AGA President and CEO Geoff Freeman led a moment of silence Tuesday morning to honor those killed and injured in Sunday night’s mass shooting and praised the gaming industry for coming together.
Freeman bypassed his traditional State of the Industry address Tuesday during the opening of the trade show portion of the 2017 Global Gaming Expo at the Sands Convention Center. Instead, he conducted a brief Q&A with former Boston Police Department Commissioner Ed Davis in the wake of the mass shooting on the South Strip in Las Vegas Sunday night that left 59 dead and more than 500 injured.
“We gather in the wake of a senseless and despicable event,” Freeman said. “While we sit here, all of us safe, hundreds of others are recovering or battling for their lives or in mourning. There are no words that can accurately express our sorrow and how we feel about this event. I certainly have no wisdom to offer when something like this happens.”
Freeman expressed his gratitude to the first responders “who often rush in while all of us are rushing out” and expressed gratitude for the medical professionals that have saved so many lives this week. He also said he has gratitude for the acts of heroism “we are all reading about that took place on that evening.”
“It’s that gratitude that keeps us all going,” Freeman said. “I am grateful to the operators on the Strip. I think you saw an incredible security presence and incredible implementation of their security plan and the industry rose to the occasion.”
Freeman pointed out substantial contributions the industry, including the AGA, has made toward a fund to help the victims. He said it will be a long recovery.
“I’m grateful to each of you,” Freeman said. “I’m grateful each of you are here. Our industry is strongest when we come together, and our industry will be strong this week. We will be strongest when we have the opportunity to share each other’s company and share our stories and talk about where we need to take this industry in the weeks ahead.”
Freeman also expressed gratitude to the Las Vegas Sands for the safety and security they have provided, and gratitude to the AGA’s partner, Reed Exhibitions, for their work they have done in setting up for the event.
“I am incredibly grateful to my team at the AGA,” Freeman said. “You can only imagine how incredibly nimble our team needs to be in a situation like this to make sure we are adapting and we are making sure everyone’s needs are met and that this event has the appropriate tone and tenor and obviously and the safety and security that all of you together.”
Davis, who served as commissioner during the Boston Marathon bombing, is part of the AGA’s illegal gambling advisory board. He’s also a member of the American Sports Betting Coalition.
Davis praised the efforts in setting up the fund to help victims and praised how law enforcement and first responders handled themselves. He said the ordeal brought back memories of the Boston Marathon bombing and has faith people will respond the same way as Boston.
“People are afraid,” Davis said. “They are afraid across the country. We saw that in Boston. To put that back together and make the community right again requires leadership on the part of public officials, and requires preparation and planning for what may happen in the future.”
Terrorism and crisis management is an interim process, and people learn from it, Davis said.
“There will be changes in the way we live our life as a result of this incident happening,” Davis said. “Security people here in these hotels, along with the police, will do all that work and make sure we are safe in the future, but it requires a lot of work and requires that mentality that we call Boston Strong. I see it here in Las Vegas. This is Las Vegas Strong.”
As for the gaming industry recap, Freeman wrote prior to G2E 2017 that it’s in a “state of growth and evolution as a rebounding economy and new advancements in technology push our industry forward.”
G2E 2017 is serving as a platform to prepare attendees for the rapidly growing and evolving casino gaming landscape – hitting on the industry’s hottest topics, including the legalization of sports betting, evolution of game play and the integrated resort and casino floor of the future, Freeman said. Of all these topics, the one that’s driving the most buzz is the prospect of legalized sports betting across the country on the heels of the Supreme Court’s decision to hear New Jersey’s appeal to the federal sports ban, he said.
“With an estimated $150 billion wagered illegally each year in the United States, attendees will get to hear how a legal, regulated market will open the door for new revenue opportunities for local communities across the country,” Freeman said. “Since the beginning of the year, eight states have introduced legislation to allow sports betting once the federal ban is lifted. These conversations and more will be at the forefront of G2E in 2017 as industry experts and leading voices within the professional sports community debate the benefits of legalized sports betting.”
Sports betting’s popularity has also given way to the rise of another emerging trend within our industry: esports, Freeman said. Whether esports becomes a widespread gambling product, It’s expected to be a key component of the integrated resort of the future, he said.
One area that’s already a part of the integrated resort experience and the casino floor of the future is virtual reality and mobile technology, Freeman said. Casino games have evolved from their original designs to offer attractive new games to the industry’s next generation of players, he said.
“Virtual reality and skill-based games offer new, dynamic ways for players to interact with games and compete against one another,” Freeman said. “In addition, emerging technology trends to make the customer experience more enjoyable and seamless will also be on display at this year’s show.”
G2E 2017 “promises to challenge the industry to think differently about the future,” Freeman said. “This year’s show will advance the industry by showcasing legalized sports betting, esports, skill-based gaming and other emerging trends that will grow casino gaming’s footprint from a $240 billion industry today, to a $300 billion industry tomorrow,” Freeman said.
