Responsible Gaming Advocates Prepare For a Busy March Madness

Responsible gaming advocates are gearing up with March Madness just around the corner.

The American Gaming Association is projecting a record-setting $3.1 billion in wagers during the 2025 edition of March Madness. This impressive handle will lead to a massive boost in state tax revenue but will also test the industry's new initiatives to fight problem gambling. Sportsbooks and lawmakers have spent much time and money fighting the rising problem, but the tournament will give us an idea of their impact.

AGA Launches New Campaign

The AGA has launched a new responsible gaming campaign encouraging bettors to wager wisely during March Madness. The “Have a Game Plan. Bet Responsibly” campaign will be seen across all forms of media as the groups attempt to drive the message home. It encourages bettors to set a budget, stick to regulated sportsbooks, and double-check all wagers.

“March Madness is one of the most exciting times in American sports, with fans fired up for both the men’s and women’s NCAA tournaments,” said AGA SVP Joe Maloney. “As legal wagering expands across the U.S., more fans than ever can bet legally and responsibly.”

The AGA’s new campaign coincides with March becoming Problem Gambling Awareness Month. While this is a new effort, several states are considering legislation to make it official as they search for solutions to the rise in problem gambling.

Will the Rise of Social Gaming Help?

This year’s March Madness is also expected to see record-setting numbers from social sportsbooks. These operators don’t allow real-money wagers, so they can operate in markets where online sports betting remains illegal. The industry has come under scrutiny from lawmakers but continues to grow in popularity.

Many responsible gambling advocates support social casinos and sportsbooks. The lack of real-money wagers means players can enjoy gambling more safely. While it is possible to overspend wagering on these platforms, the lack of real-money wagers makes it harder to do so.

March Madness Brings Unique Challenge

These new efforts to promote responsible gaming will face their toughest test with March Madness. Unlike other US sports, many people enjoy betting on the NCAA Tournament that don’t follow college basketball. Non-sports fans have enjoyed filling out their brackets each year and are now putting money on their picks.

Betting on sports you don’t follow can be dangerous, but decades of bracket challenges have made many people believe that knowing less is better. That may work for an office pool, but it is a costly mistake when wagering with an online sportsbook.