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A partnership between the American Gaming Association (AGA) and the Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM) was announced to fight unregulated gambling through the United States since the unchecked spread of unregulated gaming machines is worryingly increased.
The campaign will focus on providing state and local policymakers, law enforcement, and regulatory agencies with new resources and tools to stop the proliferation of unregulated gaming machines.
Bill Miller, president and CEO of the American Gaming Association said: “Stamping out the illegal market that threatens the safety of consumers will always be one of the gaming industry’s highest priorities. We are proud to work with the Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers and our fellow industry partners to combat the spread of illegal machines.
The AGA is encouraged that policymakers in some states such as Virginia have begun to recognize the dangers of these machines and have taken recent legislative action toward outlawing them. Unfortunately, other jurisdictions where these machines have become pervasive may believe their only recourse is to regulate and tax them. Rewarding bad behavior is not the answer, and we hope our education efforts will make it clear that the only real solution is to stop the spread of these devices.”
Marcus Prater, executive director of the Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers added: “The regulated gaming industry has rarely been more united on a singular issue and now we have a tool to address the misinformation and deception that unregulated machine companies use to confound law enforcement, the courts, and local citizens.
The spread of these machines represents a serious threat to the overall regulated market that has invested billions in infrastructure while also creating thousands of jobs and substantial tax benefits in the communities they serve. Moreover, unregulated machines prey on confused players who see slot machine symbols and think they’re getting a fair chance when they absolutely are not.”
Over 20 professional gaming organizations have already joined the AGA and AGEM trying to fight the spread of unregulated gaming, including among others the National Indian Gaming Association, the International Center for Responsible Gaming, the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries, the National Council on Problem Gambling, multiple state casino and tribal associations, and both of the leading independent gaming equipment test labs.
