Today, Global Gaming Expo (G2E) was recognized as one of the top 25 fastest-growing shows in attendance by a national trade industry outlet. This type of recognition affirms that G2E is the best place for the gaming industry to:
- Discover new and innovative products and technologies;
- Build on educational learning and knowledge; and
- Network with fellow casino-entertainment professionals.
We’re making big plans for even greater improvements to the 2017 show, held October 3-5 in Las Vegas, and look forward to sharing more information on the event soon.
Additionally, last week AGA brought together industry leaders at the Spring Board Meeting for discussions on topics important to gaming. Meeting attendees reflected AGA’s diverse membership, which encompasses the totality of the gaming industry.
Meeting topics consisted of:
- AGA shifting to offense;
- Facilitating the legalization of sports betting;
- Modernizing gaming regulations; and
- Advancing discussion on retail/distributed gaming.
Below, please find a more in-depth recap of discussions that took place at the meeting:
Shifting to Offense
The gaming industry is better prepared than ever before to be aggressive on offense and capitalize on a more pro-business environment in Washington.
Key opportunities include:
- Legalizing sports betting;
- Greater transparency in the off-reservation gaming process; and
- Modern-day tax thresholds for slot winnings.
Beyond these actions, AGA sees tremendous opportunity to apply our successes at the federal level to the states. AGA will begin a thoughtful and focused process of benchmarking other state-regulated industries, developing principles for AGA engagement at the state level and engaging all members in a thoughtful conversation to determine how we can supplement existing activities.
Facilitating the Legalization of Sports Betting
The momentum our industry has driven on this issue creates a favorable environment for sports betting legalization. AGA will work to coalesce stakeholders who are educated, engaged and committed to repealing the failing federal sports betting ban.
At the Board Meeting, Stephen Master, senior vice president and head of global sports at Nielsen, demonstrated the significant value created by the monetization of sports betting through new research.
Modernizing Gaming Regulations
AGA’s Next Generation Working Group is focused on engaging with gaming regulators to modernize and streamline the regulatory environment as a means of encouraging industry innovation and speed to market.
As AGA works on these reforms in the near term, we cannot ignore the fact that perceptions of problem gaming have a significant impact on the regulatory policies that our industry faces.
The industry takes this issue seriously and invests an estimated $300 million annually to combat problem gambling, according to a PwC study.
The board agreed that the AGA should prioritize the issue of responsible gaming as a critical pillar of the organization’s strategic plan.
Advancing Discussion on Retail/Distributed Gaming
Union Gaming’s Bill Lerner and Rich Baldwin provided an overview of the growing retail/distributed gaming market, including market trends and potential opportunities and challenges for the industry.
It’s an exciting time for the industry, and we look forward to what we have in store for the rest of the year. As always, we welcome your thoughts, feedback and suggestions.
