NBA opts in to AGA’s ‘Have a Game Plan. Bet Responsibly’ campaign

The National Basketball Association (NBA) has agreed to join the American Gaming Association’s responsible gaming campaign called ‘Have A Game Plan. Bet Responsibly‘.

The agreement will see the AGA and NBA provide educational resource to the sports fans on the ‘fundamentals of responsible sports wagering’ by providing turnkey resources for use by all of the league’s 30 teams. The campaign content will include in-venue material as well as broadcast, digital and social media activations.

The NBA joins other major sporting bodies such as Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League, the PGA Tour and the USFL in partnership with the AGA.

Scott Kaufman-Ross, NBA Senior Vice President, Head of Gaming & New Business Ventures commented: “Responsible gaming is an integral component of the NBA’s approach to legal sports betting. Working with the AGA on this initiative is an important part of our multifaceted approach to this critical topic and will provide our teams with tools to make a true impact on responsible gaming education in NBA markets across the U.S. and Canada.”

AGA Senior Vice President Casey Clark added: “As one of the world’s most popular leagues, the NBA will bring Have A Game Plan’s important message to a massive audience. It’s critical that the entire sports betting ecosystem is united in our commitment to responsible gaming, and we are grateful for the NBA’s leadership in these efforts.”

Who’s opted in to the AGA’s responsible gaming campaign?

The ever-growing list of partners with AGA’s campaign include: Bally’s Corporation, Barstool Sportsbook, BetMGM, betPARX, DraftKings, Delaware North, Entain, FanDuel, Gaming Society, Global Payments, Major League Baseball, MGM Resorts International, MSG Network, Monumental Sports and Entertainment, NASCAR, NESN, New York Knicks, New York Jets, New York Rangers, NHL, Nuvei, Parx Casino, PENN Entertainment, PGA TOUR, Rush Street Interactive, SeventySix Capital, Sightline Payments, Sinclair Broadcast Group, USFL, Vegas Golden Knights, VSiN and Washington Commanders.

What is the ‘Have A Game Plan’?

The AGA’s ‘Have A Game Plan’ focuses on four main principles of responsible wagering for those who choose to bet. These are as follows:

• Set a budget and stick to it
• Keep it social, sports betting is a form of entertainment for adults
• Know the odds
• Play with legal, regulated operators

The partnership with the AGA is not the NBA’s first responsible gambling initiative, but instead adds to its existing initiatives which have included announcements during games, restrictions on advertisement (depending on state), a membership with the National Council on Problem Gambling and additional boutique, dedicated platforms for those interested in betting. Options exist such as NBABet and NBABet Stream which allow bettors the option to receive sports betting news and analysis across the league platforms.

Will advertising shift from state to national level?

Responsible gaming campaigns are, more often than not, nationwide rather than statewide ventures when undertaken by global leagues such as the NBA. We’re yet to see a pivot in marketing budgets from the largest commercial operators to undertake purely nationwide marketing campaigns (rather than state-specific) but the aforementioned partnership and increased prevalence of nationwide campaigns outside of commercial operators may see a strong shift in marketing spend in coming months.

Due to the rapid roll out of sports betting following the repeal of PASPA, responsible gaming has often been a slight after thought given aggressive marketing spend and a wave of excitement around legalization. There continues to be a lot of activity around responsible gaming and we would not expect this to change in the near future given common global pressures, too.