Responsible Gambling Education Month 2024 gets underway

The American Gaming Association (AGA) has launched Responsible Gambling Education Month (RGEM) 2024, which will seek to promote awareness for responsible gambling and help educate audiences about the downsides associated with the hobby.

The campaign also seeks to ensure that participants and employees in the gambling industry have a better understanding of the common pitfalls associated with the activity and help strengthen overall consumer protection.

AGA promotes responsible gambling in September

RGEM 2024 lasts from September 1-30 and is carried out with the help of an ever-growing list of AGA partners who have answered the rallying call of the event.

Among them are MGM Resorts International and BetMGM which will promote RGEM with a special NFL stadium signage deal to display responsible gambling messages, as well as the GameSense responsible problem gambling program designed to further protect consumers.

The AGA is also planning two events, which will focus on members and the industry at large with the "Exploring a New RG Intervention Effectiveness Scale" webinar at 2:00 PM ET on September 11, and the "Betting on the Future of US Gaming," which will be hosted out of the Gallup Building in Washington, DC at 8:30 AM – 10:30 AM on September 19.

In a similar vein, the AGA recently released a survey in which it found out that consumer sentiment towards the gambling industry is strikingly positive. For one, 75% of respondents said that the gambling industry behaved "responsibly" in the communities where it operated.

Another 90% of respondents said that gambling – in particular sports betting – was an acceptable form of entertainment, a significant increase since 2018. Another 65% considered the gambling industry to be sincere in its efforts to promote sustainable and responsible gambling practices.

Public perception of industry RG improves

People already participating in a form of gambling were far more likely to put their trust in the industry, with 81% of casino players and 88% of sports bettors confirming that they found the industry to be genuinely attempting to improve responsible gambling standards and promote a healthier gaming environment for all.

The study also found out that 76% of all respondents, a sample of 2,000 Americans of the legal gambling age, were familiar with at least one responsible gambling tool.

Although RGEM 2024 is yet to be the largest and most far-reaching campaign to date, the initiative predates current legislative efforts to expand gambling in the United States and address consumer harm.

The AGA has been working on similar initiatives since 1998. Originally, the campaign was designed to educate industry professionals about the best ways to prevent gambling, but it has gradually shifted its focus to also factor in consumers and increase their own understanding of problem gambling and how to best avoid it.

Until 2022, the event was known as Responsible Gambling Education Week, but the AGA realized that to properly address the mounting challenges in the sector, it would need to expand the scope and length of the event.

The AGA has also launched its hugely successful Have A Game Plan. Bet Responsibly campaign which has sought to further educate consumers about the potential downsides of gambling.

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