Speaking at the G2E Las Vegas keynote speech, Miller began by touching on the turbulence in the American gaming industry in recent years, with G2E going from an all-time high attendance in 2019, before going virtual in 2020, and then returning with masks and various health and safety measures in place in 2021. This year’s event, Miller explained, is now close to pre-pandemic attendance on the floor.
“We’ve been through a terrible couple of years, but our industry is standing strong,” said Miller. “We’re coming off an amazing year with some major milestones. The Sands deal closed, MGM bought Cosmopolitan, Seminole bought Mirage, and San Manuel reopened the Palms. And that’s just what happened here in Las Vegas.
“Meanwhile, legal gaming continues to expand in new states, and sports betting just keeps marching forward. More than half of American adults can now legally bet on sports. Our momentum is undeniable, and many leaders in this room and in other places are responsible for this.”
Miller also paid his respects to major figures that passed away in recent times, saying: “Recently we lost some great ones, including two giants; Sheldon Adelson, our industry’s greatest visionary, and Senator Harry Reid, our industry’s greatest champion.
“They laid the foundation for today’s success, and we are deeply indebted to Mr. Adelson and Senator Reid for their contributions to our industry and for setting us up for this moment, and we’re never going to forget them.”
The AGA exec then explained the current situation regarding the American gaming industry, touching on its performance both last year and in the current year so far.
“Like all American businesses right now, gaming faces real challenges,” he said. “Whether it’s inflation, energy costs, labour shortages or supply chain issues. But despite these, our industry is posting incredible results quarter over quarter and year over year. And that’s really without business and international travel anywhere near our pre-pandemic levels.
“Last year’s record performance was by and large fueled by pent-up demand. But this year, we proved that it wasn’t a fluke. We’ve shown continued strength, and I don’t think that is going to be changing anytime soon.”
The AGA President and CEO then posed the question; how can the industry use this momentum to reach even greater heights? Miller proposed three opportunities that the industry must capitalise on to achieve further growth: “One; embracing a digital future. Two; protecting and expanding the legal regulated gaming market. And three; doubling down on our commitment to responsibility.”
