American Gaming Association (AGA) President and CEO Bill Miller issued the following statement on the passing of Senator Harry Reid:

From his days as chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission to tenure as Majority Leader, Senator Reid’s impact on Nevada and the gaming industry is unparalleled. He was the ultimate gaming champion.

I’m grateful for having known the Senator throughout my career in Washington, D.C. Without a shadow of a doubt, Senator Reid was one of the sharpest, most effective political minds to ever enter the arena.

On behalf of the AGA, our condolences to his wife, family and friends. May his memory be a blessing.

The AGA CEO Roundtable provides an exclusive opportunity for the industry’s most senior leaders to debate and consider current and future issues that shape the Association and industry.

The AGA CEO Roundtable Retreat is an invite-only event that will take place from March 16 – 17, 2022 in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA.

If you have any questions, please contact Elsa Nguyen, Sr. Manager, Events & Education, at 202-774-1277 or 

The American Gaming Association’s Public Policy Committee is comprised of executives with expertise in gaming policy, law, and regulation from across the casino gaming industry. This includes tribal and commercial casino operators, gaming suppliers, providers of non-gaming amenities, and stakeholders who share our interest in the casino gaming industry’s success.

The Fall AGA Public Policy Committee meeting is a private, invite-only event that will take place on Wednesday, November 3 in Washington, D.C. An agenda will be shared closer to the meeting date. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Rachel Jordan, manager, government relations, at .

To welcome you, the AGA is hosting a reception with Capitol Hill and administration leaders at the Caesars Sportsbook at 5 PM following the meeting.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Monday, SeventySix Capital became the newest partner of the American Gaming Association’s (AGA) Have A Game Plan.® Bet Responsibly.™ public service campaign. SeventySix Capital, which invests in game-changing sports betting startups, will be the first investment company to join the initiative to promote responsible sports betting.

As part of its commitment, SeventySix Capital will activate the campaign through its social media channels, company podcasts, and newsletters. SeventySix Capital and the AGA will also discuss this new partnership on an episode of the SeventySix Capital Leadership Series, its weekly podcast, which will air on September 1st.

“SeventySix Capital shares the belief with the AGA that educating consumers on the basics of responsible sports betting is important to the longevity of the industry,” said Wayne Kimmel, SeventySix Capital’s managing partner. “We are proud to join forces with the AGA and other campaign partners as the first investment company partner in this effort. We will help promote Have A Game Plan, specifically with the entrepreneurs that are working to transform the sports betting industry.”

“We’re excited to partner with SeventySix Capital, whose innovative ideas and technologies reach widely across the sports betting landscape,” said Casey Clark, AGA senior vice president, strategic communications. “The success of the legal sports betting industry hinges on a shared commitment to responsibility—and as American access to the legal market continues to expand, educating consumers on the importance of responsible betting is critical. We’re proud to welcome SeventySix Capital to Have A Game Plan and are thankful for their commitment to keeping bettors safe and informed.”

The AGA’s Have A Game Plan campaign focuses on the core principles of responsible sports betting: setting a budget and sticking to it, keeping betting social, knowing the odds, and playing with trusted, regulated operators.

Sports betting is now legal in 32 states and the District of Columbia, with 23 jurisdictions already operational.

The AGA launched Have A Game Plan in late 2019 to educate sports fans on the principles of responsible sports betting. SeventySix Capital joins official campaign partners DraftKings, FanDuel, Monumental Sports and Entertainment, NASCAR, the NHL, the PGA TOUR, Sightline Payments, Sinclair Broadcast Group, Vegas Golden Knights, the Washington Football Team, and UFC.

For more information, please visit https://haveagameplan.org .

The American Gaming Association’s Board of Directors is comprised of C-suite executives with expertise in gaming business operations from across the casino gaming industry. This includes tribal and commercial casino operators, gaming suppliers, providers of non-gaming amenities, and stakeholders who share our interest in the casino gaming industry’s success.

