Washington, D.C. – 2021 set a new record as the highest-grossing year ever for the U.S. commercial gaming industry, reaching $53 billion in revenue, according to the American Gaming Association’s (AGA) Commercial Gaming Revenue Tracker. The total breaks 2019’s previous industry record of $43.65 billion by more than 21 percent.

The industry closed the year on a high note, setting an all-time quarterly revenue record in Q4 2021 of $14.31 billion, surpassing the previous high-water mark of $13.93 billion set in Q3 2021.

“These results are nothing short of remarkable,” said AGA President and CEO Bill Miller. “The success of 2021 reflects our commitment to health and safety and how Americans have welcomed gaming’s expansion across the country. Today’s industry is effectively meeting customers how and where they want to engage—whether at a casino or through mobile gaming.”

Of the 34 operational commercial gaming jurisdictions in 2021—including four new markets—23 set individual records for full-year commercial gaming revenue. On a national level, every commercial gaming vertical set new annual revenue records.

Traditional brick-and-mortar gaming led the industry’s recovery, with 2021 combined slot and table gaming revenue totaling $44.94 billion, a 6.6 percent increase over 2019’s previous record.

Sports betting’s growth accelerated in 2021, generating $57.22 billion in handle and $4.29 billion in revenue—jumps of 165 percent and 177 percent over 2020 respectively. The sector’s all-time high was powered by strong demand in established markets like Nevada, New Jersey and Pennsylvania and further boosted by the launch of seven new commercial sports betting markets in Arizona, Connecticut, Louisiana, Maryland, South Dakota, Virginia and Wyoming.

Two new iGaming markets, Connecticut and Michigan, also opened in 2021, helping the sector to a record $3.71 billion in revenue. Combined sports betting and iGaming revenue for the year totaled $8.00 billion, up 158.0 percent from 2020 and accounting for a record 15.1 percent of annual industry gaming revenue.

“Despite our record-setting year, gaming’s total recovery is still reliant on the full return of travel and large events, which requires a safe health environment and open economy,” Miller continued. “I’m optimistic that we will see continued growth throughout 2022.”

Miller will make additional remarks on full-year 2021 commercial gaming revenue figures, reflect on gaming’s recovery and look toward AGA’s 2022 priorities in AGA’s annual State of the Industry webinar on Feb. 15 at 11:30 AM ET/8:30 AM PT.

Background

• AGA’s Commercial Gaming Revenue Tracker provides state-by-state and cumulative insight into the U.S. commercial gaming industry’s financial performance based on state revenue reports. This issue highlights full-year 2021 figures and Q4 2021 results.
• 33 states and the District of Columbia featured operational commercial gaming markets in 2021, including casino gaming, sports betting and iGaming.
• Four new commercial gaming markets opened in 2021: Arizona, Connecticut, Virginia and Wyoming.
• AGA’s State of Play Map—newly updated for 2022—charts gaming’s economic impact, industry regulations and casino locations on state-by-state basis for both the commercial and tribal gaming sectors.

Americans’ favorability toward gaming is growing as the industry expands to new geographies and verticals, according to AGA research.

On a community level, nearly 7 in 10 Americans believe the gaming industry behaves responsibly and a majority (57%) believe the industry gives back in the communities where it operates. And on an economic level, two-thirds of adults view the industry as a positive economic contributor that provides high-quality jobs.

Because of Americans’ positive perceptions of gaming, consumers are also in favor of gaming’s expansion, with 73 percent of adults supporting legalized sports betting in their state.

The gaming industry’s responsible gaming efforts are also continuing to resonate,  with the number of Americans who say the industry is committed to responsible gaming increasing by nearly 40 percent since 2018. Moreover, nearly 80 percent of past-year gamblers are aware of industry-provided responsible gaming resources, and of this group, three-quarters point to specific measures like deposit limits, casino employee training, and time limits as most effective.

Read the full American Attitudes 2021 factsheet.

The future of responsible gaming will be defined by collaboration across stakeholders and capitalizing on technology to guide responsible play. Hear from stakeholders across the gaming industry on where we are today and how we can leverage collaboration and technology to modernize responsible gaming as we know it.

LAS VEGAS – The American Gaming Association (AGA) and the Las Vegas business community today called on members of the U.S. House of Representatives to reject a proposal designed to revive licensing activities for Yucca Mountain as the nation’s nuclear waste repository. H.R. 3053, the “Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act of 2017,” is scheduled to be considered by the House of Representatives this week.

