LAS VEGAS – A record 49 percent of American adults have a favorable view of the casino gaming industry, up four percentage points from 2018, according to new research from the American Gaming Association (AGA). The research was unveiled today at the Global Gaming Expo (G2E), the premier gathering of the global gaming industry presented by the AGA and organized by Reed Exhibitions.
The increase in favorability coincides with a surge in casino visitation and a widespread perception that the industry provides innovative, high-quality entertainment while supporting economic growth. The share of American adults that visited a casino in the last year jumped to 44 percent in 2019, up nine percentage points from 2018. This trend looks to continue as almost half of all Americans (49%) say they will visit a casino to gamble over the next 12 months, up from 41 percent in 2018.
“The favorability of our industry has never been higher,” said Bill Miller, president and CEO of the American Gaming Association. “As gaming expands across the U.S. and more Americans engage with our industry’s offerings, they see firsthand gaming’s positive impact on local economies and its value as a community partner. I’m committed to continuing the association’s work to translate gaming’s vast popularity into political capital, one of my top priorities for AGA.”
Additional highlights from the survey include:
- Nearly half of Americans (49%) say that casinos help the communities where they are located, while clear majorities say that casinos specifically help local economies (57%) and create jobs (71%).
- Two-in-three Americans (67%) think the gaming industry provides high-quality entertainment and 63 percent believe casino entertainment options are innovative.
These results come at a time of unprecedented growth for the gaming industry. With the spread of legal, regulated sports betting, 43 states plus the District of Columbia will soon have some form of casino gaming or sports betting. Gaming revenue for the U.S. casino industry reached an all-time high of $75.4 billion last year according to AGA’s annual State of the States report and National Indian Gaming Commission data. Today’s findings are consistent with previous AGA research showing nearly nine out of 10 Americans view gaming as a mainstream form of entertainment.
Methodology
The Mellman Group conducted this survey of Americans’ attitudes on behalf of the American Gaming Association between Sept. 13-19, 2019 among a national sample of 1,000 registered voters. The interviews were conducted both online and via phone. Results from the full survey have a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percent.
The American Gaming Association (AGA) announced today the induction of three honorees into the Gaming Hall of Fame’s Class of 2019: Elaine Hodgson, co-founder, president, and CEO of Incredible Technologies; Stanley Mallin, real estate, hotel, and casino developer; and Ernie Moody, president of Action Gaming and creator of Triple Play Poker.
Since its establishment in 1989, the Gaming Hall of Fame has recognized leaders who have distinguished themselves through significant contributions to the gaming industry.
“Elaine, Ernie, and Stanley are pioneers in the gaming industry and have earned their well-deserved induction into this elite group,” said Bill Miller, president and CEO of the American Gaming Association. “Under Elaine’s leadership, Incredible Technologies introduced the most successful pay-to-play game in the U.S., Ernie’s resilience and innovation changed the landscape of video poker, and Stanley’s contributions to the trend of themed casino properties are ubiquitous. We’re pleased to honor them with this great distinction.”
The 2019 inductees’ accomplishments include:
Elaine Hodgson, president and CEO, Incredible Technologies
In 1985, Hodgson founded Incredible Technologies (IT) in a basement with fewer than a dozen employees, establishing IT as a pinball and amusement gaming hardware manufacturer with co-founder Richard Ditton. In 1989, IT created Golden Tee Golf and in 2007 strategically decided to enter the casino gaming market. Today, IT is one of the fastest growing U.S. video slot game developers, with Hodgson overseeing all aspects of the company and its staff of more than 250. She takes great pride in the brand and reputation she’s built while breaking barriers and overcoming obstacles, and continues to guide her teams to create original products, focusing on their operator and player audiences, rather than competitors.
Ernie Moody, president, Action Gaming
In the 1990s, Moody created Triple Play Poker and several other poker games that are still performing strongly on casino floors, including Five Play, Ten Play, and Hundred Play Poker. He has created new video poker concepts such as Spin Poker, Super Times Pay Poker, and Ultimate X Poker, and continues to create games to this day. With 20,000 machines across North America utilizing his patents and inventions, he single-handedly changed the video poker industry, providing massive value to his casino customers, players, and to IGT, his longtime manufacturer and distributor. He has continued to invent games for nearly 20 years and is a prominent part of the Las Vegas community.
