American Gaming Association Says Industry Evolving, ‘Transcends Political Divides’

Posted on: December 27, 2024, 02:13h. 

Last updated on: December 27, 2024, 02:13h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More

Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

In his year-end letter, Bill Miller, the president and CEO of the American Gaming Association (AGA), exudes optimism regarding the direction of the commercial and tribal gaming industries and believes their best years are still to come.

The United States is home to more gaming options than ever before. Additional commercial and tribal casinos are opening, new verticals like sports betting, iGaming, and parimutuel historical horse racing (HHR) machines are finding new markets, and the convergence between gaming, sports, and entertainment continues to harmonize.

It’s led to unprecedented play, as 2024 will mark the fourth consecutive year of record gross gaming revenue (GGR). Miller, who leads the industry’s most prominent lobbying trade group in the nation’s capital, says gaming continues to reach a wider audience by formulating new experiences.

While this growth has been driven primarily by the continued expansion of online gaming and sports betting, our traditional brick-and-mortar operations have shown strong resilience in the face of macroeconomic headwinds. As we approach year-end, the industry remains well on track to surpass last year’s record $67 billion in annual commercial gaming revenue,” Miller wrote.

“We can point with pride to growth across every gaming vertical. This growth not only reflects increased consumer engagement but also underscores the industry’s role as a significant driver of economic impact nationwide,” the AGA boss added.

2025 Outlook 

With 2024 in its final week, Miller is looking ahead to 2025. He sees “tremendous opportunity” across the commercial and tribal gaming landscapes.

Since then, nearly 40 states and Washington, D.C., have passed laws authorizing sports gambling. Bringing sports into the legal gaming business has attracted a much-needed, coveted, younger demographic to gaming.

As a result of sportsbooks coming both to brick-and-mortar casinos and online in many states, the age of the industry’s average casino visitor dropped from 50 to 42 in recent years.

As we look to 2025, we expect the sports, gaming, and entertainment convergence to continue, creating new opportunities to innovate across platforms and deliver seamless, integrated, and immersive experiences,” Miller wrote.

The AGA president added that responsible gaming will remain a pillar of its members’ commitments to the jurisdictions where they operate. Without responsible play, Miller said, sustainable growth is impossible.

Bipartisan Industry

Though many industries have become politicized — fertility, education, environment, and firearms, for example — Miller says gaming has bipartisan support in both the government and in the court of public opinion.

Miller is eager to work with Trump’s incoming administration, the next Congress, and state governments across the nation to further enhance gaming.

“This bipartisan embrace will be crucial,” Miller concluded.