Washington, D.C. – The American Gaming Association (AGA) has released updates to the association’s Responsible Marketing Code for Sports Wagering (the Code), which sets the industry standard for responsibility in marketing and advertising of sports betting.
“Established in 2019, AGA’s Responsible Marketing Code reflects the commitment of our members to set and adhere to a high bar for responsible advertising,” stated AGA President and CEO Bill Miller. “Today’s updates advance that commitment and represent our intention to protect consumers and evolve our standards as this nascent market matures.”
The changes—developed in collaboration with AGA members—are the most significant to the Code since its inception, including:
- Enhancing protections for college-aged audiences by:
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- 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.
- Adding age restrictions (21+) for any individual featured in sports betting advertising.
- Changing all references to the “legal age of wagering” to 21-plus.*
- Banning all use of “risk free” in advertising.
- Formalizing an annual process for reviewing and updating the Code.
The updated standards go into effect immediately with a grace period for existing or deployed assets until July 1, 2023. Full updates to the Code can be found here.
“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,” added Miller. “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.”
In addition to updates to the Code, Dr. Jennifer Shatley has been named co-chair of the Code Compliance Review Board. Currently founder and principal consultant at Logan Avenue Consulting LLC and consulting partner for the Responsible Gambling Council, Dr. Shatley brings more than 25 years of experience in responsible gaming policy to oversee the compliance board and review Code violation complaints.
Background
- Sports betting accounted for less than half a percentage of total advertising volume last year, down 28% from 2021.
- 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 (146M) live in a live, legal sports betting market.
- AGA’s Have A Game Plan.® Bet Responsibly.™public service campaign brings sports betting stakeholders together to educate new and seasoned sports bettors about how to bet responsibly.
About the Responsible Marketing Code for Sports Wagering
The Responsible Marketing Code for Sports Wagering includes self-imposed restrictions on target audiences, outlets and materials branding, while mandating responsible gaming inclusion. The tenets of the code apply to traditional and digital marketing activity of sports wagering where consumers are encouraged to place real money wagers. Industry stakeholders and consumers can flag perceived non-compliance on AmericanGaming.org.
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.
*Clarification: Changes all references in the Code to the “legal age of wagering” to 21-plus.
WASHINGTON – Today, the American Gaming Association’s (AGA) Sara Slane, senior vice president of public affairs, was named to the Sports Business Journal’s Forty Under 40 list, an annual honor bestowed on the most influential voices in the sports business sector under the age of 40.
The Forty Under 40 Awards is the Sports Business Journal’s annual celebration of the best young talent in sports business. Slane is joined in the 20th Forty Under 40 class by sports league, team, technology and industry executives, all of whom are being recognized for excellence and innovation in their careers.
“Sara played an outsized role in creating the opportunity for legalized sports betting to exist in the United States,” said Bill Miller, AGA’s president and chief executive officer. “As the industry’s lead advocate, she successfully united the gaming, sports and entertainment industries, brought lawmakers to the table and drove a communication campaign that delivered a historic policy outcome. This recognition is not only well deserved but is shared by stakeholders within and outside our industry.”
Slane continues to lead the AGA’s multi-year campaign to educate policymakers, sports stakeholders and the public about the failures of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA), making the case for legal, regulated sports betting in the United States. Slane’s leadership in this initiative led to the industry’s support for New Jersey’s petition to the Supreme Court, as well as the filing of two amici briefs, which were cited twice in the Court’s ruling to overturn PASPA.
Under her leadership, AGA quantified the size of the current illegal sports betting market and the economic opportunities enabled by legal sports betting for sports leagues, states and sovereign tribal nations. She is the nation’s preeminent resource on the hottest topic in sports, convening stakeholders, educating lawmakers and enabling this new sector to thrive.
Click here for a high-resolution photo.
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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WASHINGTON – The National Hockey League (NHL®) and the American Gaming Association (AGA) announced a partnership today to promote responsible gaming activity through the Have A Game Plan.® Bet Responsibly. public service campaign.