The Fall AGA Board of Directors meeting is a private, invite-only event that will take place on Thursday, November 4 in Washington, D.C. with an option to attend virtually. An agenda and briefing book will be shared closer to the meeting date. To welcome you, the AGA is hosting a reception with Capitol Hill and administration leaders at 5 PM and board dinner at 7 PM on Wednesday, November 3.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Elsa Nguyen, Sr. Manager of Events & Education, at 202-774-1277 or 

WASHINGTON – The American Gaming Association (AGA) estimates that Americans will wager more than $10 billion on the upcoming 2018 NCAA men’s basketball tournament. Of that $10 billion, only about $300 million – or three percent – will be wagered legally through Nevada sports books.

Americans illegally bet at least $150 billion annually on sports, empowered by the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA), a failed federal prohibition on single-game sports betting. Illegal wagering is often done through bookies, on illegal offshore websites, or through sports pools like popular March Madness® basketball bracket pools.

According to a recent legal analysis, roughly two-thirds of states’ laws make it illegal to participate in sports pools, including filling out an NCAA tournament bracket, if there is money involved. Despite this, 10 percent of American adults, or nearly 24 million people, reported spending nearly $3 billion in the past year on college basketball pools alone.

“Our current sports betting laws are so out of touch with reality that we’re turning tens of millions of Americans into criminals for the simple act of enjoying college basketball,” said Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the American Gaming Association. “The failed federal ban on sports betting has created an illegal, unregulated sports betting market that offers zero consumer protections and generates zero revenue for state and tribal governments.

“As the Supreme Court considers the constitutionality of PASPA, AGA is focused on working with all stakeholders to put the illegal market out of business and enable a safe, legal way for American consumers to participate in next year’s office pool without fear of prosecution,” continued Freeman.

The U.S. Supreme Court will make a decision on New Jersey’s challenge to PASPA’s overreach in the coming months, potentially enabling an expansion of legalized sports betting. Meanwhile, 48 pieces of sports betting legislation are active in 18 states, as legislatures across the country prepare to take advantage of this opportunity.

Background 

• On December 4, 2017, the United States Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Christie v. NCAA, which challenges the constitutionality of PASPA. The Court is expected to issue a decision on the case in the coming months.
• AGA filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court detailing the impacts of the failing federal sports betting ban. The brief highlighted the thriving $150 billion illegal sports betting market in the U.S.
• At least 18 states have active sports betting-related legislation, with more expected to introduce bills throughout 2018.
• AGA developed Principles to Successfully Govern Sports Betting and Protect Consumers to inform state policy.
• According to a Washington Post survey 55% of Americans believe it is time to end the sports betting ban.

About AGA:

The American Gaming Association is the premier national trade group representing the $240 billion U.S. casino industry, which supports 1.7 million jobs in 40 states. AGA members include commercial and tribal casino operators, suppliers and other entities affiliated with the gaming industry. It is the mission of the AGA to achieve sound policies and regulations consistent with casino gaming’s modern appeal and vast economic contributions.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a dramatic impact on the gaming industry in 2020, causing U.S. commercial casino gaming industry revenue to drop 31.3 percent from 2019 to $30.0 billion, according to the American Gaming Association’s State of the States report.

Annual U.S. Commercial Gaming Revenue

In 2020, all 25 states with physical commercial casino gaming reported lower revenue than in 2019, but the size of their declines varied sharply and closely tracked with the length of mandated casino closures and the severity of COVID-19 restrictions once casinos were allowed to reopen. New Mexico experienced the steepest decline, as casinos closed in mid-March and remained shuttered the rest of the year, while South Dakota reopened after just a seven-week shutdown and saw a relatively modest revenue decline.

The disruption wrought by the pandemic also caused a significant shakeup in the top 20 casino markets by total gaming revenue. The Baltimore-Washington, D.C. gaming market is now the third largest in the country, passing Chicagoland, with the Gulf Coast, St. Louis and Shreveport/Bossier City markets also jumping several spots in the top 20 rankings.

