With more Americans entering regulated gaming markets each year, the industry’s responsibility to promote safe, informed play has never been more urgent. Rising to meet that challenge is the American Gaming Association (AGA), which recently launched a new digital initiative aimed at reshaping how players think about and engage with responsible gaming.
As the national trade group representing the US casino industry, AGA fosters a policy and business environment where legal, regulated gaming thrives. Its diverse membership includes commercial and tribal casino operators, sports betting and iGaming companies, and gaming suppliers, driving a $329 billion industry that supports 1.8 million jobs across the country.
In this interview with Yogonet, Joe Maloney, AGA’s Senior Vice President of Strategic Communications, discusses the newly launched Play Smart Consumer Hub, how it builds on the association’s broader player-first strategy, and why consistency, accessibility, and collaboration are central to the future of responsible gambling in America.
What inspired the development of the Play Smart from the Start Consumer Hub, and how does it reflect AGA’s broader strategy for embedding responsible gaming into every stage of the player experience?
The Play Smart from the Start Consumer Hub was born from a simple idea: responsible gaming should be foundational to the player experience. Building on our Play Smart from the Start messaging platform, the Hub translates that philosophy into action by centralizing the knowledge and resources players need before, during, and after their gaming experience. It’s the next step in our effort to make responsible gaming something that is a seamless part of the experience, rather than something players need to work hard to understand.
This player-first approach is a part of AGA’s broader strategy to embed responsible gaming into every touchpoint of the gaming experience, whether it’s a bet placed online or in a casino. By creating a one-stop shop for all of the information and support a player may need, we’re meeting players where they are with tools that are easily accessible and grounded in behavioral science.
Can you share with us how tools like the Pre-Play Checklist and the Responsible Gaming IQ Quiz help players self-regulate their gaming behavior? How does the Play Smart from the Start Hub balance education with accessibility, especially for new or casual players?
The Pre-Play Checklist and Responsible Gaming IQ Quiz are designed to promote healthy gaming habits by making self-awareness and reflection simple. The checklist encourages players to pause and assess their mindset, environment, and limits before placing a bet, something that research data has shown can significantly reduce risky behavior. The IQ Quiz, on the other hand, provides players with a quick and engaging way to evaluate their habits and better understand how smart play principles apply to them.
We worked hard to make these tools friendly for all users. The Hub avoids industry jargon and instead uses straightforward language and intuitive design, making it especially accessible for new or casual players. Whether someone is placing their first bet or is a seasoned gambler, they’ll find content that’s relevant, digestible, and helpful.
The Hub also offers an Industry Toolkit. How important is industry-wide consistency in responsible gaming messaging, and how does this toolkit support operators in achieving that?
Consistency is essential. Players engage with multiple operators and platforms, and when responsible gaming messages are aligned across those experiences, it reinforces their importance to the player. The Industry Toolkit helps achieve this by giving operators a turnkey way to integrate Play Smart from the Start messaging across their communications, complete with customizable templates, creative assets, and communication frameworks.
Are there any misconceptions or risky behaviors identified in research that the Hub is specifically addressing? Looking ahead, how will AGA measure the success or impact of the Play Smart Consumer Hub?
One pervasive misconception we’re addressing is the idea that responsible gaming is only relevant when there’s a problem. Smart play habits are essential for everybody from the very beginning. Research shows that players often misunderstand odds, overestimate their control, or fail to recognize the emotional cues that signal when it’s time to step away. The Hub directly addresses those gaps.
We’ll look at both engagement metrics—how many people are using the tools, how long they spend on the site, etc.—and broader industry adoption to measure success. Our goal is to see responsible gaming fully interwoven into the fabric of play. The more we see Play Smart from the Start principles showing up in player behavior and operator communications, the more confident we’ll be that the Hub is making an impact.
With more states expanding gaming and more players entering the space, how does the Play Smart from the Start initiative align with national and industry efforts to curb problem gambling? What would you like to see next from the broader U.S. gaming industry in terms of advancing player safety and responsibility?
As the U.S. gaming market grows, so does our responsibility to make sure that players are supported with the right tools and information from day one. Play Smart from the Start aligns with national efforts by offering a consistent, accessible framework that can scale across jurisdictions and gaming formats. Whether a player is betting in-person in Nevada or online in Massachusetts, the principles of smart play—know the game, play with intention, check your mindset—remain the same.
What I’d like to see next is further collaboration across the industry to raise the bar even more. That means more shared research, more data transparency, and more integration of responsible gaming practices into the core design of gaming products and platforms. Player safety can’t live in a silo. It has to be a shared priority across every department and every channel.
AGA has called illegal gambling a global threat that undermines consumer protections. How does cracking down on illegal or unregulated gambling markets support the broader goals of responsible gambling in the U.S.?
Illegal gambling operations completely sidestep the safeguards that are foundational to the legal U.S. gaming industry. They don’t verify age, have no limits, offer no responsible gaming tools, and provide no consumer protections. Their predatory practices put players at enormous risk.
States cracking down on illegal gambling are reinforcing the value of the regulated, legal gaming space, and through that, helping to advance responsible gaming efforts nationwide. When players engage with licensed operators, they’re supported by built-in protections like self-exclusion programs, transparent odds, and access to responsible gaming resources like our Play Smart from the Start Consumer Hub. These are the kinds of tools that make a difference by helping players make informed decisions and play safely, which illegal markets don’t provide.
By removing illegal operators from the marketplace, states are not only protecting consumers from exploitation; they are creating the conditions for responsible gaming to succeed.