Through the partnership, the NHL will use league-owned, in-arena, and digital marketing inventory for co-branded videoboard images, public address announcements, and animations of hockey-specific marketing materials that encourage responsible sports betting. The league will provide unique assets for each club in legal sports betting markets, including arena, desktop and mobile, and email applications.
“The National Hockey League is proud to partner with the American Gaming Association on this vital initiative to educate NHL fans about the importance of responsible betting,” said Keith Wachtel, NHL Chief Business Officer. “The fan experience remains one of our highest priorities as more hockey fans than ever have the opportunity to legally and responsibly bet in their home states. Ensuring that our passionate fans know how to participate in this exciting new opportunity is important, and we’re thrilled to be working with the AGA to share the responsibility in this worthy education.”
The AGA’s Have a Game Plan. campaign focuses on the core principles of responsible sports betting: setting a budget and sticking to it, keeping betting social, knowing the odds, and playing with trusted, regulated operators. The NHL is only the second professional league to adopt the campaign. NASCAR announced a partnership with the AGA effort in mid-September.
“Teams and leagues are increasingly embracing sports betting as they explore new fan engagement opportunities during COVID-19,” said Bill Miller, AGA President and CEO. “Educating patrons about how to engage in this activity responsibly is critical to the success of the sports betting opportunity as it continues to expand throughout the country. We’re thankful for the NHL’s continued leadership on responsible sports betting. Their partnership on this initiative will be important for hockey fans everywhere as they cheer on their teams in coming seasons.”
HaveAGamePlan.org equips bettors with myriad resources for wagering responsibly, including locations for legal, regulated sportsbooks and how to get help if sports betting is no longer a fun, affordable form of entertainment.
Wachtel will discuss the partnership at a Global Gaming Expo (G2E) 2020 panel titled, “The Fan of the Future? How Leagues Are Capitalizing on Sports Betting Through Partnerships,” Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020, at 12:30 p.m. ET. Media can register to attend here.
Background
- The NHL and its teams have formed 17 marketing and data sharing partnerships with gaming operators and suppliers since May 2018.
- AGA research has found that the NHL’s annual revenue may increase by $216 million a year due to legal sports betting.
- An AGA survey of sports bettors found that 27 percent of bettors wagered on the NHL in the past year—19% at a casino sportsbook, 41% online, and 22% with a bookie.
- 18 states plus Washington, D.C. now offer legal, regulated sports betting, with another four not yet operational and six considering legalization.
- Nearly half (11) of the 23 U.S. jurisdictions with legal sports betting are home to NHL teams.
WASHINGTON – The American Gaming Association (AGA) today released a new set of self-regulations on advertising and marketing legal sports betting. The new Responsible Marketing Code for Sports Wagering was released on the one-year anniversary of the Supreme Court striking down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA).
AGA’s code, developed in coordination with its members, extends commitments made by individual companies through their own responsible marketing activities and those adhered to by all association members through the Responsible Gaming Code of Conduct. The new code includes self-imposed restrictions on target audiences, outlets and materials branding, while mandating responsible gaming inclusion. The tenets of the code apply to traditional and digital media marketing activity.
“For several years, the gaming industry has been committed to driving the illegal market out of business for the benefit of consumers, state and local economies and the integrity of both games and bets,” said Bill Miller, president and chief executive officer of the American Gaming Association. “The gaming industry has an obligation to extend our decades-long commitment to responsibility to this growing sector, and that’s exactly what this effort codifies. We are setting a high bar for sports betting advertising and will continue to ensure that everyone involved in the expansion of legalized sports betting across the country – gaming operators, sports leagues and teams, broadcasters and other businesses – rise to this standard.”
Since PASPA was overturned, the breadth of business interests engaged in the sports betting ecosystem has expanded significantly. This code is a part of a continual effort by AGA to discourage illegal gambling, including the for-profit promotion of illegal, offshore operators.
