The American Gaming Association is launching a new toolkit to fight illegal gambling. This solution, called the Stop Illegal Gambling Toolkit, includes turnkey messaging, factsheets and social media content. The resources are aimed to help the legal industry consistently communicate and support engagements on the issue.
The toolkit was unveiled on Thursday, by AGA CEO Bill Miller, who released a statement addressed to gaming colleagues. The communications toolkit is set to spur action in the fight to shut down illegal actors and is aimed to ensure the legal industry “speaks with one voice” about the harm illegal gambling creates.
“Illegal offshore websites and unregulated skill machines have gone unchecked for far too long”, Miller pointed out. “These bad actors are enabled to unfairly compete with licensed, regulated operators without concern for consumer protection, and without paying a dime in taxes to support their communities.”
As written by the CEO, AGA is taking action through this new tool, “which dispels false narratives about the legal online gaming industry and highlights how offshore operators perpetuate crime.”
The AGA’s new Stop Illegal Gambling toolkit provides “comprehensive resources” for AGA members and gaming industry stakeholders to educate consumers, media, regulators and policymakers on the dangers of the illegal market and why it must be eradicated. It can be downloaded at AGA’s website.
The effort comes amid Responsible Gaming Education Month, during which the Association and its members are promoting gaming literacy and consumer education, as well as employee training and work with partners to advance AGA’s “understanding of responsible gambling.”
As part of the RGEM initiative, AGA and the Attorney General Alliance submitted a joint letter to attorneys general nationwide, urging them to issue consumer alerts about the pitfalls of playing with illegal operators.
“We encourage State Attorneys General to aid in this effort by issuing consumer alerts to inform citizens in their states about the risks associated with gambling through illegal and unregulated channels. As the chief law enforcement officers of their state, Attorneys General can use their credible voices to draw attention and awareness to this significant problem,” the letter reads.
In contrast to the legal gaming industry, which is heavily regulated to protect consumers, illegal and unregulated gambling exposes them to multiple risks. Internet Sportsbooks and Casinos and unregulated skill games lack controls, testing to ensure compliance with regulatory standards, oversight to ensure payment to winners, security standards to protect personal and financial information, and compliance with anti-money laws.
“We all agree education is essential to promoting responsible play and increasing awareness of gambling disorders,” the letter concluded. “Please join us in highlighting the materials and opportunities available from the American Gaming Association in a united effort to address responsible gaming”.