The American Gaming Association (AGA) has published new research that outlines a detailed study on the gaming industry workforce.
And, according to the results, the sector “is more diverse than national and hospitality industry benchmarks and boasts a diverse executive pipeline, while identifying opportunities on gender representation.”
A detailed breakdown from the study revealed that minorities represent more than 61% of gaming industry employees, nearly 10 percentage points more than the hospitality industry at large, and close to 20 percentage points higher than the general US workforce.
Hispanics represent the largest gaming employee demographic by making up 23% of its workforce. Nearly 19% of gaming industry workers are African American, reflecting 19% of total employees. Both numbers are higher than the national average.
In statistics related specifically to operators, the study found that minorities make up 60% of its labor force, an increase of 20% since 2011. Nearly 45% of gaming manufacturer employees are minorities.
AGA President and CEO Bill Miller attributed the study’s finding to intentional efforts to move toward diversity and inclusion by investors, industry leaders and by customers.
He commented: “Consumers, policymakers and investors are raising their expectations for all businesses on how they contribute to society beyond the bottom line.
“Encompassing data from across commercial, tribal and manufacturing gaming verticals, the survey both highlights our industry’s leadership on diversity while presenting areas for continued progress.”
However, the report showed that gender diversity percentages in the gaming industry closely matched the national average by topping out at 48%, something Miller acknowledged as an opportunity for growth.
He said in closing: “As today’s report shows, our industry has made impactful strides toward becoming more diverse, but there is more work to do.
“The AGA will use this research to engage our membership on how we can collectively advance DEI in gaming in the months and years to come.”