AGA’s new code comes amidst the rapid expansion of legal markets across the country. Since PASPA was overturned in May 2018, seven new states began offering single-game legal sports betting. Six more states and the District of Columbia have authorized legal markets, and dozens more have introduced legislation to legalize and regulate sports betting.
In the past year, nearly $8 billion has been legally wagered on sports nationwide, $3 billion of which was wagered outside of Nevada. Post-PASPA, legal sports betting has generated $55.3 million in new state and local tax revenue.
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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WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Monday, SeventySix Capital became the newest partner of the American Gaming Association’s (AGA) Have A Game Plan.® Bet Responsibly.™ public service campaign. SeventySix Capital, which invests in game-changing sports betting startups, will be the first investment company to join the initiative to promote responsible sports betting.
As part of its commitment, SeventySix Capital will activate the campaign through its social media channels, company podcasts, and newsletters. SeventySix Capital and the AGA will also discuss this new partnership on an episode of the SeventySix Capital Leadership Series, its weekly podcast, which will air on September 1st.
“SeventySix Capital shares the belief with the AGA that educating consumers on the basics of responsible sports betting is important to the longevity of the industry,” said Wayne Kimmel, SeventySix Capital’s managing partner. “We are proud to join forces with the AGA and other campaign partners as the first investment company partner in this effort. We will help promote Have A Game Plan, specifically with the entrepreneurs that are working to transform the sports betting industry.”
“We’re excited to partner with SeventySix Capital, whose innovative ideas and technologies reach widely across the sports betting landscape,” said Casey Clark, AGA senior vice president, strategic communications. “The success of the legal sports betting industry hinges on a shared commitment to responsibility—and as American access to the legal market continues to expand, educating consumers on the importance of responsible betting is critical. We’re proud to welcome SeventySix Capital to Have A Game Plan and are thankful for their commitment to keeping bettors safe and informed.”
The AGA’s Have A Game Plan campaign focuses on the core principles of responsible sports betting: setting a budget and sticking to it, keeping betting social, knowing the odds, and playing with trusted, regulated operators.
Sports betting is now legal in 32 states and the District of Columbia, with 23 jurisdictions already operational.
The AGA launched Have A Game Plan in late 2019 to educate sports fans on the principles of responsible sports betting. SeventySix Capital joins official campaign partners DraftKings, FanDuel, Monumental Sports and Entertainment, NASCAR, the NHL, the PGA TOUR, Sightline Payments, Sinclair Broadcast Group, Vegas Golden Knights, the Washington Football Team, and UFC.
For more information, please visit https://haveagameplan.org .
Responsible Gaming Code of Conduct
The American Gaming Association (AGA) and its members pledge to prioritize responsible gaming as an integral part of our industry’s daily operations.
This pledge includes provisions on employee assistance and training, alcohol service, the provision of casino games including sports betting in person and online, and the advertising and marketing of casino gambling including sports betting. This Code also covers the commitment of our members to continue support for research initiatives and public awareness surrounding responsible gaming and underage gambling.
PLEDGE TO OUR PATRONS
To Promote Responsible Gaming
AGA members will make information available promoting responsible gaming and where to find assistance, including a toll-free help line number. This information will be available and visible on casino floors and at cash access devices.
AGA members will make available on their gaming-related websites information describing responsible gaming, their policies and practices related to responsible gaming and where to find assistance.
AGA members, where permitted by law, will make available to patrons and employees information generally explaining the probabilities of winning or losing at the various gambling games offered by the casino.
Each AGA casino and sports betting company will have a policy in effect for all of its casino properties providing opportunities for patrons to request in writing the revocation of their privileges for specific services such as:
- Casino-issued markers;
- Player club/card privileges;
- On-site check-cashing;
- Complimentaries; and
- Gambling promotions.
