State of the States 2022

2021 marked a record-setting recovery for the commercial gaming industry after COVID-19 drove industry revenue to all-time lows in 2020, according to the American Gaming Association’s State of the States 2022 report.

Key Findings

Annual commercial gaming reached a new record of $53.03 billion—a 21.5 percent increase from the previous high in 2019.

Commercial gaming operations generated a record $11.69 billion in direct gaming tax revenue paid to state and local governments—up 75 percent from 2020 and 15 percent from 2019. This does not include the billions more paid in income, sales or other taxes.

All jurisdictions with commercial casino or sports betting operations reported an increase in gaming revenue compared to 2020, and 23 of 43 jurisdictions achieved record annual commercial gaming revenue in 2021

“Our industry’s success goes beyond the bottom line and into communities across the country. The record state and local tax contributions fund vital services from infrastructure and education to healthcare and emergency services" - AGA President And CEO Bill Miller

Following a COVID-driven reshuffling of the highest-grossing commercial gaming markets in 2020, top gaming markets largely returned to their pre-pandemic revenue rankings in 2021.

Meanwhile, the average visitor to a land-based commercial casino in 2021 remained notably younger than prior to the pandemic. In 2021, the mean age of a casino patron was 43.6 years old, versus 49.6 in 2019 and 48.6 in 2018, according to AGA survey data.

All-time high sports betting and iGaming revenue played a significant role in commercial gaming’s record year, with seven new sports betting markets launching in 2021 and two new iGaming markets launching. 2021 commercial sports betting revenue totaled $4.33 billion, a 179.7 percent year-over-year increase, while iGaming revenue for the year grew by 138.9 percent year-over-year to $3.71 billion.

2021 Commercial Sports Betting Revenue

2021 Commercial iGaming Revenue

About State of the States
AGA’s annual State of the States report details the commercial gaming industry’s financial performance, including analyses of each of the 34 jurisdictions with commercial gaming operations in 2021. The report, developed with VIXIO GamblingCompliance, also provides a breakdown of the legality of types of gaming and number of casinos by state, summarizes major gaming policy discussions, and previews opportunities and challenges for the industry. The companion State of Play map provides the report findings, as well as key regulatory and statutory requirements for each state, in an easy-to-use, interactive tool.

Resources

Read the Report

State of Play Map

Read the Press Release

Revenue Tracker

Key Findings

Annual commercial gaming reached a new record of $53.03 billion—a 21.5 percent increase from the previous high in 2019.

Commercial gaming operations generated a record $11.69 billion in direct gaming tax revenue paid to state and local governments—up 75 percent from 2020 and 15 percent from 2019. This does not include the billions more paid in income, sales or other taxes.

All jurisdictions with commercial casino or sports betting operations reported an increase in gaming revenue compared to 2020, and 23 of 43 jurisdictions achieved record annual commercial gaming revenue in 2021

“Our industry’s success goes beyond the bottom line and into communities across the country. The record state and local tax contributions fund vital services from infrastructure and education to healthcare and emergency services" - AGA President And CEO Bill Miller

Resources

More to Explore

State of the States 2021

State of the States 2020