AGA Introduces New Responsible Gaming Standards for Digital Age

Posted on: August 2, 2017, 05:04h. 

Last updated on: August 2, 2017, 05:05h.

Casino.org Staff Writer Read More
Expertise: Commercial Gaming.

The American Gaming Association kicked off the 20th annual Responsible Gaming Education Week?by speaking a new code of conduct for the casino industry.?The AGA called on industry leaders to pledge their commitment to consumer protection, transparency, and employee training in our emergent digital age.

Responsible Gaming Education Week 2017
A banner for Responsible Gaming Education Week attempts to remind casino industry leaders that responsible gaming efforts deserve an ongoing commitment. (Image: AGA)

On Tuesday, AGA president and CEO Geoff Freeman led a roundtable discussion at Stockton University in New Jersey, where gaming regulators, corporate executives, equipment manufacturers, and tribal gaming representatives met to discuss the concepts of responsible gaming, and what they currently mean.

Responsible Gaming Education Week is an annual initiative from the AGA with activities across the US to rally people involved in gaming around the idea that all matters of gambling need to be handled responsibly, and the casino industry needs to show that it cares.

Call for Payout Transparency

Freeman announced at the meeting the AGA this week published its updated Code of Conduct on Responsible Gaming. He said the new code had been revised to account for advances in a digital age, but still?championed the casino industry group’s ongoing message of responsible gaming.

“Our updated Code of Conduct will ensure our members and their employees have the tools needed to ensure a safe, responsible experience for all customers,” Freeman said, explaining that it was important to make sure that AGA standards were applicable to all forms of gaming, including new types that rely on online, mobile, and interactive technology.

The new rules, he said, as part of responsible gaming measures, emphasize enhanced transparency about odds and payouts, while encouraging greater honesty in advertising and marketing, ensuring that these odds are not misrepresented just to lure in customers.

Unified Roundtable

Marcus Prater, executive director of the Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers, explained the effort to get an industry to embrace responsible gaming.

“Presenting a unified message of commitment and putting a spotlight on an area of responsibility all of us share not just during this special week, but 24/7,” he said, “reflects our full-time focus on an important aspect of our specific gaming entertainment.”

National Indian Gaming Association Chairman Ernie Stevens echoed the sentiment, saying NIGA and tribal operators didn’t take the idea of addiction lightly.

“Our Tribes have prioritized and developed programs on addressing the disease of gambling addiction since the inception of our industry,” Stevens said.?“This is an issue however that transcends tribal or commercial gaming.”

AGA sponsors responsible gaming initiatives that include funding research into effective treatment and prevention methods for problem gambling, as well as creation and distribution of educational materials for comprehensive employee training.

The organization will host a similar event in Las Vegas on Thursday at the UNLV International Gaming Institute.