
Following a COVID-driven reshuffling of the highest-grossing commercial gaming markets in 2020, top gaming markets largely returned to their pre-pandemic revenue rankings in 2021.
Meanwhile, the average visitor to a land-based commercial casino in 2021 remained notably younger than prior to the pandemic. In 2021, the mean age of a casino patron was 43.6 years old, versus 49.6 in 2019 and 48.6 in 2018, according to AGA survey data.
All-time high sports betting and iGaming revenue played a significant role in commercial gaming’s record year, with seven new sports betting markets launching in 2021 and two new iGaming markets launching. 2021 commercial sports betting revenue totaled $4.33 billion, a 179.7 percent year-over-year increase, while iGaming revenue for the year grew by 138.9 percent year-over-year to $3.71 billion.
2021 Commercial Sports Betting Revenue
2021 Commercial iGaming Revenue
About State of the States
AGA’s annual State of the States report details the commercial gaming industry’s financial performance, including analyses of each of the 34 jurisdictions with commercial gaming operations in 2021. The report, developed with VIXIO GamblingCompliance, also provides a breakdown of the legality of types of gaming and number of casinos by state, summarizes major gaming policy discussions, and previews opportunities and challenges for the industry. The companion State of Play map provides the report findings, as well as key regulatory and statutory requirements for each state, in an easy-to-use, interactive tool.
Americans’ views of the casino gaming industry improved in 2020 as voters increasingly recognize the industry’s economic benefits and commitment to local communities.
Nearly 7 in 10 (69%) Americans say that gaming provides a positive benefit to the U.S. economy and 63 percent agree that the industry provides high-quality jobs. At the local level, 69 percent say that the industry behaves responsibly in the communities where we operate. Overall, more than 50 percent of Americans now have a favorable view of the industry – a new record and a far cry from the early days of legalized gambling – according to a national survey of registered voters.
9 in 10 Americans
View gaming as a mainstream and acceptable form of entertainment
7 in 10 Americans
Say gaming behaves responsibly as an industry
6 in 10 Americans
Believe gaming provides high quality jobs
In 2020, nearly every facet of the global economy was impacted by COVID-19, and reopening businesses while protecting public health has been crucial to reviving local economies and communities. The gaming industry’s work to safely reopen its doors to employees and patrons hasn’t gone unnoticed by Americans, with 28 percent of voters reporting they have visited a casino in the last 12 months despite COVID-19 and 58 percent of Americans saying the gaming industry has responded well in regard to keeping customers and employees safe throughout the pandemic.
Voters are also aware of the importance that gaming tax money plays in funding vital public services, as 76 percent of voters believe that the industry’s tax payments to state and local governments will become even more important in the future due to COVID-related budget shortfalls.
With the gaming industry paying an already outsized tax rate, it is more important than ever that governments provide a competitive tax and regulatory environment so that gaming can continue to power local communities, economies, and public services.
Methodology
Kantar conducted this survey of Americans’ attitudes on behalf of the American Gaming Association between Sept. 25-30, 2020 among a national sample of 1,000 registered voters.
GeoComply
“As we strive for a safer, more equitable and sustainable world, ESG is at the core of who we are at GeoComply, We are dedicated to supporting historically disadvantaged groups, giving back to our local communities and strengthening diversity and inclusion, both inside and outside of our workplace.” – Anna Sainsbury, Co-Founder and CEO
Advancing Sustainability
Lowering Carbon Emissions
GeoComply is continuously developing its approach to advancing sustainability and lowering carbon footprint. The Company is assessing its carbon footprint and implementing sustainable practices in its offices. GeoComply’s CSR Division – IMPACT – is focused on launching sustainability-focused philanthropic initiatives that enhance employee engagement and those supportive ecosystems within local communities.
Strengthening Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Supporting an Inclusive Workplace
Diversity, equity and inclusion are at the core of GeoComply’s identity. GeoComply’s IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Action) Council facilitates strategic discussion, planning and execution of its IDEA agenda. The IDEA Council has focused on the Company’s recruitment, development, promotion and compensation practices to ensure it promotes equal opportunity in the workplace.
Supporting Social Justice
GeoComply partners with several institutions to create educational opportunities for historically disadvantaged groups. This includes providing scholarships and working with nonprofits such as American Indian Science and Engineering Society and the YWCA. GeoComply also supports STEM education for underrepresented groups, to increase diversity in the technology industry.
GeoComply’s IMPACT Division focuses on advancing equality in its local communities by supporting single mothers, women’s shelters, children, refugees, local orphanages and food banks—helping communities overcome barriers to opportunity.
Code Like A Girl
In GeoComply’s Vietnam office, the Code Like A Girl initiative supports and empowers Vietnamese developers. The program is focused on career development of high-potential female talent in the IT industry through scholarships, job fairs, networking events and more.
