American Gaming Association Launches “Play Smart from the Start” Campaign

Responsible gaming is an important pillar for our best sports betting sites.

The American Gaming Association (AGA) has launched its new “Play Smart from the Start” campaign to promote responsible gambling. The new approach is based on research showing that many gamblers ignore messages on responsible gambling as they confuse this with messaging for problem gambling. 

The new AGA campaign provides members of the industry with new ideas on messaging to include in advertising and communications to players, making this distinction clearer and encouraging more players to utilize these tools. 

The revamped program comes despite the AGA displaying stats that a margin of 2-1 Americans think the gaming industry is committed to responsible gambling.  

Three key points

The guidance suggests that players should keep three things in mind every time they visit an online gambling platform or visit real-life gambling locations, such as one of our best sports betting apps or a top real-money online casino.

The first is having the right state of mind. The AGA encourages players to remember that gambling is about entertainment and reminds gamblers to have clear goals and boundaries before playing. Enforcing those goals includes putting themselves in an environment that allows it, such as using responsible gambling tools on an online platform. 

The second point is to know the rules, odds, or anything else about the type of gambling you’re about to enjoy. So, if you’re going to bet on a sport, ensure you know what’s happening as the action unfolds and what the wagers you are placing mean. 

Likewise, with casino games, the AGA recommends you only play games you understand. 

Point three links in with the previous two points, as the AGA recommends players act intentionally to ensure a safe gambling experience. Intentional actions include setting limits on play, using tools to enforce those limits, and following AGA advice by only enjoying familiar types of gambling.

Research shows US gambling is growing

The AGA is a prominent researcher of gambling across the US and recently released the US-wide gambling results for 2024, showing operators collected $71.92 billion. That was a rise of 7.5% year over year and marked the fourth year of consecutive revenue growth. 

Most came from land-based casinos, covering 70% of the total. Meanwhile, online gaming produced 30% of those revenues, increasing its revenue share from the year prior by 5%. 

Meanwhile, the organization also estimated a record $1.35 billion spent on Super Bowl 59.

With the gaming industry showing no signs of slowing down its expansion, the AGA’s campaign aims to reach as many people as possible.