Alan Feldman, Director of Strategic Initiatives and Distinguished Fellow for Responsible Gaming at the UNLV International Gaming Institute, was featured in of SiGMA Magazine, unveiled at BiS SiGMA Americas 2025 in São Paulo. The feature traces Feldman’s decades-long journey as a leading architect of responsible gaming policy, examining his influence on the industry’s evolving relationship with society and his ongoing collaboration with SiGMA to reframe the global iGaming narrative.
Feldman’s professional arc began with Mirage Resorts in the early 1990s, at a time when legalised gambling was rapidly proliferating across the United States. Confronted by mounting social concerns and scant research, Feldman co-founded the National Center for Responsible Gaming to inject rigour and data into policy debates. His subsequent tenure at MGM Resorts saw the launch of GameSense, a pioneering player-focused programme now standard across all MGM US properties, reflecting his commitment to evidence-based harm minimisation.
Now at UNLV, Feldman continues to advocate for research-driven policy and a broader understanding of gambling’s societal impact. Central to his thesis is what he terms “the Las Vegas effect”: a model in which gambling is woven into a broader entertainment ecosystem, reducing controversy and amplifying economic and social benefits. Feldman argues that when gambling is presented as one element within a vibrant landscape of entertainment, sport, and hospitality, both public perception and regulatory outcomes improve.
He is unequivocal in challenging industry orthodoxy. For Feldman, the sector’s fixation on fiscal outputs, tax revenue and profits has left it vulnerable to maximalist government demands and persistent public scepticism. He urges operators and policymakers to recognise and communicate gaming’s wider contributions, from cognitive and social benefits to job creation and community stability. “We employ people at extraordinary rates. We have a lot of human beings making their living in this industry. We need to protect them. We need to make certain that their futures are safe and secure,” Feldman asserts.
Feldman’s perspective is especially salient as new markets like Brazil confront familiar anxieties about crime and social decay concerns he argues are not borne out by evidence. By advocating for a more nuanced, research-led approach, Feldman invites the industry to evolve beyond transactional metrics towards a more holistic, sustainable model.
To engage with the latest thinking on responsible gaming and the future of iGaming, follow SiGMA’s global agenda. Next stop is the SiGMA Asia summit in the Philippines, June 1–4.