In addition, each AGA member shall make reasonable efforts on a facility-by-facility basis to honor a written request from any person, that it not knowingly grant that person access to gambling activities. For each person who makes such a request, the casino will provide the person with a listing of resources in the area surrounding the casino where assistance with gambling – related problems is available.
AGA members reserve the right to exclude a patron from gambling, without a request from the patron.
To Prevent Underage Gambling and Unattended Minors in Casinos
AGA member companies will make diligent efforts to prevent underage individuals from participating in any gambling or sports betting at casinos, loitering in the gaming area of a casino or from gaining access to online, mobile or in-room gambling opportunities.
AGA member companies will communicate the legal age to gamble through messaging, as appropriate, in their properties, on their casinos’ online platforms and in gambling and sports betting promotions.
Employees working in relevant areas will receive training in procedures for dealing with unattended children, underage gambling and the purchase and consumption of alcohol and tobacco by minors.
If a child appears to be unsupervised or in violation of local curfews and other laws, security or appropriate personnel will be contacted and reasonable steps will be taken to locate the parent or responsible adult on property or by telephone.
To Serve Alcoholic Beverages Responsibly
AGA member companies will observe a responsible beverage service policy including the following elements:
- Casinos will not knowingly serve alcoholic beverages to a minor.
- Casinos will not knowingly serve alcoholic beverages to a visibly intoxicated patron.
- Casinos will make a diligent effort not to permit casino gambling by a visibly intoxicated patron.
AGA casino companies will ensure that appropriate casino employees are trained in the company’s responsible alcoholic beverage service policy, and will provide periodic refresher training to those employees.
To Advertise Responsibly
This Code applies to AGA member companies’ advertising and marketing of casino gambling including sports betting. It does not pertain to advertising and marketing that is primarily of hotels, restaurants and entertainment that may be associated with or operated or promoted by casinos.
For the purposes of this code, advertising and marketing includes, among other media: radio and television ads, print, direct mail, social media, billboards and Internet promotions.
Casino gambling including sports betting advertising and marketing will:
- Contain a responsible gaming message and/or a toll-free help line number where practical.
- Reflect generally accepted contemporary standards of good taste.
- Strictly comply with all state and federal standards to make no false or misleading claims or create a suggestion that the probabilities of winning or losing at the various games offered by the casino, or by betting on sports contests, are different than those actually experienced.
Casino gambling including sports betting advertising and marketing will not:
- Contain images, symbols, celebrity/entertainer endorsements and/or language designed to appeal specifically to children and minors.
- Feature anyone who is or appears to be below the legal age to participate in gambling or sports betting activity or imply that underage persons engage in casino gambling or sports betting.
- Depart from contemporary standards of good taste that apply to all commercial messaging, as suits the context of the message or the medium utilized.
- Be placed with such intensity and frequency that they represent saturation of that medium or become excessive.
- Contain claims or representations that gambling activity will guarantee an individual’s social, financial or personal success.
- Be placed before any audience where most of the audience is ordinarily expected to be below the legal age to participate in gambling or sports betting activity.
- Imply or suggest any illegal activity of any kind.
PLEDGE TO OUR EMPLOYEES
AGA members will educate new employees on responsible gaming.
AGA members will train gaming employees on responsible gaming and provide annual or periodic refresher training. Employee training should highlight the differences between responsible gaming and gambling that is problematic.
AGA members will implement communications programs for employees to improve their understanding of responsible gaming and related policies and procedures.
AGA members will provide information to new and existing employees about responsible gaming, the member company’s policies and practices related to responsible gaming, and where to find assistance. AGA members will also ensure that employees receive timely updates regarding new research and new topics that should be integrated into the industry’s responsible gaming training programs.
AGA members will post responsible gaming awareness information, including a toll-free help-line number, at various locations where employees congregate.
PLEDGE TO THE PUBLIC
AGA will work with stakeholders to assist in the distribution of information and raise awareness regarding the industry commitment to responsible gaming.
