One major U.S. sports league has already started September’s Responsible Gaming Education Month.
The PGA Tour released a social media video on Tuesday that said sports betting is “for entertainment purposes only and not a means for financial gain.”
The message is part of the American Gaming Association’s “Have a Game Plan. Bet Responsibly” for the 2024 campaign.
The PGA Tour’s video highlighted several other primary points, including setting and sticking to a budget, keeping wagering social, and knowing the odds.
The PGA Tour added in the video that “it’s important to know when to walk away and never chase your losses,” while also encouraging its audience to visit haveagameplan.org/pgatour.
September is Responsible Gaming Education Month, with emphasis on educating bettors on how to wager responsibly.
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 27, 2024
If you bet, remember sports betting should be for entertainment purposes only, set a budget and know when to walk away. #RGEM2024 pic.twitter.com/Ig15g8eQeZ
How it started
The AGA started pushing responsible gaming during a week-long campaign in 1998. With the growth of gaming since PASPA was overturned in 2018 and U.S. states began legalizing sports betting, the AGA extended the messaging into a full month in 2022.
“As the gaming industry has expanded to new markets and to new verticals like sports betting and online gaming, the conversation around responsible gaming has become more complex,” Joe Maloney, AGA’s senior vice president of strategic communications, said in a report on the PGA Tour’s website. “Leading up to September 2022, we recognized the need for a more robust platform to address these issues comprehensively. A single week, while impactful, limited our ability to cover the breadth and depth of topics necessary to address the various facets of responsible gaming.”
Maloney says having responsible gaming messaging for an entire month allows for more effective education.
What to expect
Responsible Gaming Education Month will kick off in full next week.
The AGA is asking industry leaders like sports betting operators, suppliers, professional sports leagues, media outlets, and advocates to get involved in various ways.
“The most impactful support for RGEM comes from each industry stakeholder leveraging their unique platforms to reach consumers directly, whether through digital and in-person activations, in-app notifications, social media campaigns, or dedicated responsible gaming ads,” Maloney said. “For gaming operators in particular, another key aspect of RGEM employee training is ensuring that frontline staff across these organizations are equipped to promote responsible gaming and assist customers effectively.”
