In an important step towards improving responsible gambling messaging, the American Gaming Association (AGA) has unveiled the Responsible Gaming Intervention Effectiveness Scale (RG-IES).

This innovative tool is the result of collaboration between AGA, prominent gaming companies like Bally’s, BetMGM, and FanDuel, along with researchers Drs. Jonathan Ross Gilbert and Marla Stafford. The goal of RG-IES is to evaluate how effective responsible gaming messages are, particularly in preventing problem gambling behaviors.

This September, join the American Gaming Association and our members as we highlight the industry’s responsible gaming education efforts. Together, we can promote gaming literacy and consumer education, elevate employee training, and work with partners to advance our understanding of responsible gambling.

The RG-IES tool, released in conjunction with Responsible Gambling Education Month in September, is designed to assist various industry stakeholders—including casinos and sportsbooks—by helping them craft more memorable and impactful responsible gambling (RG) messages. A key distinction of RG-IES is that it encourages campaigns to adopt a more positive and interactive approach rather than relying on the typical clinical and traditional strategies. This shift aims to make RG messages more engaging and relatable to players, moving away from the often dry tone used in the past.

An AGA statement expressed the hope that the RG-IES would spark further research on tailoring gambling-related communications in a way that resonates more effectively with players. By providing this tool, the association seeks to inspire stakeholders to develop creative and responsible messaging that makes a real impact on reducing problem gambling.

One of the essential aspects of RG-IES is its ability to distinguish between responsible gaming and problem gambling. Responsible gaming is about enjoying the activity of gambling while minimizing any potential harm, such as financial difficulties or psychological stress. On the other hand, problem gambling is generally fueled by the pursuit of profit, where users are more likely to engage in riskier behaviors, often extending play sessions to recover lost money.

To assess the quality of a responsible gambling message, users of the RG-IES tool are asked to rate messages or advertisements against 15 pre-set statements. These statements gauge whether the message promotes responsible behavior, highlights the availability of tools for responsible play, and encourages betting limits. Ratings are based on a 1-7 scale, with scores below the 4.0 average indicating that the message may need revisions to be more effective.