WASHINGTON – Today, the American Gaming Association’s (AGA) Sara Slane, senior vice president of public affairs, was named to the Sports Business Journal’s Forty Under 40 list, an annual honor bestowed on the most influential voices in the sports business sector under the age of 40.
The Forty Under 40 Awards is the Sports Business Journal’s annual celebration of the best young talent in sports business. Slane is joined in the 20th Forty Under 40 class by sports league, team, technology and industry executives, all of whom are being recognized for excellence and innovation in their careers.
“Sara played an outsized role in creating the opportunity for legalized sports betting to exist in the United States,” said Bill Miller, AGA’s president and chief executive officer. “As the industry’s lead advocate, she successfully united the gaming, sports and entertainment industries, brought lawmakers to the table and drove a communication campaign that delivered a historic policy outcome. This recognition is not only well deserved but is shared by stakeholders within and outside our industry.”
Slane continues to lead the AGA’s multi-year campaign to educate policymakers, sports stakeholders and the public about the failures of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA), making the case for legal, regulated sports betting in the United States. Slane’s leadership in this initiative led to the industry’s support for New Jersey’s petition to the Supreme Court, as well as the filing of two amici briefs, which were cited twice in the Court’s ruling to overturn PASPA.
Under her leadership, AGA quantified the size of the current illegal sports betting market and the economic opportunities enabled by legal sports betting for sports leagues, states and sovereign tribal nations. She is the nation’s preeminent resource on the hottest topic in sports, convening stakeholders, educating lawmakers and enabling this new sector to thrive.
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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 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.
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AGA’s Commercial Gaming Revenue Tracker provides state-by-state and national insight into the U.S. commercial gaming industry’s financial performance based on state revenue reports. This issue highlights results for January 2025.
U.S. commercial gaming revenue expanded in January by 11.9 percent compared to the previous year. Combined revenue from traditional casino games, sports betting and iGaming reached $6.51 billion, a new January revenue record.
While iGaming continued its very strong growth and sports betting continued to perform strongly in January, brick-and-mortar gaming revenue grew by the fastest rate since January of 2023.
In total, 31 of 36 commercial gaming jurisdictions that were operational a year ago and had published full January data at the time of writing, saw expanded combined revenue from traditional casino games, sports betting and iGaming expand from the previous year. Sports betting revenue was not yet available for Arizona.
January revenue from land-based gaming—encompassing casino slots, table games and retail sports betting— totaled $4.15 billion, an 8.3 percent increase compared to the previous year.
Conversely, online gaming, which encompasses both online sports betting and iGaming, reported revenue of $2.36 billion nationwide, a 14.6 percent increase year-over-year. Online gaming makes up 36.3% of the total market in January, up Slightly from 35 percent in 2024.
In January, traditional casino slot machines and table games collectively generated revenue of $4.08 billion, a year-over-year increase of 8.7 percent. Breaking that down further: slot machines generated $2.88 billion, up 6.1 percent, and table game revenue increased for the first time in seven months, expanding by 17.7 percent to $909.8 million. Nebraska, Virgina and Nevada particularly benefited from new property openings and a strong month on the Las Vegas Strip.
At the state level, 23 out of the 27 states offering traditional casino slot machines and/or table games posted a year-over-year revenue expansion in January with an average increase of 14.4 percent. Among the four states with declining January revenue – Colorado, Maryland, South Dakota and West Virginia –the average contraction was only 2.1 percent.
Note that the individual slot and table game figures exclude data from Louisiana and Michigan due to disparities in state reporting methodologies; however, their combined figures contribute to the nationwide total.
In January, nationwide sports betting revenue expanded by 10.4 percent year-over-year to reach $1.60 billion in revenue. While overall sports betting revenue increased, retail sports betting contracted by 8.8 percent.
Perhaps benefiting from a Lions playoff appearance, Michigan set an all-time sports betting revenue record in the month of January, increasing 77.5 percent to $85.6 million. Montana also experienced a noteworthy year-over-year increase in sports betting revenue, up 51.3 percent with a hold rate of 22.4%, 7.9 points higher than January of last year. Conversely Ohio, New Jersey and Vermont all experienced year-over-year decreases over twenty percent.
