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 AGA’s in-depth examination of diversity in the gaming workforce shows the industry is more diverse than national and hospitality industry benchmarks, while identifying opportunities representation.

As consumers, policymakers and investors are raising their expectations for all businesses on how they contribute to society beyond the bottom line, the study demonstrates tangible results of the industry’s broad reach and commitment to representing local communities:

• The gaming industry workforce is significantly more diverse than the larger hospitality sector and U.S. workforce as a whole.
  • 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.
  • Asian employees are over-represented in gaming at 14%, about twice the national workforce.
• Among operators, there has been a 20% increase in workforce racial diversity over the last decade.
  • Today, 60% of operator employees are minorities, up nearly 20% from 2011, and higher than the hospitality sector and national workforces overall.
  • Operators have seen a significant increase in the share of workers who are Black: 19% today compared with 12% in 2011.
• Gaming manufacturers have a more diverse workforce than other electronic manufacturing employers.
  • 45% of gaming manufacturer employees are minorities, compared to 38% of the broader electronic manufacturing workforce.
  • Similarly, gaming manufacturers’ share of female employees is more than five points higher than other electronic manufacturers across a range of job classifications, including executive and mid-level officials and mangers.

Importantly, across job levels, gaming’s leadership pipeline is significantly more diverse than national averages at the first/mid-level manager and professional levels: 45 percent of first/mid-level managers are minorities while 43 percent of professionals are minorities, both 10 to 12 points above national and hospitality benchmarks.

Gender diversity presents an opportunity for the industry. The gaming’s workforce is 48 percent female, in line with the national workforce, but representation drops off at more senior level job classifications.

Today, as part of its first-ever Sports Betting Executive Summit, the American Gaming Association (AGA) unveiled new research on current and future sports betting behavior. The findings reveal a strong consumer movement toward legal sports betting, a need for more awareness of legal markets, and consumers’ desire for secure, convenient options for wagering.

Highlights from the new report, Consumer Movement Toward Sports Betting: Current and Future Sports Betting Behavior Post-PASPA, include:

• Nearly 8-in-10 Americans say they support legalizing sports betting in their state;
• Where casino sports betting is legal, only 56% are aware that it is;
• More than 7-in-10 say it’s important to place sports bets through legal, regulated providers and it is only acceptable to use those providers;
• Only 41% of Americans know that placing a bet with a bookie is illegal; and
• Security and ease of placing bets are the top two priorities for future sports betting participation.

“This is one of the most comprehensive studies ever conducted on the attitudes and behaviors of sports bettors in America,” said Bill Miller, president and CEO of the American Gaming Association. “AGA’s research unveils new insights into this critical and growing segment of the gaming market, confirming what we’ve known for a long time: consumers want the ability to wager in safe, regulated markets. With two-thirds of states having taken steps to legalize sports betting, we’re clearly making progress to meet that demand.”

About the Research:

This survey was conducted on behalf of the American Gaming Association by Heart + Mind Strategies between November and December 2018 and comprised a total sample of 6,777 interviews among various subgroups.

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 nationwide. AGA members include commercial and tribal casino operators, gaming 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.

Today, as part of its first-ever Sports Betting Executive Summit, the American Gaming Association (AGA) unveiled new research on current and future sports betting behavior. The findings reveal a strong consumer movement toward legal sports betting, a need for more awareness of legal markets, and consumers’ desire for secure, convenient options for wagering.

Highlights from the new report, Consumer Movement Toward Sports Betting: Current and Future Sports Betting Behavior Post-PASPA, include:

• Nearly 8-in-10 Americans say they support legalizing sports betting in their state;
• Where casino sports betting is legal, only 56% are aware that it is;
• More than 7-in-10 say it’s important to place sports bets through legal, regulated providers and it is only acceptable to use those providers;
• Only 41% of Americans know that placing a bet with a bookie is illegal; and
• Security and ease of placing bets are the top two priorities for future sports betting participation.

“This is one of the most comprehensive studies ever conducted on the attitudes and behaviors of sports bettors in America,” said Bill Miller, president and CEO of the American Gaming Association. “AGA’s research unveils new insights into this critical and growing segment of the gaming market, confirming what we’ve known for a long time: consumers want the ability to wager in safe, regulated markets. With two-thirds of states having taken steps to legalize sports betting, we’re clearly making progress to meet that demand.”

About the Research:

This survey was conducted on behalf of the American Gaming Association by Heart + Mind Strategies between November and December 2018 and comprised a total sample of 6,777 interviews among various subgroups.

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 nationwide. AGA members include commercial and tribal casino operators, gaming 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 – The American Gaming Association (AGA) Board of Directors elected Trevor Croker, CEO and managing director of Aristocrat Leisure Ltd, as AGA’s new chairman. Croker succeeds outgoing AGA Chairman Tim Wilmott, president and CEO of Penn National Gaming, Inc., who has led the AGA Board since 2018.