AGA members will support and promote research-based policies on responsible gaming.
AGA members will continue to provide funding for the National Center for Responsible Gaming, which is the leading source of science-based research and information on gambling and health.
AGA members will use this research to identify the best practices for casinos to follow to promote responsible gaming.
AGA members will continue to develop a dialogue surrounding scientific research on gambling and health to communicate to and educate patrons, employees and policy-makers.
To Provide Oversight and Review
Each AGA member company will implement the Code and conduct annual reviews of its Responsible Gaming program.
References in this Code to providing certain “information” to employees and customers mean that AGA members will use those means of communication appropriate for each message, which may include any or all of a range of traditional, electronic and social media such as written brochures, posters, website postings or direct electronic messages.
**All aspects of AGA’s Code of Conduct are subject to local, state and federal laws.**
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ahead of Responsible Gaming Education Week 2021, the New York Jets have joined the American Gaming Association’s (AGA) Have A Game Plan.® Bet Responsibly.™ public service campaign. The Jets will encourage their fans to “Know When to Huddle Up” through in-stadium and digital content that promote responsible sports wagering.
“The fan experience is at the heart of everything we do, and as legal sports betting expands, we want to ensure Jets fans are empowered to wager responsibly,” said New York Jets Vice President, Business Development & Ventures Jeff Fernandez. “We are proud to partner with the AGA on this important initiative.”
Recent AGA research found that due to expanded sports betting legalization and high fan enthusiasm for the season, a record 45.2 million Americans (18%) will wager on this year’s NFL season, a 36% increase from the 2020 NFL season. Among NFL fans, 37 percent plan to wager on the 2021 NFL season, including 47 percent of self-described avid NFL fans.
“Leadership from professional sports teams like the Jets is critical to not only ensuring fans understand how to wager responsibly, but also getting sports betting right,” said AGA Senior Vice President Casey Clark. “We’re thrilled to welcome the team as a partner and value their commitment to prioritizing responsible sports betting education for their loyal fanbase.”
The AGA launched Have A Game Plan in late 2019 to educate sports fans on the principles of responsible sports betting. The Jets join campaign partners DraftKings, FanDuel, Monumental Sports and Entertainment, NASCAR, NHL, PGA TOUR, SeventySix Capital, Sightline Payments, Sinclair Broadcast Group, UFC, Vegas Golden Knights, and the Washington Football Team.
The New York Jets were an early adopter of gaming partnerships after the State of New Jersey approved legalized sports betting in June 2018. The Jets have a long-standing relationship with BetMGM and have recently added new sports betting partnerships with Fubo Sportsbook and WynnBet.
AGA’s Responsible Gaming Education Week, from September 19-25, educates consumers on responsible game play and highlights responsible gaming’s central role in gaming and sports betting.
Sports betting is currently legal and operational in 26 states and the District of Columbia. During the NFL season, five additional states are expected to launch legal markets. The NFL has a long-standing partnership with the National Council on Problem Gambling.
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Stop Illegal Gambling
Unlike legal operators, illegal operators also don’t pay a dime in taxes, robbing state and local governments of more than $13 billion in tax revenue each year.
On this page, you will find the latest figures on the size and scope of the illegal market, along with details on how consumers, industry members and allies, and media can combat illegal operators.
Did You Know
Legal casino gaming and sports wagering—both online and in-person—are activities that millions of Americans enjoy each year. Illegal gambling operators, however, are also pervasive across the country, posing as legal operators to prey on consumers.
These illegal and unregulated operators exist online in the form of slick websites based outside of the U.S. or can be found in brick-and-mortar locations like convenience stores and strip malls as devices that mimic legal slot machines.
While legal gaming operators comply with strict regulatory and testing requirements and invest hundreds of millions of dollars annually in responsible gaming, illegal operators offer no guarantee of fair odds or payouts nor provide consumer protections or responsible gaming measures. And because illegal operators work outside of the law, players have no legal recourse when these operators disappear with their money.