Top 20 Gaming Markets

*Market revenue encompass electronic gaming devices and table games but not sports betting or internet gaming.

While COVID-19 overwhelmed traditional gaming sectors due to government-mandated closures and amenity restrictions, the industry experienced monumental growth in emerging verticals like sports betting and iGaming.

Despite widespread sportsbook shutdowns and an abbreviated sports calendar in 2020, the launch of seven new legal sports betting markets and the continued maturation of existing legal sports betting markets boosted 2020 national sports betting revenue by 69 percent year-over-year to nearly $1.6 billion. iGaming also generated nearly $1.6 billion in revenue across the four markets that were operational in 2020 (excluding Nevada online poker), tripling 2019’s revenue total.

About the Report

State of the States 2021 is the definitive economic analysis of the U.S. commercial casino industry and its significant economic impact in the 29 states and the District of Columbia with commercial gaming operations. For each of the 30 jurisdictions, the report analyzes gaming revenue and gaming taxes generated by commercial casino locations for the calendar year 2020. 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 in an easy-to-use, interactive tool.

Note, tribal casinos are subject to different reporting requirements and timelines. According to the most recently available data from the National Indian Gaming Commission, the tribal gaming sector’s revenue reached $34.6 billion in 2019.

Photo Credit: © Chon Kit Leong / Alamy Stock Photo

WASHINGTON – The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the gaming industry in 2020, causing a 31 percent drop in commercial gaming revenue and a significant shakeup in the top 20 casino markets. While the pandemic overwhelmed traditional gaming sectors, the industry experienced monumental growth in emerging verticals like sports betting and iGaming. All of last year’s shifts in the commercial gaming landscape at both the state and national levels are covered in detail in American Gaming Association’s (AGA) State of the States 2021: The AGA Survey of the Commercial Casino Industry.

Highlights from the report include:

• 2020 marked the industry’s lowest total annual revenue since 2003, with consumer spending on commercial gaming falling to $29.98 billion, down 31 percent from 2019.
• All 25 states with physical commercial casino gaming reported lower revenue than in 2019.
• Americans legally wagered $21.5 billion on sports, compared to $13 billion in 2019. Revenue from legal sports betting operations increased 69 percent to $1.5 billion.
• The Baltimore-Washington, D.C. gaming market is now the third largest in the country, surpassing Chicagoland and trailing only the Las Vegas Strip and Atlantic City. The Gulf Coast, St. Louis and Shreveport/Bossier City markets all jumped several spots in the top 20 rankings.

“The gaming industry faced enormous challenges in 2020 – and we also saw significant changes, as player demographics shifted and emerging verticals saw strong growth,” said AGA President and CEO Bill Miller. “From sharp revenue declines, to booming legal sports betting activity and overwhelming voter enthusiasm behind gaming, this year’s report reflects both the highs and lows of the past year.”

During the first two months of 2020, U.S. commercial gaming revenue was up 11.4 percent compared to the same time in 2019. However, due to mandated casino closures and capacity restrictions, revenue fell significantly for the remaining 10 months of the year, beginning in March when all U.S. casinos shuttered due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Collectively, America’s commercial casinos lost more than 45,600 business days due to pandemic-related closures last year, meaning they were closed for approximately 27 percent of the year on average.

By the end of the year, 19 states plus the District of Columbia had active legal sports betting markets. Despite land-based casino closures and the suspension of major sporting events in the spring, sports betting saw significant growth, with Americans legally wagering more than $21.5 billion on sports last year.

In a survey conducted in April 2020, AGA member company executives, including commercial and tribal operator and supplier CEOs and CFOs, estimated a revenue decline of slightly more than 40 percent in 2020 and a timetable for recovery of up to two years. Q1 2021’s commercial gaming revenue numbers tied for the highest-grossing quarterly total ever, suggesting a quicker recovery than anticipated.