In their letter to congressional leaders, the business leaders wrote, “Safety and security remain a top priority for all Americans and any problems with the transport of more than 110,000 metric tons of nuclear waste to the site throughout the country, or issues with its storage there, would bring potentially devastating consequences to the local, state and national communities.  Moreover, with taxes on Nevada’s tourism industry providing 42 percent of the state general fund, even a modest decline in visitors’ perception about the region could have severe negative implications for the state’s economy and future growth.”

“Some in Congress and the federal government continue to advance the short-sighted notion that the entirety of the nation’s nuclear waste should be transported over hundreds of miles through the heart of the country to a site a short drive from the Las Vegas city limits, and its 2.1 million residents and employees,” said Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the American Gaming Association. “It is particularly disappointing that Congress would use federal power to attempt to compel Nevada to house nuclear waste over the objections of the bipartisan congressional delegation, the Governor, businesses, and citizens across the Silver State.”

The letter was signed by:

• Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the American Gaming Association;
• Virginia Valentine, president of the Nevada Resort Association;
• Mary Beth Sewald, president and CEO of the Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce;
• Rossi Ralenkotter, CEO of the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority;
• James Murren, chairman and CEO of MGM Resorts International;
• Joe Asher, CEO of William Hill U.S.;
• Keith Smith, president and CEO of Boyd Gaming Corporation;
• Mark P. Frissora, president and CEO of Caesars Entertainment;
• Sheldon Adelson, chairman and CEO of Las Vegas Sands Corporation; and
• Timothy J. Wilmott, CEO of Penn National Gaming.

To view a copy of the full letter, click here.

Background:

• Yucca Mountain is located 90 miles from Las Vegas, which welcomed nearly 43 million visitors last year. Las Vegas is once again on pace to meet or break that number with over 10 million visitors already accounted for in 2018. The area is one of the fastest growing in the U.S., with a population that now exceeds 2.1 million people according to an estimate from the U.S. Census Bureau.
   
• In April of 2017, AGA President and CEO Geoff Freeman sent a letter to the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on the Environment and the Economy, expressing opposition to any attempt to restart the repository licensing process.

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.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Nationwide commercial gaming revenue reached a new quarterly record of $13.89 billion in Q3 2021, according the American Gaming Association’s (AGA) Commercial Gaming Revenue Tracker. The new high marks the second consecutive quarter of record U.S. commercial gaming performance.

With $38.67 billion in revenue through the first nine months of the year, the industry has already passed revenue generated for the full year 2020 and is on pace to smash its annual record of $43.65 billion, set in 2019.

“Two straight quarters of record gaming revenue is an incredible accomplishment in any context, let alone after the most challenging year in industry history,” stated AGA President and CEO Bill Miller. “Our recovery is not a flash in the pan, but rather a sustained result of our leadership in responsible reopening, world-class entertainment offerings and widespread favorability.

Traditional gaming continues to drive the industry’s performance, with combined slot and table game setting a new quarterly revenue record of $12.05 billion. After lagging in previous quarters, table game revenue beat its quarterly revenue record by more than 10 percent in Q3 2021.

Ten out of 25 states with commercial casinos saw quarterly revenue records, including the four highest-grossing commercial gaming states in 2019: Nevada, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.

On the Las Vegas Strip, gaming revenue also hit an all-time high of $2.06 billion. The record was driven, in part, by the steady return of tourism. 9.2 million people visited Las Vegas in Q3 2021, a nearly 10 percent increase over Q2 2021 and the highest quarterly visitation level since the outbreak of COVID-19.

Q3 2021 commercial gaming revenue was bolstered by record iGaming revenue of $938.6 million. Meanwhile, sports betting revenue saw a quarterly low for 2021 of $886.5 million due to a limited end-of-summer sports calendar. Combined sports betting and iGaming revenue through the first nine months of the year sits at $5.36 billion, up more than 200 percent year-over-year.

“With brick-and-mortar gaming setting records, the expansion into new verticals, and domestic and international tourism recovering, the industry is in a strong position for a full recovery,” continued Miller. “I’m confident that the return of meetings, conventions and international travel will further accelerate gaming’s recovery in 2022.”

Background

• AGA’s Commercial Gaming Revenue Tracker provides state-by-state and cumulative insight into the U.S. commercial gaming industry’s financial performance based on state revenue reports. This issue highlights third quarter results, covering July 1 through September 30, 2021 (Q3 2021).
• 32 states and the District of Columbia featured operational commercial gaming markets in Q3 2021, including casino gaming, sports betting and iGaming.
• AGA’s Gaming CEO Outlook, released in October 2021, shows that half of AGA member CEOs expect positive business conditions to continue to improve for gaming into 2021.