January sports betting figures exclude data from Arizona as it had not been reported at the time of publication.
In January, combined revenue generated by the six operational iGaming markets increased 34.7 percent year-over-year, reaching $827.2 million. This represented the second-highest grossing month ever for iGaming revenue, trailing only December 2024’s $842.9 million.
All iGaming markets saw gains compared to the previous year, and Pennsylvania maintained its position as the largest iGaming market with 268.0M in revenue for January. Delaware posted a 162.2 percent increase over the same time last year, continuing to benefit from its mid- year shift in online betting vendors. Rhode Island begins its first full year with a legal iGaming market with$3.2 million in revenue for January.
About the Report
AGA’s Commercial Gaming Revenue Tracker provides state-by-state and nationwide insight into the U.S. commercial gaming industry’s financial performance. Monthly updates on AmericanGaming.org feature topline figures based on state revenue reports while quarterly reports provide a more detailed analysis covering the three previous months.
WASHINGTON – The National Hockey League (NHL®) and the American Gaming Association (AGA) announced a partnership today to promote responsible gaming activity through the Have A Game Plan.® Bet Responsibly. public service campaign.
Through the partnership, the NHL will use league-owned, in-arena, and digital marketing inventory for co-branded videoboard images, public address announcements, and animations of hockey-specific marketing materials that encourage responsible sports betting. The league will provide unique assets for each club in legal sports betting markets, including arena, desktop and mobile, and email applications.
“The National Hockey League is proud to partner with the American Gaming Association on this vital initiative to educate NHL fans about the importance of responsible betting,” said Keith Wachtel, NHL Chief Business Officer. “The fan experience remains one of our highest priorities as more hockey fans than ever have the opportunity to legally and responsibly bet in their home states. Ensuring that our passionate fans know how to participate in this exciting new opportunity is important, and we’re thrilled to be working with the AGA to share the responsibility in this worthy education.”
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. The NHL is only the second professional league to adopt the campaign. NASCAR announced a partnership with the AGA effort in mid-September.
“Teams and leagues are increasingly embracing sports betting as they explore new fan engagement opportunities during COVID-19,” said Bill Miller, AGA President and CEO. “Educating patrons about how to engage in this activity responsibly is critical to the success of the sports betting opportunity as it continues to expand throughout the country. We’re thankful for the NHL’s continued leadership on responsible sports betting. Their partnership on this initiative will be important for hockey fans everywhere as they cheer on their teams in coming seasons.”
HaveAGamePlan.org equips bettors with myriad resources for wagering responsibly, including locations for legal, regulated sportsbooks and how to get help if sports betting is no longer a fun, affordable form of entertainment.
Wachtel will discuss the partnership at a Global Gaming Expo (G2E) 2020 panel titled, “The Fan of the Future? How Leagues Are Capitalizing on Sports Betting Through Partnerships,” Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020, at 12:30 p.m. ET. Media can register to attend here.
Background
- The NHL and its teams have formed 17 marketing and data sharing partnerships with gaming operators and suppliers since May 2018.
- AGA research has found that the NHL’s annual revenue may increase by $216 million a year due to legal sports betting.
- An AGA survey of sports bettors found that 27 percent of bettors wagered on the NHL in the past year—19% at a casino sportsbook, 41% online, and 22% with a bookie.
- 18 states plus Washington, D.C. now offer legal, regulated sports betting, with another four not yet operational and six considering legalization.
- Nearly half (11) of the 23 U.S. jurisdictions with legal sports betting are home to NHL teams.
This exclusive, invitation-only event will bring together executives in the sports betting ecosystem to address the interdependent and intertwined interests of everyone vested in the expansion of legalized, regulated sports betting in the U.S. Participants will include gaming operators, suppliers, sports leagues, teams, regulators, broadcasters, financial institutions and sports agencies who will come together for a 1.5-day conversation to drive sports betting market viability. A range of top-notch speakers from across the sports betting landscape will lead sessions on topics from the convergence of sports and sports betting to in-play technological innovations to insights into the sports betting consumer and the future of payments.