“The first quarter of 2021 clearly shows that consumer interest in gaming never waned, despite the challenges of 2020,” said Miller. “This momentum is a direct result of our industry’s ability to provide safe environments for our employees and guests to return to and is a strong indicator that our recovery is on the horizon.”

About the Report

AGA’s annual State of the States report details the commercial gaming industry’s financial performance, including analyses of each of the 29 states and the District of Columbia that had commercial gaming operations in 2020. 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 in an easy-to-use, interactive tool.

Background

• State of the States is a reference guide focusing on the commercial casino sector. Tribal casinos are subject to different reporting requirements and timelines and revenue figures for 2020 were not available at the time of this report’s publication
• COVID-related restrictions on casino capacity and amenities vary on a state and local level. AGA’s COVID-19 casino tracker is tracking casino capacity restrictions on a state-by-state basis.

Photo Credit: © Chon Kit Leong / Alamy Stock Photo

Washington, D.C. – The American Gaming Association (AGA) estimates Americans will wager approximately $4.76 billion on Super Bowl 52 between the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles. Due to a failed federal law, a staggering 97 percent of total wagers, equaling more than $4.6 billion, will be bet illegally across the United States.

Only 3 percent, or $138.5 million, of Super Bowl bets are expected to be legally wagered through licensed sports books in Nevada, the only state exempted from the federal ban on full-scale sports betting.

“Thanks to the failed federal ban on sports betting, Americans are sending billions of their hard-earned dollars to corner bookies, shady offshore operators and other criminal enterprises,” said Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the American Gaming Association. “The big question we’re asking: Is 2018 finally the year when governments, sporting bodies and the gaming industry work together to put the illegal sports betting market out of business?”

The Supreme Court took an important first step in addressing the illegal sports betting market when it heard Christie v. NCAA in December 2017. The case is a challenge to the failed Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA) and will likely lead to the law being declared unconstitutional or Congress revisiting its approach to sports wagering.

Last week, the National Basketball Association (NBA) joined the gaming industry in supporting the elimination of PASPA. The NBA also called for the government to mandate a 20 percent payment to the leagues on all legal betting revenue, before state taxpayers receive any proceeds.

“The NBA is an important stakeholder and we are pleased to see their active engagement,” said Freeman. “Unfortunately, their proposal would replace a failed federal law with bad state policy – robbing law enforcement, regulators and state taxpayers of additional resources. Eliminating the illegal market is in the public interest – and it is incumbent on each stakeholder to prove how their proposals achieve that critical objective.”

Background
 

• On December 4, 2017 the United States Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Christie v. NCAA, which challenges the constitutionality of PASPA. The Court is expected to issue a decision on the case in the coming months.
   
• AGA filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court detailing the impacts of the failing federal sports betting ban. The brief highlighted the thriving $150 billion illegal sports betting market in the U.S.
   
• At least 14 states have active sports betting-related legislation, with more expected to introduce bills throughout 2018.
   
• According to a Washington Post survey 55% of Americans believe it is time to end the sports betting ban.

For more information, visit americangaming.org.

Methodology
In coming up with its illegal gambling estimates on the Super Bowl, the AGA took the most conservative estimate of illegal sports betting activity ($80 billion per year) from the 1999 National Gambling Impact Study Commission’s Final Report. It applied GDP growth as reported by the Bureau of Economic Analysis to make this current in 2017 dollars. Finally, the AGA assumed that the proportion of legal gambling activity on the Super Bowl at Nevada sports books is the best available indicator as to what proportion it might make up in the illegal market and applied this ratio to the larger illegal gambling figure.

About AGA: The American Gaming Association is the premier national trade group representing the $240 billion U.S. casino industry, which supports 1.7 million jobs in 40 states. AGA members include commercial and tribal casino operators, suppliers and other entities affiliated with the gaming industry. It is the mission of the AGA to be the single most effective champion of the industry, relentlessly protecting against harmful and often misinformed public policies, and paving a path for growth, innovation and reinvestment.