global gaming

Thank you for that kind introduction and for the invitation to be with you today. For the second year in a row, not only do I get the opportunity to address state legislators — one of the industry’s most important stakeholders — but I also get to escape the Northeast in January for warmer climates. So for both reasons, it’s a pleasure to be here.

It was a decade fraught with tremendous possibilities and challenges, one marked both by tragedy and triumph. Natural disasters, volatile politics, the rise of social networking and the fall of the global economy forever changed the way people throughout the world live and work. As the Aughts came to a close, the international gaming community emerged a larger, more diverse – and also a more guarded – industry than before.

Thank you for that kind introduction, and good morning.  Today I want to give you a look at some of the key issues affecting the gaming entertainment industry on a global scale, as well as a closer look at the U.S. commercial casino market and some trends emerging there that will most likely have an impact in other areas as expansion into other regions of the world continues.

Good afternoon.  I’m Frank Fahrenkopf, president and CEO of the American Gaming Association (AGA).  I’d like to extend my sincere appreciation to Monografie for inviting me to join you here today.