WASHINGTON – The American Gaming Association (AGA) today released a new set of self-regulations on advertising and marketing legal sports betting. The new Responsible Marketing Code for Sports Wagering was released on the one-year anniversary of the Supreme Court striking down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA).
AGA’s code, developed in coordination with its members, extends commitments made by individual companies through their own responsible marketing activities and those adhered to by all association members through the Responsible Gaming Code of Conduct. The new code includes self-imposed restrictions on target audiences, outlets and materials branding, while mandating responsible gaming inclusion. The tenets of the code apply to traditional and digital media marketing activity.
“For several years, the gaming industry has been committed to driving the illegal market out of business for the benefit of consumers, state and local economies and the integrity of both games and bets,” said Bill Miller, president and chief executive officer of the American Gaming Association. “The gaming industry has an obligation to extend our decades-long commitment to responsibility to this growing sector, and that’s exactly what this effort codifies. We are setting a high bar for sports betting advertising and will continue to ensure that everyone involved in the expansion of legalized sports betting across the country – gaming operators, sports leagues and teams, broadcasters and other businesses – rise to this standard.”
Since PASPA was overturned, the breadth of business interests engaged in the sports betting ecosystem has expanded significantly. This code is a part of a continual effort by AGA to discourage illegal gambling, including the for-profit promotion of illegal, offshore operators.
AGA’s new code comes amidst the rapid expansion of legal markets across the country. Since PASPA was overturned in May 2018, seven new states began offering single-game legal sports betting. Six more states and the District of Columbia have authorized legal markets, and dozens more have introduced legislation to legalize and regulate sports betting.
In the past year, nearly $8 billion has been legally wagered on sports nationwide, $3 billion of which was wagered outside of Nevada. Post-PASPA, legal sports betting has generated $55.3 million in new state and local tax revenue.
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
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Washington, D.C. – The American Gaming Association (AGA) announced that Joe Maloney will join its executive team as Senior Vice President, Strategic Communications. Maloney will lead the association’s communications, research, marketing and public affairs campaigns to advance key priorities for AGA members.
“I’m thrilled to have Joe join the AGA and lead our best-in-class communications team,” said AGA President and CEO Bill Miller. “Joe is an accomplished professional who has taken on significant public affairs challenges throughout his career. We will benefit not only from his depth of experience and his tireless advocacy, but his enthusiasm and energy to hit the ground running as a champion for the casino gaming industry.”
Maloney joins the AGA in January 2024 from the Washington Commanders where he served as Vice President, Public Affairs and Strategic Communications. In this role, he spearheaded the team’s external engagement on a variety of key policy and corporate initiatives, ensuring business, community, governmental and civic leaders across the National Capital Region can engage with the organization.
“I’m honored to join the AGA and its dedicated team at this pivotal moment for the gaming industry,” said Maloney. “The future holds great promise and I’m energized by the opportunity and challenge of communicating the remarkable benefits and economic impact of legal gaming across the country.”
Maloney successfully steered the Commanders’ communications and legislative advocacy on sports betting in Virginia and Maryland, resulting in its industry-leading market access partnerships with FanDuel (Virginia) and Fanatics (Maryland). He also established the Washington Commanders as the first NFL team to join AGA’s Have A Game Plan.® Bet Responsibly.™ public service campaign. In addition to his sports betting portfolio, Maloney led the team’s external affairs on its new stadium search, engaging elected, civic, and media stakeholders across D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. This resulted in the bipartisan introduction in the U.S. Congress of H.R. 4984, the D.C. Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Campus Revitalization Act, as well as policy initiatives in Annapolis and Richmond.
Prior to the Washington Commanders, Maloney served as partner at Locust Street Group (LSG), a full-service public affairs agency headquartered in Washington, D.C., where he led the agency’s work on G2E and AGA’s Get to Know Gaming series.
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 .
Legalizing sports betting won’t just bring the law in line with American attitudes and desires – it will also deliver powerful economic benefits, possibly generating $8 billion in local taxes, creating hundreds of thousands of jobs, and adding $22.4 billion to the gross domestic product, according to new a comprehensive study on the economic impact of a legalized U.S. sports betting market.
