TLDR
- DraftKings, FanDuel, Fanatics and bet365 left the American Gaming Association and did not run matching campaigns for this year’s Responsible Gaming Education Month
- BetMGM, Hard Rock, Caesars and Penn Entertainment stayed in the AGA and promoted new responsible gaming initiatives this September
- MGM Resorts and BetMGM donated $320,000 to RGEM programs and said they now have more than 3,000 certified GameSense advisors
- Prediction markets were tied to three of the four AGA exits and are now facing criticism over responsible gaming messaging gaps
- Kalshi joined the National Council on Problem Gambling with a $2 million pledge, a move that led some state gambling regulators to cut ties with the council
The American Gaming Association’s Responsible Gaming Education Month returned this September, but the lineup of participating companies looks different than it did a year ago.
Four major sportsbooks left the trade group between November 2025 and March 2026. None of them ran a campaign tied to this year’s event.
DraftKings, FanDuel, Fanatics and bet365 are the companies that departed. They remain members of the Sports Betting Alliance and the Responsible Online Gaming Association.
Operators that stayed in the AGA kept their September programs going. BetMGM, Hard Rock International, Caesars Entertainment and Penn Entertainment all announced initiatives tied to this year’s event.
MGM Resorts and BetMGM said they contributed $320,000 to responsible gaming programs this month. The companies also said they now have more than 3,000 certified GameSense advisors.
Caesars marked the month through a campaign called “Listen First. Support Always.” Hard Rock and Seminole Gaming announced new initiatives under their PlayersEdge program.
Former Members Run Their Own Campaigns
The companies that left the AGA did not stop responsible gaming work. They simply moved to their own schedules.
DraftKings ran a September campaign tied to the PGA Tour this year, a shift from the NFL themed promotion it linked to RGEM in 2025. The new campaign does not mention RGEM or September.
The company also launched a tool called Gamalyze American Football, built with Mindway AI, at the start of football season.
FanDuel ended its yearly Play Well Day event after 2025. It replaced the program with Play with a Plan, which runs year-round instead of during a single month.
FanDuel said use of its responsible gaming tools rose 41% year over year. Fanatics and bet365 also run their own year-round programs rather than September specific campaigns.
Prediction Markets Add New Questions
Prediction markets were part of the reason three of the four companies left the AGA. FanDuel and DraftKings both cited their expansion into event contracts when they resigned in November 2025.
Fanatics left in December, shortly after launching Fanatics Markets. Bet365 left in March for different reasons, citing its focus as a digital first company.
The AGA has increased its criticism of prediction markets since then. The group said prediction market advertising rose 232% through July compared with all of 2025.
AGA data also found that only 34% of event contract bettors recalled seeing a responsible gaming message, compared with 78% of sportsbook users.
Some former AGA members have added responsible gaming tools to their new prediction market platforms. DraftKings Predictions and FanDuel Predicts both offer deposit limits and self exclusion options.
Kalshi joined the National Council on Problem Gambling in a separate development, pledging $2 million over two years. The Michigan Gaming Control Board and Nevada Council on Problem Gambling both responded by ending their ties with the national council.
September still includes responsible gaming activity across the industry. It no longer brings every major operator together under the same campaign.
