Recognizing Responsible Gaming Education Month
Floor Speech
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Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize September as Responsible Gaming Education Month. Twenty-five years ago. the American Gaming Association established Responsible Gaming Education Week to promote responsible gaming nationwide and to educate employees and customers on the subject. This effort was expanded to Responsible Gaming Education Month in 2022.
I am proud to represent Las Vegas which sets the gold standard when it comes to gaming and gaming regulation. Casino gaming is legal in 44 states and sports betting is legal and operational in 35 states, providing jobs to 1.8 million individuals around the country. Last year, consumers spent a record $60 billion at commercial casinos. This translated to $13.5 billion in direct gaming taxes to state and local governments, exclusive of the billions of dollars in income and sales tax that casinos contribute to communities. All this revenue supports a range of needed public services like hospitals, schools, transportation, and public safety.
Responsible gaming is a central tenant of the gaming industry which goes to great lengths to make sure employees are trained in best practices for recognizing and dealing with problem gaming and patrons are aware of options for help if they need it. Last year, states earmarked $104 million for problem gaming research and the promotion of responsible gaming resources. Many operators go above and beyond the minimum, partnering with organizations to educate consumers and employees and adhering to voluntary responsible gaming and marketing codes. This includes deploying responsible gaming tools like limits on deposits, wagers, and play time.
This year, Responsible Gaming Education Month has four themes: Empowering Customers to Play Responsibly; Legal, Regulated Gaming Protects Players; Building a Responsible Gaming Culture Within; and Advancing Responsible Gaming Research.
I commend operators around the country for their work on these important issues and for ensuring that the customer is always put first. I thank the many employees of the gaming industry in my district and around the country for their efforts to educate patrons about responsible gaming.
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