AGA unveils research results showing 61% of industry employees are minorities in the US

The American Gaming Association (AGA) released new research providing an in-depth examination of diversity in the gaming industry workforce. The results show that the gaming industry is more diverse than national and hospitality industry benchmarks and boasts a diverse executive pipeline, while identifying opportunities on gender representation. 

AGA President and CEO Bill Miller, said: “Consumers, policymakers and investors are raising their expectations for all businesses on how they contribute to society beyond the bottom line.”

He explained that 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.”

The study’s findings show tangible results of the industry’s broad reach and commitment to representing local communities ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/71JMZhDOle

— American Gaming Association (@AmericanGaming) April 6, 2023

Results show tangible results of the industry’s broad reach and representation of local communities. 61% of gaming industry employees are minorities, compared to 52% of the broader hospitality industry and 42% of the total US workforce.

23% of gaming employees are Hispanic and 19% are black, both higher than the national workforce and in line with the hospitality industry. 60% of operator employees are minorities, up nearly 20% from 2011 and higher than the hospitality sector and national workforces overall. 

45% of gaming manufacturer employees are minorities, compared to 38% of the broader electronic manufacturing workforce. 

Across job levels, gaming’s leadership pipeline is significantly more diverse than national averages at the first/mid-level manager and professional levels: 45% of first/mid-level managers are minorities while 43% of professionals are minorities, both 10 to 12 points above national and hospitality benchmarks.

Gender diversity presents an opportunity for the industry. Gaming’s workforce is 48% female, in line with national workforce, but representation drops off at more senior level job classifications. 

“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."