Responsible gaming is the cornerstone of the gaming industry. Yet, as gaming expands into new markets, diversifies with new products and platforms, and attracts a new generation of customers, the industry must continually evolve to ensure that the message of responsibility is connecting with our customers. This is especially critical at a time when gaming’s growth in many ways is nationalized, drawing scrutiny from lawmakers, regulators and the media.
That’s why the American Gaming Association (AGA) is launching Play Smart from the Start – a new platform designed to ensure our overarching responsible gaming message and resources hit home with today’s gaming customers and unifies our industry approach across all verticals of legal, regulated gaming.
As an industry, AGA members and other gaming stakeholders strive to build long-term relationships with customers – players who enjoy the entertainment we offer and recognize we’re committed to helping them make smart decisions about how to engage with the games we provide. Our success is built on a foundation of trust not only with players, but also the elected officials, voters, and tribal territories that permit legal markets and the state and tribal regulators who understand our commitment to regulatory compliance and responsibility throughout our operations.
Our sustainability as an industry is predicated on pursuing and maintaining this symbiotic trust, and promoting smart play is the smartest business and reputational imperative for our industry.
Play Smart from the Start is shaped by in-depth research over the last seven months that included discussions with key industry stakeholders, but most importantly, focus groups dispersed across the U.S. and representing a range of bettor types and demographics, and surveys sent to thousands of current gaming consumers.
This research revealed several important findings.
- First, players overwhelmingly believe there’s a “right way” to bet. We’re reinforcing that instinct and defining the “right way” as engaging responsibly.
- Second, many players also think that current responsible gaming messages are meant for “someone with problems.” In other words, they don’t view the current panoply of messages as being for them – and the vast majority of them are right. Today’s responsible gaming messaging contributes to that misperception by conflating responsible gaming with problem gambling, fueling this disconnect with customers. Our research found that responsible gaming messaging that resonates with players is proactive, helping customers make informed choices. Problem gambling messaging, on the other hand, should be and largely is appropriately targeted to those who can no longer gamble for entertainment and need support services.
- Third, when it comes to promoting responsible gaming, positive messaging trumps negative warnings. Our research shows consumers are motivated by pursuing positive outcomes – fun, enjoyable entertainment – than by avoiding negative consequences. Smart decision-making enhances the experience.
As a result, we set out to better understand the connections needed to bridge the desire to play the right way with messages that resonate. In later phases of our research, we discovered three foundational elements that underpin Play Smart from the Start’s new responsible gaming messaging that connects with customers:
- It starts by emphasizing the right mindset: staying focused on fun and enjoyment as the primary goal.
- It includes empowering customers with knowledge – making sure they understand the games they are playing to make sure every bet is fun.
- And it encourages intentional actions, promoting self-control by setting personal limits and boundaries that are unique to each player.
This new program will soon include a digital consumer hub to educate and empower players to enjoy their experience, equipping them with materials, tools and tips aimed at building knowledge and awareness. We’re also creating an industry messaging toolkit for AGA members to incorporate our learnings into their RG communications and programming.
Building understanding about responsible gaming among policymakers is also critical. The Play Smart from the Start program will soon include a series of “RG Days” in state capitals across America. We view this as a way to ensure lawmakers and regulators understand our commitment to responsible play – and create opportunities to work together to promote it.
As part of Play Smart from the Start, the AGA will also boost content during Responsible Gaming Education Month later this year to promote our new program, alongside other industry-galvanizing moments where we pronounce our commitments to further research and investments in responsible gaming.
Creating this unified industry voice on responsible gaming will resonate with today’s players, it will ensure that we differentiate responsible gaming from problem gambling, and it will promote smarter betting practices so that players can maximize their enjoyment by playing responsibly.
