September is Responsible Gaming Education Month, a time when the Virgin Islands Casino Control Commission joins the American Gaming Association, the premier national trade group for the U.S. casino industry, and other partners, in promoting awareness and education of responsible gaming. The Commission emphasizes the importance of fostering a safe, informed and responsible gaming environment for all patrons. The key principles of responsible gaming are:
- Set a budget and stick to it.
- Keep it social and keep it fun.
- Know the game and know the odds.
- Don’t chase losses.
- Play with trusted, licensed operators.
The U.S. casino industry is a strong supporter of independent academic research on responsible gaming and problem gambling treatment and has contributed $10 million in the last five years to these efforts. The funds are used to develop and implement responsible play practices and to train employees to monitor and assist patrons who require assistance. The industry makes this investment because it recognizes that problem gambling results in significant societal and economic harm. As of December 2023, problem gambling in the U.S. had an estimated cost of $8 billion annually in criminal justice and healthcare spending, job loss, bankruptcy, and other adverse consequences. Most of the $100 million spent in 2024 to combat problem gambling came from taxes paid by the casino industry.
Since the enactment of the Virgin Islands Casino and Resort Control Act of 1995, the Commission has established an effective framework for the legal casino industry in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Our casino operators are an important component of the local economy as they create hundreds of jobs and generate substantial tax revenues used to support schools, hospitals and health care facilities, sports and youth programs, and other public services, thereby relieving the general fund of a portion of those costs and enhancing the life of all Virgin Islanders. These casino operators also promote responsible gaming by disseminating information through on-site signage and media advertising and by training their employees in problem gambling awareness.
The Commission receives 1% of the annual taxes of approximately $2.4 million paid on gross revenues by legal operators to fund programs to treat and prevent gambling addiction. The Commission has directed these monies and other significant resources toward a variety of initiatives, including strengthening the Voluntary Self-Exclusion Program; launching www.playwisevi.org, a website on responsible gaming and problem gambling disorder information; entering a Memorandum of Understanding with the Virgin Islands Department of Health to fund the training and certification of counselors employed with the Behavioral Health Division in the prevention and treatment of gambling addiction; and on June 4, 2025, in Nashville, TN, at the annual conference of the North American Gaming Regulators Association, a national nonprofit group of gaming regulators exchanging regulatory information and techniques, presenting a panel showcasing the Commission’s efforts to build culturally sensitive outreach programs.
Over the years, we have been assisted in delivering our responsible gaming messages through appearances on Analyze This hosted by former Sen. Neville James on WTJX FM radio; Pass It On hosted by former Sen. Roosevelt David on WSTA AM radio; and the Big Phat Morning Show on Isle 95 FM radio. We have had guest editorials published in The Virgin Islands Daily News and our signage and other material posted and distributed by our licensees at the casinos. We thank all of them for understanding the importance of making sure the gambling public in the U.S. Virgin Islands remains educated and aware of responsible gaming.
As the Commission celebrates its 30th anniversary and moves boldly into the 21st century with the work begun at the Internet Gaming and Internet Gambling Summit held on July 31, 2025, for the realization of internet gaming in the Territory, we remain committed to responsible gaming education. The Honorable Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. stated in his proclamation dated Aug. 26, 2025, recognizing September 2025 as Responsible Gaming Education Month, “[t]he Virgin Islands Casino Control Commission, as the licensing and regulatory authority for the local casino industry, is committed to promoting responsible gaming education because the industry’s long-term success depends on informed, responsible, educated players who view gambling as a form of entertainment.” The Commission stands firm on that commitment. We encourage Virgin Islanders and visitors alike to continue patronizing the casinos licensed and regulated by the Virgin Islands Casino Control Commission, and to always Game Responsibly!
— Marvin Pickering is the chairman and chief executive officer of the Virgin Islands Casino Control Commission.
Editor’s Note: Opinion articles do not represent the views of the Virgin Islands Source newsroom and are the sole expressed opinion of the writer. Submissions can be made to visource@gmail.com.