The gaming industry is focused on ensuring our responsible gaming (RG) commitment grows in unison with the expansion of legal sports betting and interactive gaming. This requires gaming operators and suppliers to adapt brick and mortar RG programs to new audiences and formats, create innovative products to address evolving needs, and think differently about responsible gaming.

Join us for an AGA webinar on October 6 at 2:30 PM EDT/11:30 AM PDT for a discussion on:

• How responsible gaming is evolving with new gaming formats
• Addressing the responsible gaming continuum–from consumer education to self-exclusion
• Extending responsible gaming to marketing and advertising

Register Now

The U.S. casino gaming industry is a significant contributor to the national as well as state economies, driving an array of economic activity including spending, jobs, wages, taxes, other government revenue and capital investment. The tribal gaming sector, which generates 45 percent of all gaming revenue in the U.S., is a critical driver of that economic activity.

American Gaming Association (AGA) released a comprehensive study of the state-by-state economic impact of tribal casino gaming in the United States.

This is the second consecutive year that the American Gaming Association has conducted a comprehensive study of the economic impact of tribal gaming. This data, in conjunction in previously released commercial gaming data from Oxford Economics, allows for a detailed state-by-state breakdown of casino gaming’s economic impact.

About the research: On behalf of the American Gaming Association, Meister Economic Consulting measured the economic and fiscal impacts of Class II and Class III tribal gaming on the U.S. and state economies. The study relies on tribal gaming data that served as the basis for the 2018 Edition of the Indian Gaming Industry Report, including gaming revenue, non-gaming revenue (e.g., revenue from food and beverages, lodging, retail and entertainment) and gaming related revenue share payments by tribes to federal, state, and local governments (e.g., regulatory payments and local and state revenue sharing). Tribal gaming data used in this study are for calendar year 2016, the most current year for which they are available.

WASHINGTON – The Ohio gaming industry supports nearly 20,000 jobs statewide and has a total economic impact of $3.6 billion, according to new Casinos & Communities research the American Gaming Association (AGA) released today at Miami Valley Gaming (MVG) in Lebanon. AGA and MVG welcomed U.S. Rep. Steve Chabot (R-01) and local business and non-profit leaders to participate in today’s event, highlighting the productive partnership between gaming and Southwestern Ohio.

Wednesday’s event is part of AGA’s Get to Know Gaming campaign, which aims to educate local leaders about gaming’s role as a community partner in 40 states across the country.

“Throughout the state, the gaming industry is an engine of innovation for communities and its partners. We are engaging and supporting area small businesses, creating new partnerships with local non-profit organizations and providing good jobs that pave a path to the middle class for workers of all backgrounds,” said Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of AGA. “Today, gaming provides $804 million in supported wages and more than half a billion dollars in gaming tax revenues annually across the state. As the industry continues to grow, so, too, do the opportunities for our surrounding communities.”

“What we are seeing with the gaming industry in Ohio is a microcosm of how our economy looks when it is working as it’s designed to function,” said U.S. Rep. Steve Chabot.  “Private investment creates employment opportunities for local workers, including those with disabilities, which leads to economic growth, and higher tax revenues.  Higher revenues, in turn, help to support more robust local services.  Simply put, everyone benefits.”

Wednesday’s roundtable at Miami Valley Gaming included Chris Kershner, executive vice president, Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce; Domenic Mancini, general manager of Miami Valley Gaming; Jason Birney, general manager of Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway; Bill Staler, CEO, LifeSpan; Lynne Hibbard, employment services coordinator, Butler County Board of Developmental Disabilities; U.S. Rep. Steve Chabot; and Geoff Freeman, president and CEO, American Gaming Association.

AGA’s Casinos & Communities report provides an in-depth look at how the gaming industry supports local communities through non-profit partnerships and local workforce initiatives. The report – the first of its kind – spotlights several partnerships the gaming industry has forged with local elected officials and non-profit leaders in communities that host gaming locations across the Buckeye State. The full report can be viewed here.

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About AGA: The American Gaming Association is the premier national trade group representing the $261 billion U.S. casino industry, which supports 1.8 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 U.S. commercial gaming industry generated record-breaking revenue for a third consecutive year in 2023 amid strong growth in traditional casino games offered a land-based casino resorts as well as through iGaming and mobile sports betting platforms.