Stanley Mallin, real estate, hotel, and casino developer
Stan Mallin grew up in Kansas City, Missouri, and served in the U.S. Army during WWII. After the war, he completed his college years at the University of Missouri. It was during college where he and Jay Sarno forged their relationship and ventured into real estate and hotel/motel development. They built the well-known Atlanta Cabana hotel, Dallas Cabana, and Palo Alto hotels before their big venture into gaming and Las Vegas. In 1966, they opened Caesars Palace for $24 million, starting the trend of themed casinos in Las Vegas, and sold the property in 1969 for $60 million. He also introduced the concept of experiential casino properties with the opening of Circus Circus in 1968, which was leased in 1974 and ultimately sold to William Bennett and William Pennington.
Headshots of the Class of 2019 inductees can be downloaded for editorial use by clicking here. An invitation-only ceremony honoring the inductees will take place during the Chairman’s Reception at the Global Gaming Expo (G2E).
Hall of Fame honorees are selected by an independent panel of gaming executives. This year’s selection committee members were:
- Holly Gagnon, CEO, Seneca Casinos
- Phyllis Gilland, past chair, Global Gaming Women and SVP & general counsel, Golden Entertainment
- Eileen Moore, regional president, Caesars Entertainment
- Phil Satre, president, National Center for Responsible Gaming Board of Directors
- David Schwartz, associate vice provost, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
- Howard Stutz, executive editor, CDC Gaming Reports
- Steve Sutherland, president and CEO, Konami Gaming, Inc.
- Ellen Whittemore, EVP and general counsel, Wynn Resorts
- Tim Wilmott, chair, American Gaming Association and CEO, Penn National Gaming
The 2023 inductees will be honored at the invite-only Chairman’s Reception featuring the Gaming Hall of Fame Ceremony at G2E Las Vegas on October 10, 2023.
The AGA and our members are making strides on responsibility efforts across multiple fronts, including diversity, equity and inclusion and responsible advertising. Below, please find details on these initiatives as well as additional AGA updates.
💡 ICYMI: One week left to submit your ideas for the G2E 2023 Call for Speakers & Content
AGA Reports on Diversity in the Gaming Industry
Yesterday, the AGA released an in-depth examination of diversity in the gaming workforce, showing the industry is more diverse than national and hospitality industry benchmarks, while identifying areas for continued progress.
The findings:
- More than 6 in 10 (61%) of gaming industry employees are minorities, compared to 52% of the broader hospitality industry and 42% of the total U.S. 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.
Dive Deeper: While gaming has a significantly more diverse management pipeline than the broader hospitality industry and total U.S. workforce, the industry has opportunities to advance female representation and leadership.
- 45% of first/mid-level managers are minorities while 43% of professionals are minorities, both 10 to 12 points above national and hospitality benchmarks.
- 48% of gaming’s workforce is female, in line with the national workforce, but representation drops off at more senior level job classifications.
Download the full report and stay tuned for more from the AGA as we work to advance DEI in gaming in the months and years to come.
AGA Updates Responsible Marketing Code for Sports Wagering
In March, the AGA announced updates to its Responsible Marketing Code for Sports Wagering. Developed in collaboration with our members, these changes:
- Enhance protections for college-aged audiences by:
- Prohibiting college partnerships that promote, market or advertise sports wagering activity (other than to alumni networks or content focused on responsible gaming initiatives or problem gambling awareness).
- Prohibiting sportsbook NIL deals for amateur and college athletes.
- Add age restrictions (21+) for any individual featured in advertising.
- Change all references to the “legal age of wagering” in the Code to 21+.
- Ban all use of “risk free” in advertising.
Why it matters: These updates raise the bar for responsible advertising and demonstrate our membership’s intention and ability to evolve as the still nascent legal U.S. sports betting market grows. The code updates also formalize an annual review process, ensuring the industry can continue to stay agile as we navigate market expansion and build a sustainable sports betting environment.
What we’re saying: “Advertising plays an essential role in migrating consumers away from predatory illegal sportsbooks and into the protections of the legal, regulated market while providing responsible gaming resources. The AGA and our members are committed to building a sustainable marketplace that protects vulnerable populations and gives consumers the knowledge and tools to keep sports betting fun for adults.” – AGA President and CEO Bill Miller
What We’re Reading
- AGA CEO Bill Miller defends industry leadership on responsibility in The Hill.
- Senator Blumenthal (D-CT) commends AGA members in The New York Times.
- Agency EFE highlights diversity in the gaming industry workforce.
- Tech offerings bolster gaming’s global economic impact, AGEM study finds.
- UNLV study demonstrates how digital payments can strengthen problem gambling detection.
One More Thing
Kentucky recently became the first state to pass standalone legislation to ban unregulated gambling machines. The Bluegrass State joins Virginia in taking proactive government action to eliminate these pervasive bad actors, which take advantage of consumers and communities by posing as legal, regulated slots.
More than 580,000 of these machines exist throughout the U.S., according to AGA estimates. Read our full study.