Croker has been an active participant in the AGA, serving on the board and in executive committees, since his appointment as Aristocrat CEO in 2017. Croker came to the CEO position with broad experience working across Aristocrat’s regulated and social games businesses, in key leadership roles including EVP, global products and insights, chief digital officer, and managing director of Australia, New Zealand and Asia Pacific.

“It’s a great privilege to lead the AGA during a time of great growth and change in the gaming industry,” said Trevor Croker, CEO of Aristocrat and AGA’s incoming chairman. “I look forward to continuing the progress made under Tim’s leadership to modernize the industry and make responsible gaming a signature priority.”

“I’m thrilled to have such a well-regarded leader in the industry step into the role of AGA’s next chairman,” said Bill Miller, president and CEO of the AGA. “Trevor brings with him invaluable insight from our supplier members and fresh perspectives on how to propel the industry into the next generation of gaming.”

Miller continued, “Tim led the AGA during a dynamic period for the industry and provided a steady hand throughout the association’s own evolution. The entire gaming industry benefited from his leadership, and I’m personally grateful for his continued and wise counsel.”

“It’s been an honor to serve the gaming industry as chairman of AGA the past two years,” said Wilmott. “I’m proud of the strides we’ve made to highlight gaming’s role as an economic engine and mainstream form of entertainment. The future of the organization and industry is bright with Trevor and Bill’s leadership.”

WASHINGTON – American Gaming Association President and CEO Bill Miller released the following statement on the revised interim regulatory guidelines that the Small Business Administration issued today for the Paycheck Protection Program:

“The Small Business Administration (SBA) today released revised regulatory guidelines that will allow additional small businesses that derive revenue from legal gaming to participate in the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). While these changes represent some progress, they fall woefully short of fully addressing antiquated, discriminatory policies that have, to date, restricted small gaming companies from accessing critical loan support made available through the CARES Act. As a result of this half-measure, small gaming businesses that have closed to comply with government orders will continue to be denied access to this critical lifeline to support their employees.

“The American Gaming Association (AGA) is grateful for the leadership of a significant group of bipartisan, bicameral members of Congress who have advocated tirelessly for equal treatment of small commercial and tribal gaming operations in their communities. As Congress seeks to put additional resources behind the PPP, we look forward to working with them to make it clear that ‘we are all in this together’ by rejecting the SBA’s dangerous view that gaming employees don’t deserve assistance during this unprecedented crisis.

“The AGA will continue to strongly advocate for relief that supports the displaced gaming workforce and gaming companies of all sizes through this crisis.”

 Background

• Last Thursday, the AGA wrote President Trump regarding the Paycheck Protection Program.
• Dozens of bipartisan members of Congress also called the administration and wrote letters regarding gaming’s exclusion from the program.
• Casino gaming is vital to local small businesses, supporting 350,000 small business jobs and delivering $52 billion annually in small business revenue, including construction, manufacturing, retail, and wholesale firms.
• All 989 commercial and tribal casino properties have shuttered their doors because of the COVID-19 pandemic. More than half of the 1.8 million jobs gaming supports are at non-gaming businesses, such as restaurants and local shops, which are all dramatically affected by a local casino’s closure.
• In many states, gaming pays among the highest tax rates of any industry with $10.7 billion in gaming taxes and tribal revenue share payments that support fundamental and critical programs from infrastructure to education.

Overview

The American Gaming Association’s comprehensive Commercial Gaming Revenue Database gives members the ability to quickly benchmark domestic gaming performance in real time. The database aggregates millions of historical data points published by state regulatory authorities into an easily filterable Excel spreadsheet, saving AGA members significant research time or third-party subscription costs.

Features

• Monthly property- and market-level data entries dating back to the inception of commercial casino gaming in most states, allowing users to identify trends in U.S. land-based commercial gaming revenue and taxes. 
• Where available, includes data on machine coin-in, table drop, casino admissions, operating days, gambling positions and other variables, allowing further contextualization of performance metrics. 
• Includes sports betting and iGaming data at the brand, licensee or state level.
• Key metrics are summarized at the state level and visualized through a series of interactive pivot tables. 
• The dataset is continuously updated as new revenue reports are published by state regulators. 
• Further variables may be incorporated in the future, such as property location metrics, owner/operator, number of employees or tax allocation.

Contact the Research Team for Member-Exclusive Access

AGA Commercial Gaming Database Overview, By State

The AGA Commercial Gaming Database is provided to members of the American Gaming Association for their exclusive, internal use.

Responsible Gaming: A Year-Round Commitment

The AGA-developed materials can assist with increasing education and awareness of the important issue of responsible gaming. Materials are available in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese and Spanish and are available for order online.