The expansion and legalization of sports betting will mark Tim Wilmott’s two years as chairman of the American Gaming Association.
“Once PASPA happened, that changed everything,” Wilmott said Wednesday of the May 2018 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act and opened the nation to legal sports gambling.
Including Nevada’s legacy market, 13 states have launched legalized sports betting operations through casinos, racetracks and mobile wagering applications.
The expansion also put the gaming industry on the minds of Capitol Hill. In September a bill seeking federal sports betting oversight – one similar to a bill that died at end of last year – was drafted by Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer and Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah.
Wilmott, CEO of regional casino giant Penn National Gaming, said the industry’s relationships on Capitol Hill have never been more important. He pointed to the efforts of AGA CEO Bill Miller, who was appointed to the position in January.
Miller, a longtime Capitol Hill lobbyist, had been the senior vice president of government relations at the Washington D.C.-based Business Roundtable since 2012.
“He has great connections with senators and congressmen,” Wilmott said. “Bill has been working hard at getting out the message in communities where gaming exists about the local economic impact of the industry and making those connections back to Washington.”
AGA’s research has found the U.S. casino industry is a $261 billion economic endeavor that supports 1.8 million jobs nationwide.
In an interview last month, Miller said he discusses gaming industry issues with Wilmott several times a week. Wilmott, who is retiring from Penn National on Dec. 31, will turn the AGA chairmanship over to Aristocrat Group CEO Trevor Croker.
Wilmott said he’s proud to continue the AGA’s efforts started by Miller’s predecessor as CEO, Geoff Freeman, to expand the organization’s membership beyond the large casino companies and gaming equipment manufacturers to include Indian gaming tribes and other gaming related companies.
“We really changed the profile of the membership and broadened it,” Wilmott said. “Geoff had a really good focus on the membership structure.”
A month after the Supreme Court ruling, Freeman informed Wilmott he was resigning to become chairman of the Grocery Manufacturers Association. Wilmott led a seven-member search committee that took six months to identify Miller to become the AGA’s third CEO.
“Bill is working to establish a greater voice for our industry in Washington D.C.,” Wilmott said.
Wilmott was attending his last Global Gaming Expo as AGA chairman this week. The gaming industry’s largest event, which ends Thursday, was expected to attract 30,000 to the four-day conference and tradeshow at the Sands Expo and Convention Center.
Wilmott said companies like Penn National – which operates 41 casinos in 19 states and more than 50,000 slot machines – are often visited by gaming equipment manufacturers for private showings of new games and products ahead of G2E.
“It’s an important show for the operators and managers because we can start planning our capital spending for the coming year.” Wilmott said. “It’s an equally important show for the smaller casino companies and tribal casino operators, because of the attention they receive from the manufacturers.”
Wilmott said the AGA wants to make sure the gaming equipment companies continue to get value out of the show.
“They are the ones buying the exhibit space and that’s a big expense,” Wilmott said. “The value goes both ways.”
Howard Stutz is the executive editor of CDC Gaming. He can be reached at hstutz@cdcgamingreports.com. Follow @howardstutz on Twitter.