Annual U.S. Commercial Gaming Revenue

In 2023, 32 of the 36 jurisdictions with commercial casinos, iGaming or sports betting operations saw a rise in annual gaming revenue, with only the District of Columbia, Florida, Indiana and Mississippi contracting. Thirty of the 36 jurisdictions posted record levels of commercial gaming revenue. Notably, Kentucky joined the commercial casino marketplace in 2023 with the launch of sports betting in the Bluegrass State.

Commercial Casino Gaming Consumer Spend by State 2022 vs. 2023

The surge in gaming revenue resulted in a record $14.67 billion of direct gaming tax revenue paid to state and local governments by commercial gaming establishments, a 9.7 percent increase compared to 2022. This figure just includes specific state and local taxes directly linked to gaming activities and does not include the billions of dollars more paid by the industry in the form of income taxes, sales taxes or various corporate taxes, nor does it incorporate the payroll taxes paid by gaming operators and suppliers. Federal excise tax payments made by sports betting operators are also excluded from the total.

Commercial Casino Direct Gaming Tax Revenue by State 2022 vs 2023

The gaming industry defied broader macroeconomic concerns related to stubborn inflation and high interest rates in 2023 as consumers displayed strong demand for both traditional casino games offered at the 486 commercial casinos across the country, as well as newer iGaming and sports betting offerings. Across the 27 states with land-based commercial casinos, revenue from traditional casino games was a record $49.38 billion in 2023, up 3.3 percent versus the prior year.

The legal sports betting market launched in five new states in 2023: Ohio, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Kentucky and Maine. That expansion helped drive sports betting revenue up 46.0 percent year-over-year, from $7.56 billion in 2022 to $11.04 billion in 2022, as Americans bet a total of $121.06 billion on sports throughout the year. 

Despite no geographic expansion, the iGaming market also continued its explosive growth in 2023, with combined iGaming revenue from six active states (excluding Nevada’s online poker only market) reaching $6.17 billion, a 28.2 percent increase year-over-year.

Regulated Sports Betting Revenue – 2020 to 2023

United States: Regulated iGaming Revenue – 2014 to 2023

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 36 jurisdictions with commercial gaming operations in 2023. The report, developed with VIXIO Regulatory Intelligence, 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.

WASHINGTON – U.S. commercial casino gaming industry revenue topped $43.6 billion in 2019, up 3.7 percent from 2018, according to the American Gaming Association’s (AGA) annual State of the States report.

In stark contrast to the devastating impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the industry, 2019 further solidified gaming’s role as a vital economic engine for states and local communities:

• 2019 marked the fifth consecutive year of commercial gaming revenue growth, helped in part by the expansion of legal sports betting.
• 21 of 25 commercial gaming states experienced year-over-year revenue increases, with Massachusetts (+163.1%), New Jersey (+19.5%), and Arkansas (+15.1%) reporting the largest jumps.
• The industry generated $10.2 billion in gaming taxes for state and local governments, enough to support the annual education cost for 832,000 elementary and secondary school students.
  • This is a 4.1 percent increase from 2018 and does not account for the billions more in sales, income, and other taxes from gaming that benefit communities.

“The results from 2019 reflect the continued mainstreaming of casino gaming and increased access to legal, regulated gaming options for Americans all across the country,” said Bill Miller, AGA president and CEO. “Today’s economic realities were hard to imagine even a few short months ago as, ahead of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 was shaping up to continue this trend of remarkable growth for the industry.”

By the end of 2019, 20 states plus the District of Columbia legalized sports betting, Americans reported record levels of support for the gaming industry, and nearly half said they planned to visit a casino over the next year. Early signs pointed to this success continuing in 2020. In the first two months of this year, U.S. commercial gaming revenue was up 10.6 percent over the same period last year.

The COVID-19 pandemic changed that outlook. In a matter of weeks, all 989 commercial and tribal properties across the U.S. closed their doors, sports betting froze as professional sports leagues suspended play worldwide, and casino suppliers saw business evaporate.

Through research 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 lengthy timetable for recovery of up to two years.

“The American gaming industry has proven time and again that we are resilient,” Miller continued. “Through natural disasters, human tragedy, and economic downturns, we have always rallied around each other and our communities, ensuring we not only recover, but thrive. American gaming can and will recover to regain the momentum that carried through 2019. State and local economies rely on it.”

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 25 states with commercial gaming operations. 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. According to the most recently available data from the National Indian Gaming Commission, the tribal gaming sector’s revenue reached $33.7 billion in 2018.