Bill Miller, president and CEO of the American Gaming Association (AGA), was optimistic about the recovery of the gaming industry in the association’s annual speech at the Global Gaming Expo 2020 (G2E).
Praising the “great resilience” of the industry and stating that “the game is coming back,” he cited a $ 2 billion loss in gaming tax revenue in every state in the United States during the first four months of the coronavirus pandemic.
“Continued gaming innovation, coupled with our deeply ingrained compliance culture, keeps our industry on solid ground as we continue our recovery,” said Miller in detailing the industry’s efforts to recover from the crisis.
He also highlighted the AGA survey, which shows that more Americans view games positively than ever, as evidence of a consolidated basis for the sector’s recovery.
Half of American adults have a favorable impression of the casino industry, an increase of five points in two years. In addition, nine out of 10 (89%) adults consider gambling to be an acceptable form of entertainment. “We have built this support over many decades,” noted Miller.
He added: “As the game has grown from two states in 1978 to 44 states today, more Americans have come to know us. They recognize the positive impact we offer: the jobs we generate; the small businesses we support; and the tax revenue we contribute. These are the reasons why Americans have embraced the game and will drive the segment’s recovery. ”
Addressing parliamentarians, Miller went on to highlight AGA’s priorities to unite the industry and help rescue the sector, such as modernizing payments and increasing the legal sports betting market in the country.
25 years of AGA
Regarding AGA’s 25th anniversary in 2020, Bill Miller stated that “although COVID-19 may have changed our plans, we never lost our focus. In fact, the pandemic has elevated AGA’s role as a leading advocate for the North American gaming industry. ”
In addition, the president of the organization stressed that all efforts are being made to overcome this chaotic period. “No matter the size of the challenge, we’ve always worked hard to help this industry overcome it. And I am confident that we can do it again, ”he concluded.
