A Commitment to Philanthropy:
Surveying Charitable Giving and Volunteering
in the Commercial Gaming Industry
C
orporate social responsibility (CSR) isn’t just a buzzword in the gaming industry — it’s a way of life.
As part of its annual year-long “All In” campaign to highlight the industry’s ongoing CSR efforts,
the American Gaming Association (AGA) conducts an in-depth survey to quantify the substantial
philanthropic contributions made by commercial gaming companies. The “All In” campaign debuted in
2012, making 2013 the second year the AGA has spearheaded such an effort, and the second time it has
produced this paper.
The survey is a comprehensive look at
industrywide philanthropic activities, and it
provides a valuable, current snapshot of activity
among a significant portion of the commercial
gaming sector. Survey respondents include
major casino operators, gaming equipment
manufacturers and other key industry suppliers.1
Once again, the survey results demonstrate that
charitable giving and employee volunteering
play a substantial role in the corporate culture of
commercial gaming companies. In fact, those
surveyed represent a cross-section of companies
that are committed to CSR to the tune of hundreds
of thousands of hours given in volunteer time
and well over $100 million in charitable giving
each year. Whether it was preparing and delivering
meals to the hungry, reading to children, building
homes for the needy, cleaning up parks, or any
number of other activities, the data derived from
1
Members of the commercial gaming
industry make charitable contributions
to a wide range of causes and non-profit
organizations — both locally and nationally.
the survey — and described below — paint a clear
picture of an industry that is focused on giving and
bettering the communities in which it operates.
GIVING AT THE FOREFRONT
Members of the commercial gaming industry
make charitable contributions to a wide range of
causes and non-profit organizations — both locally
and nationally. This includes direct corporate
contributions, employee fundraising events,
The figures presented in this paper are taken from survey responses from a total of 12 commercial gaming companies, gaming industry
manufacturers and suppliers, including Ameristar Casinos, Inc.; Aristocrat Technologies, Inc.; Bally Technologies, Inc.; Caesars
Entertainment Corp.; International Game Technology; Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc., MGM Resorts International; Penn National Gaming,
Inc.; Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc.; SHFL entertainment, Inc.; Southern Wine and Spirits of Nevada; and WMS Gaming, Inc. This
represents just under 50 percent of the AGA casino operator and equipment manufacturing membership. Companies were asked to
submit data from 2012 or their most recent fiscal year on record. Not every company in the industry participated and some respondent
companies did not answer all of the survey questions. For more information about the “All In” campaign, visit www.americangaming.org.
A Commitment to Philanthropy: Surveying Charitable Giving and Volunteering in the Commercial Gaming Industry
in-kind contributions of non-cash goods and
giving through individual corporate-affiliated
foundations. Taken together, these various
types of contributions yielded $135.78 million in
charitable giving in the past year by commercial
gaming companies that participated in the
survey.
The impact of employee giving,
whether through company-sponsored
fundraising events or independent
contributions, is sometimes magnified
as a result of corporate employee
Respondents to the AGA survey reported nearly
$117 million in direct corporate contributions to
charitable causes during the past year. Donations
were made to a wide variety of charities and nonprofit organizations, including, but not limited
to, those associated with benefitting health
services, local civic organizations, education, the
environment, the arts and senior citizens.
donation matching programs.
foundations or charitable trusts that manage the
distribution of funds to non-profit organizations.
Independent foundations and charitable trusts,
which are tax-exempt and operate as non-profit
501(c)(3) organizations, often make donations
through grant requests from charitable and nonprofit organizations in the community. Examples
of such foundations include Southern Wine &
Spirits’ SWS Charitable Foundation and Isle of
Capri Casinos, Inc.’s Community Aces (which is
administered by the Greater St. Louis Community
Foundation). In total, more than $6.15 million
were donated to charitable causes through these
foundations and trusts.
Many gaming companies also organize corporateor property-wide employee fundraising initiatives
to support local and national organizations; twothirds of companies surveyed held such initiatives.
Examples ranged from MGM Resorts International’s
softball tournament, in which 14 Las Vegas resorts
participated, raising $20,000 for its MGM Resorts
Foundation, to International Game Technology’s
Superstorm Sandy Relief Fund, which raised
$6,000 for the Salvation Army of New Jersey
through a payroll deduction plan. Another example
that stands out is the $93,000 raised by Caesars
Entertainment Corp. employees for the American
Cancer Society in support of Relay for Life, of
which The Caesars Foundation matched $16,000 in
contributions. In all, such employee fundraising
efforts totaled $6.6 million.