As a consumer, it’s critical to be able to spot the difference between legal and illegal gambling operators and know the pitfalls of playing illegally. That’s why the American Gaming Association encourages players to Have A Game Plan and play legally and responsibly.
Resources
For Members & Industry Allies
Illegal Market Research
The AGA released an independent assessment of the size of the illegal and unregulated markets.
Regulator Playbook
The AGA has developed a playbook for state gaming regulators to use their authority and enforcement power against illegal offshore websites.
To spur action in our fight to shut down illegal actors, we’ve created a new communications toolkit to ensure our industry speaks with one voice, delivering consistent messaging about the harm illegal gambling creates and why it must be stopped.
We’ve designed these resources to help the industry consistently communicate and support your engagements on this important topic.
Our Stop Illegal Gambling Toolkit includes:
- Key Messages: Use these to guide all written communications and talking points with key stakeholders.
- Fact Sheets: Share these in your meetings with elected leaders and regulators and send them to local law enforcement partners, reporters and others.
- Social Media Content: Deploy these graphics and use our sample posts on your owned communications channels.
- Research: Share the report in your meetings with regulators, policymakers, law enforcement and other key stakeholders.
For Media
When credible news outlets cite odds or publish advertising from illegal gambling websites, they misguide consumers by lending legitimacy to illegitimate operators. The Department of Justice has also warned that media outlets that accept advertising dollars from illegal operators could be liable for aiding and abetting criminal activity. Avoid promoting illegal gambling websites by only citing and partnering with legal U.S. sportsbooks.
Legal, Regulated Sportsbooks in the U.S.
| Atlantis Race and Sports App B-Connected Sports Bally Bet Bet365 BetFred betJACK Betly BetMGM BetMonarch betPARX Betr BetRivers Betsafe BetSaracen Betway Borgata Online Caesars Sportsbook Circa Sports ClutchBet Crab Sports Desert Diamond DraftKings ESPN BET Fanatics Sportsbook FanDuel FireKeepers Four Winds |
Golden Nugget Sportsbook Hard Rock Bet MVGBet OaklawnSports PlayEagle Prime Prophet Exchange Q Sportsbook Resorts NJ Resorts WorldBET Smarkets (SBK) South Point/Rampart Sports App Sports Illustrated Sportsbook/888 SportsBook RI Sporttrade STN Sports SugarHouse Superbook Tennessee Action 24/7 TI Sports Tipico Underdog Sportsbook Unibet Wagr WynnBet ZenSports |
For press inquiries, contact the AGA communications team.
Washington, D.C. – The American Gaming Association (AGA) estimates that Americans will legally wager $3.1 billion on the men’s and women’s college basketball tournaments this year, up from $2.7 billion in 2024. This growth underscores the expanding legal sports betting market and the growing trust in legal wagering options.
“March Madness is one of the most exciting times in American sports, with fans fired up for both the men’s and women’s NCAA tournaments,” said AGA SVP of Strategic Communications Joe Maloney. “As legal wagering expands across the U.S., more fans than ever have the opportunity to bet legally and responsibly.”
Throughout the month of March, Have A Game Plan.® Bet Responsibly.™ campaign will serve important messages to fans, encouraging responsible sports betting. The campaign promotes five key principles:
- Set a Budget: Determine how much you are willing to spend and stick to it.
- Keep it Social: Betting should be a form of entertainment shared with others.
- Know the Odds: Understand the games and your chances of winning.
- Play Legally: Use regulated, legal betting platforms.
- Keep Your Cool: The result of a bet – win or lose – is not an invitation to criticize players, coaches, or officials online or in-person.
“‘Keep Your Cool,’ our newest ‘Have A Game Plan’ principle, is all about keeping betting fun and respecting the game – no matter how unpredictable March Madness becomes,” Maloney added.