Using a Convenient Availability-Base Tax Rate Scenario, key takeaways include:
- Total economic output, representing sales of businesses in the US, is expected to be $41.2 billion.
- Legal sports betting operations, including wages, salaries, benefits and tips, are expected to support $11.0 billion of total labor income.
- Total jobs supported, both direct, indirect and induced, is expected to be 216,671.
- Legal sports betting is expected to contribute $22.4 billion to US gross domestic product.
- Fiscal impacts, consisting of state, local and federal tax impacts, are expected to total $8.4 billion.
Methodology
The research was conducted on behalf of the American Gaming Association by Oxford Economics. The analysis is based on available data, interviews with industry participants, customized economic impact models and the professional judgment of Oxford Economics. National findings are based on the assumption that sports betting would be offered in the 40 states that had casino gaming available as of 2016.
This January, for the first time ever, wagers in new legal sports betting markets exceeded the amount of wagers placed in Nevada. Increased access to legal, regulated sports betting resulted in 50.2 percent of all legal wagers – $503.1 million – being placed in the states that have legalized sports betting since the Supreme Court overturned the federal ban on that activity in May 2018.
“For the first time in the history of U.S. gaming, Nevada’s sports betting handle has been eclipsed by the rest of the country,” said Sara Slane, AGA’s senior vice president of public affairs. “The demand for legal sports betting is abundantly clear, with the majority of legal wagers now being placed in markets that didn’t even exist a year ago. What’s more, this strong consumer appetite for legal sports betting is matched by action from state legislatures and sovereign tribal nations. Two thirds of jurisdictions have now taken steps to legalize sports betting, marking an unprecedented amount of growth for this new sector in just ten months.”
The state-by-state handles for January 2019 are as follows:
- Nevada: $497.5 million
- New Jersey: $385.3 million
- Mississippi: $35.2 million
- Pennsylvania: $32.0 million
- Rhode Island: $19.1 million
- West Virginia: $17.8 million
- Delaware: $11.9 million
- Total: $998.8 million
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ahead of Responsible Gaming Education Week 2021, the New York Jets have joined the American Gaming Association’s (AGA) Have A Game Plan.® Bet Responsibly.™ public service campaign. The Jets will encourage their fans to “Know When to Huddle Up” through in-stadium and digital content that promote responsible sports wagering.
“The fan experience is at the heart of everything we do, and as legal sports betting expands, we want to ensure Jets fans are empowered to wager responsibly,” said New York Jets Vice President, Business Development & Ventures Jeff Fernandez. “We are proud to partner with the AGA on this important initiative.”
Recent AGA research found that due to expanded sports betting legalization and high fan enthusiasm for the season, a record 45.2 million Americans (18%) will wager on this year’s NFL season, a 36% increase from the 2020 NFL season. Among NFL fans, 37 percent plan to wager on the 2021 NFL season, including 47 percent of self-described avid NFL fans.
“Leadership from professional sports teams like the Jets is critical to not only ensuring fans understand how to wager responsibly, but also getting sports betting right,” said AGA Senior Vice President Casey Clark. “We’re thrilled to welcome the team as a partner and value their commitment to prioritizing responsible sports betting education for their loyal fanbase.”
The AGA launched Have A Game Plan in late 2019 to educate sports fans on the principles of responsible sports betting. The Jets join campaign partners DraftKings, FanDuel, Monumental Sports and Entertainment, NASCAR, NHL, PGA TOUR, SeventySix Capital, Sightline Payments, Sinclair Broadcast Group, UFC, Vegas Golden Knights, and the Washington Football Team.
The New York Jets were an early adopter of gaming partnerships after the State of New Jersey approved legalized sports betting in June 2018. The Jets have a long-standing relationship with BetMGM and have recently added new sports betting partnerships with Fubo Sportsbook and WynnBet.
AGA’s Responsible Gaming Education Week, from September 19-25, educates consumers on responsible game play and highlights responsible gaming’s central role in gaming and sports betting.
Sports betting is currently legal and operational in 26 states and the District of Columbia. During the NFL season, five additional states are expected to launch legal markets. The NFL has a long-standing partnership with the National Council on Problem Gambling.
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