The generous contributions — made by gaming
companies to their communities — are not limited
to cash figures. In the past year, respondents
reported in-kind charitable donations reaching
a total cash equivalent of $5.84 million. Examples
of these non-cash contributions include Ameristar
Casinos, Inc.’s food rescue program, which sends
leftover food to food banks for the needy, and
Pinnacle Entertainment Inc.’s private benefit
concert in Baton Rouge, which raised funds for
a statewide children’s hospital. Other examples
of this vital aspect of corporate giving included
providing school supplies, donating food and
beverages for charity events, and companies
partnering with the Clean the World program,
which collects and recycles soap and hygiene
products and distributes them to impoverished
The impact of employee giving, whether
through company-sponsored fundraising events
or independent contributions, is sometimes
magnified as a result of corporate employee
donation matching programs. In fact, half of
surveyed companies have (or will soon have) a
program to match all or a portion of charitable
donations made by their employees.
In addition to direct corporate contributions and
employee fundraising campaigns, half of gaming
companies surveyed sponsor independent
areas of the globe.
2
A Commitment to Philanthropy: Surveying Charitable Giving and Volunteering in the Commercial Gaming Industry
VOLUNTEERING TO
IMPROVE COMMUNITIES
The breadth of volunteering activities in the
commercial casino industry, and the amount of
time and effort put in by employees, proves that
these companies believe employee volunteers
are indispensable. For companies, it is clear that
the resources given and opportunities provided
via these activities create a helpful influence on
employees and the community.
Along with making cash and in-kind contributions
to numerous charitable organizations, commercial
gaming companies also make a lasting,
positive impact on their communities through
volunteering. The majority of companies surveyed
have some type of policy or program — whether
formal or informal — to encourage volunteerism.
To name one example, WMS Gaming gives its
domestic employees two days of paid time off each
year to volunteer for a non-profit organization of
their choice.
CONCLUSION
The data above makes it clear: The commercial
gaming industry’s commitment to philanthropy
and improving the communities in which
it operates is significant. When all forms of
charitable giving and the cash equivalent of
volunteer service hours are combined, the
surveyed segment of the commercial gaming
industry contributed nearly $142 million during
the past year.4
Among all companies surveyed, last year’s efforts
resulted in approximately 36,525 employees
participating in volunteer events that served
around 2,000 organizations.2 Whether it be Bally
Technologies, Inc.’s fundraising and donation
campaigns for the Nevada Cancer Institute and
other local organizations, Isle of Capri Casinos,
Inc.’s support of the Special Olympics, Penn
National Gaming, Inc.’s blood drives for the
American Red Cross, or Southern Wine & Spirits’
work with Habitat for Humanity, these efforts
increased opportunities for those in need and
generated supportive community development.
From food drives and run/walk events to
environment and health initiatives, the industry’s
efforts have aided in improving the lives of people
and communities across the country.
When it comes to charitable giving, the substantial
dollar figures speak for themselves: These
philanthropic efforts have undoubtedly had positive
effect on local communities, whether it be in the
arts, education, health, or numerous other areas.
The gaming industry is truly an industry of giving.
The commercial gaming companies that
responded to the AGA survey participated in
1,670 volunteer events during the past year.
Activities ranged from SHFL entertainment, Inc.’s
education efforts, such as Books for Buddies
and a book drive for Spread the Word Nevada, to
Aristocrat Technologies, Inc.’s Christmas Tree
Giving Drive and Support Our Troops Care Package
Drive. Many companies organize similar activities,
encompassing sustainable housing initiatives,
cancer awareness efforts and river cleanups.
This employee activity totaled 298,484 hours of
volunteer time, with a cash equivalent of nearly
$6 million for the time given.3
Many companies surveyed offered approximate numbers, which add up to no fewer than 1,910 organizations.
Dollar figure reached by placing the market value at $20 per hour performed — an industry standard when calculating such a value.
$135.78 million (total charitable contributions) + $5.97 million (cash equivalent of time volunteered by employees)
2
3
4
3
This report is one component of the “All In” campaign, a year-long effort by the AGA to
showcase and quantify the CSR contributions of the commercial gaming industry. It
focuses on industry successes relating to four areas of CSR: philanthropy, environmental
sustainability, responsible gaming and diversity. The “All In” campaign highlights how the
industry as a whole — as well as individual companies and employees — plays a significant
role in bettering communities and the environment.
The AGA is the national trade association for the commercial casino industry. In addition to
representing the interests of its members on federal legislative and regulatory issues, the AGA
serves as a clearinghouse for information, develops educational and advocacy programs and
provides leadership on industry-related issues of public concern.
1299 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Suite 1175
Washington, DC 20004
tel: 202-552-2675 fax: 202-552-2676
www.americangaming.org
© 2013 American Gaming Association
All rights reserved.