Since the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn PASPA in 2018, legal sports betting has expanded to 38 states and Washington, D.C., offering consumers safe and regulated options to engage with their favorite sports. Americans’ support for legal sports betting continues to grow. According to the AGA’s 2024 American Attitudes Survey, 75% of Americans support legal sports wagering in their home state, and 90% view sports betting as an acceptable form of entertainment.
For more information on responsible sports betting, visit www.haveagameplan.org.
About Have A Game Plan.® Bet Responsibly.™
Have a Game Plan.® Bet Responsibly.™ is a national initiative designed to educate sports fans on the fundamentals of responsible sports betting. Launched in 2019, the campaign encourages bettors to set a budget, keep betting social, understand the odds, play with trusted and licensed operators, and keep your cool. Supported by sports leagues, teams, media companies, and gaming operators from across the country, Have A Game Plan® reflects the industry’s commitment to responsible gaming and fostering a positive gambling environment. Learn more at haveagameplan.org.
Washington, D.C. – The American Gaming Association (AGA) estimates Americans will wager approximately $4.76 billion on Super Bowl 52 between the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles. Due to a failed federal law, a staggering 97 percent of total wagers, equaling more than $4.6 billion, will be bet illegally across the United States.
Only 3 percent, or $138.5 million, of Super Bowl bets are expected to be legally wagered through licensed sports books in Nevada, the only state exempted from the federal ban on full-scale sports betting.
“Thanks to the failed federal ban on sports betting, Americans are sending billions of their hard-earned dollars to corner bookies, shady offshore operators and other criminal enterprises,” said Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the American Gaming Association. “The big question we’re asking: Is 2018 finally the year when governments, sporting bodies and the gaming industry work together to put the illegal sports betting market out of business?”
The Supreme Court took an important first step in addressing the illegal sports betting market when it heard Christie v. NCAA in December 2017. The case is a challenge to the failed Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA) and will likely lead to the law being declared unconstitutional or Congress revisiting its approach to sports wagering.
Last week, the National Basketball Association (NBA) joined the gaming industry in supporting the elimination of PASPA. The NBA also called for the government to mandate a 20 percent payment to the leagues on all legal betting revenue, before state taxpayers receive any proceeds.
“The NBA is an important stakeholder and we are pleased to see their active engagement,” said Freeman. “Unfortunately, their proposal would replace a failed federal law with bad state policy – robbing law enforcement, regulators and state taxpayers of additional resources. Eliminating the illegal market is in the public interest – and it is incumbent on each stakeholder to prove how their proposals achieve that critical objective.”
Background
- On December 4, 2017 the United States Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Christie v. NCAA, which challenges the constitutionality of PASPA. The Court is expected to issue a decision on the case in the coming months.
- AGA filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court detailing the impacts of the failing federal sports betting ban. The brief highlighted the thriving $150 billion illegal sports betting market in the U.S.
- At least 14 states have active sports betting-related legislation, with more expected to introduce bills throughout 2018.
- According to a Washington Post survey 55% of Americans believe it is time to end the sports betting ban.
For more information, visit americangaming.org.
Methodology
In coming up with its illegal gambling estimates on the Super Bowl, the AGA took the most conservative estimate of illegal sports betting activity ($80 billion per year) from the 1999 National Gambling Impact Study Commission’s Final Report. It applied GDP growth as reported by the Bureau of Economic Analysis to make this current in 2017 dollars. Finally, the AGA assumed that the proportion of legal gambling activity on the Super Bowl at Nevada sports books is the best available indicator as to what proportion it might make up in the illegal market and applied this ratio to the larger illegal gambling figure.
About AGA: The American Gaming Association is the premier national trade group representing the $240 billion U.S. casino industry, which supports 1.7 million jobs in 40 states. AGA members include commercial and tribal casino operators, suppliers and other entities affiliated with the gaming industry. It is the mission of the AGA to be the single most effective champion of the industry, relentlessly protecting against harmful and often misinformed public policies, and paving a path for growth, innovation and reinvestment.