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

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 of record gross gaming revenue (GGR). Miller, who leads the industry s most 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.

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

One of the industry s most important successes in recent years is sports betting. In a case led by New Jersey, the U.S. Supreme Court in May 2018 overturned a federal law that had limited single-game sports betting to Nevada.

Since then, 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.

Before the landmark 2018 SCOTUS decision, casinos across the country invested heavily in new gaming products that were tailored toward younger audiences. largely didn t resonate. Sports betting did.

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 will remain a pillar of its members commitments to the jurisdictions where they operate. Without responsible play, Miller said, sustainable growth is impossible.

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.

Recent AGA research found that 70% of both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris voters support legal gaming. Believing gaming has transcended political divides, Miller credits the industry s impact on communities, including job creation, tourism increases, and new tax revenue, as primary reasons for across-the-aisle support.

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.