Code Like A Girl Vietnam also hosts the Female Developer Innovation Tournament, which is open to female developers, programmers, engineers and women who are passionate about coding. Not only does it inspire women to participate in the technology field, but participants can network with GeoComply’s employees and other women in the industry, win monetary prizes and often receive full-time job offers at the event.
Investing in Communities
Addressing critical community needs
Supporting local communities is central to GeoComply’s CSR program with a special focus on supporting women, children and historically underrepresented groups. The Company also works with local orphanages and large global organizations such as Make-A-Wish and Horton’s Kids to support child welfare.
GeoComply also donates to and works with local food banks to alleviate food insecurity in its communities.
Moreover, GeoComply provide internships and job opportunities for various groups, including refugees and women. These individuals are then nurtured with care, attention and a growth mindset throughout their career journey, with extensive training and professional development opportunities along the way.
Delivering in times of crisis
During the COVID-19 pandemic, GeoComply delivered food and medical supplies to vulnerable groups in its local communities.
Responsible Leadership
Protecting and Empowering Customers
GeoComply’s independent nonprofit arm, Conscious Gaming, leverages innovation, advanced technology and insights to enhance responsible gaming initiatives. By bringing together regulators, operators, suppliers, academics and advocates, Conscious Gaming sets out to modernize voluntary self-exclusion programs with a nationwide self-exclusion tool. The overarching goal is to empower players to learn about responsible gaming and assist them if they choose to self-exclude. Conscious Gaming’s vision for a nationwide self-exclusion tool transcends state boundaries and regulations. GeoComply supports Conscious Gaming through donations, fundraising, resources and technology.
Training Employees
GeoComply has partnered RG247 to deliver employee training on recognizing and countering human trafficking in the gaming industry. The Company is dedicated to harnessing its technology and resources to create safer online environments, both inside and outside of the gaming industry. In addition, GeoComply fights online child sexual exploitation and trafficking through partnerships with the Child Rescue Coalition, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and international law enforcement agencies.
Technology For Good
GeoComply’s responsible thought-leadership is exemplified by its support from law enforcement, as they work together to combat child trafficking and exploitation. The Company also fights fraudulent activity in the gaming industry by leveraging its data intelligence and collaborating with law enforcement, operators and regulators.
International Women’s Day
International Women’s Day is an annual celebration for GeoComply by giving back to women facing difficult circumstances. In 2022, GeoComply hosted an event at its Vancouver headquarters for local women seeking to re-enter the workforce. This event helped provide tools that women could use to secure employment, including resume building, interview coaching, a professional outfit and LinkedIn headshots. GeoComply provided a child development and a babysitting facility as well as covered transportation costs and food to ensure the attendees would have no costs to participate. Employee volunteers shared their own expertise, insights and best practices at the event, overall, increasing the connections and engagements they felt in support of the cause.
Washington, D.C. – A record 50.4 million American adults (20%) are expected to bet on Super Bowl LVII, a 61 percent increase from the record set in 2022, according to a new American Gaming Association (AGA) survey. Bettors plan to wager an estimated $16 billion on this year’s championship game, more than double last year’s estimates.
With the expansion of legal sports betting, traditional Super Bowl wagers are expected to pass casual wagers for the first time ever:
- 30 million American adults plan to place a traditional sports wager online, at a retail sportsbook or with a bookie, up 66 percent from 2022.
- 28 million plan to bet casually with friends or as part of a pool or squares contest, up 50 percent from 2022.
Sports betting legalization is also driving fan interest in the NFL, as more than a third (34%) of NFL fans say that the expansion of legal sports betting has made watching an NFL game more exciting.
“Every year, the Super Bowl serves to highlight the benefits of legal sports betting: bettors are transitioning to the protections of the regulated market, leagues and sports media are seeing increased engagement, and legal operators are driving needed tax revenue to states across the country,” said AGA President and CEO Bill Miller.
Industry investments in responsible gaming continue to resonate. The majority of traditional Super Bowl bettors (71%) report seeing a responsible gaming message in the last year. Importantly, younger Americans (under 35 years old) are more likely to recall seeing a responsible gaming message and younger bettors are more likely to say it is important to only wager legally.
“As interest in legal sports betting continues to expand, the gaming industry remains committed to responsibly delivering world class entertainment, educating consumers about how to bet responsibly, and combating illegal gambling as we work to build a safe, competitive and sustainable legal market for all,” Miller continued.
Bettors are evenly split on the outcome of the game with 44 percent each planning to bet on the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs.
Background
- 33 states and Washington, D.C currently feature live, legal sports betting markets, with three additional legal markets awaiting launch.
- More than half of American adults (57%, 146M) 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. NFL team partners include the Washington Commanders and New York Jets.
Methodology
Morning Consult conducted the online survey on behalf of the AGA between Jan. 31 – Feb. 1, 2023, among a national sample of 2,199 adults. 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 +/-2 percent and greater among subgroups. Bettors include those who expect to place a bet online, with a bookie, with a casino sportsbook, in a pool or squares contest, or casually with family or friends.
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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.
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