Feature: American Gaming Association
Bill Miller, President and CEO of American Gaming Association
Mixed Messaging I
The U.S. gaming industry is riding high but facing challenges ahead. By David McKee
t’s American Gaming Association President Bill Miller’s job to be upbeat about the prospects for the industry he spearheads in Washington, D.C. However, he had good reason to sound upbeat at his annual “State of the Industry” webinar, delivered February 19. The United States casino/iGaming/sports betting industry is riding a record high, coming off a year in which it saw $72 billion in revenue. That’s 7.5 percent growth from 2023. It also doesn’t include the winnings of tribal casinos, who have not yet reported their numbers. That $72 billion, according to AGA Vice President of Research Dan Forman, included almost $14 billion from sports betting and $8.1 billion from iGaming. An accompanying graph showed a steady climb of revenue from 2014 to the present, Covid-plagued 2020 excepted. 16
“By all accounts, 2024 continues to tell a positive story,” Miller arguably understated. Gambling, he reported, had proven resilient against macroeconomic headwinds, “further evidence of public support for our industry. We take none of this success for granted.” Indeed, Miller dwelt (not unjustifiably) on the menace of the underground and offshore gambling markets. “We’re engaging a constant battle against illegal gaming,” he said. In contrast to the sub rosa activities of those scofflaw operators, “Our industry walks through the front door in our communities.” U.S. gaming, Miller said, welcomes regulatory oversight and sophisticated monitoring systems. He railed against “so-called skill game machines,” black- and gray-market slots that dot the American landscape, paying no taxes and subject to no regulation. These have been a particular bane in Missouri, Pennsylvania and Virginia, where they have cut into legal operators’ revenues. www.casinolifemagazine.com