New Responsible Gaming Effectiveness Scale: RG-IES
Date: 2024-09-13 Author: Leon Pierce Categories: TECHNOLOGY
The American Gaming Association (AGA) has developed and launched the Responsible Gaming Effectiveness Scale (RG-IES) to help determine how successful responsible gambling messages are. The tool was created in collaboration with companies such as Bally's, BetMGM, FanDuel, and academic researchers Dr. Jonathan Ross Gilbert and Dr. Marla Stafford. The purpose of the scale is to measure the impact of these messages on players.
Creating Better Responsible Gaming Campaigns
The RG-IES was launched in September, as part of Responsible Gaming Education Month. This free tool enables gaming industry participants such as casinos and sportsbooks to develop more effective and memorable responsible gambling campaigns. In contrast to the traditional and more strict approach to responsible gaming, the new scale encourages the use of positive, engaging and interactive communication formats.
“We hope that the RG-IES will serve as a starting point for further research into how best to tailor these messages to players,” the AGA says.
The scale differentiates between responsible gambling and problem gambling. Responsible gambling involves having fun while minimising potential risks, such as financial loss or emotional distress. Problem gambling, on the other hand, is more often associated with the desire to make a profit, accompanied by increased betting and long gaming sessions.
Rating messages on 15 criteria
RG-IES users rate specific advertisements or messages using 15 statements. These statements include aspects such as encouraging responsible behaviour, providing information about available tools for responsible gambling and calling for betting limits. Each statement is rated on a scale of 1 to 7, with an average score below 4.0 indicating a need to revise the message.
Supporting a Balanced Sector
The RG-IES tool will be useful not only to operators, but also to researchers and policymakers developing responsible gambling messages. The AGA stresses that it is not a final solution, but an important step in improving the quality of such campaigns.
“This scale is important for assessing how well a message can resonate with a broad audience, and we are grateful to the researchers who led this work,” the AGA said.
A recent AGA study found that more Americans are accepting casinos and sports betting as acceptable forms of entertainment. The AGA reaffirms its commitment to a safe and sustainable gaming industry and plans to use Responsible Gaming Education Month to promote programs.
The association also stresses that responsible gaming is a core value of the American gaming industry. Despite this, the organization opposes over-regulation of the gambling sector, proposing a more balanced approach that protects consumers but also allows operators to grow and contribute to the economy.
