Gaming revenue up as online gaming, sports betting expands; more news
The steady expansion of online gaming and sports betting bodes well for continued growth of the gaming industry in 2025, the leader of the American Gaming Association says.
In an assessment of 2024, AGA President and CEO Bill Miller said 2024 gaming revenue is up 7 percent through October, thanks primarily to the growth of sports wagering nationwide and online betting in a handful of states.
“While this growth has been driven primarily by the continued expansion of online gaming and sports betting, our traditional brick-and-mortar operations have shown strong resilience in the face of macroeconomic headwinds,” Miller said in an emailed statement. “As we approach year-end, the industry remains well on track to surpass last year’s record $67 billion in annual commercial gaming revenue. We can point with pride to growth across every gaming vertical.”
Miller also cited the age of the average casino patron dropping from 50 to 42 in 2024 as a catalyst toward expanded growth. He also said the political divide in the U.S. has not affected the gaming industry as much as others.
“In an era of increased ideological polarization, it’s particularly gratifying to see how gaming has transcended political divides,” Miller said. “Our recent research found seven in 10 Harris voters and seven in 10 Trump voters support gaming. They see the positive impact we have on communities: creating jobs, driving tourism, generating tax revenue. This bipartisan embrace will be crucial as we work with a new Trump administration, new Congress and new state legislators in the coming year.”
Below is a roundup of gaming news from Las Vegas and elsewhere.
Sands sustainability
Las Vegas Sands Corp. has been recognized again on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices with placement on both the DJSI World and DJSI North America lists for the fifth straight year.
Sands and Sands China are the only two companies out of 18 invited to participate in the Casino and Gaming category listed on DJSI World this year. Sands is the only company in the Casino and Gaming category listed on DJSI North America, and Sands China is one of only two companies in the Casino and Gaming category listed on DJSI Asia Pacific.
DJSI World comprises global sustainability leaders identified by S&P Global through the Corporate Sustainability Assessment. It represents the top 10 percent of the largest 2,500 companies in the S&P Global Broad Market Index based on long-term economic, environmental and social criteria. DJSI North America and DJSI Asia Pacific represent the top 20 percent of the 600 largest North American companies and the top 20 percent of the 600 largest companies in the Asia Pacific developed region in the S&P Global Broad Market Index based on the same criteria.
“To close this year with our fifth consecutive placement on DJSI speaks to the tremendous collaboration within many areas of our company, all working hand-in-hand to advance our environmental, social and governance initiatives,” said Katarina Tesarova, Sands’ senior vice president and chief sustainability officer.
MGM adds more than 50 new security officers
Last week, 52 people completed MGM Resort International’s new security officer training academy, the largest graduating class to date in its history.
The officers completed a 12-day program which focused on a range of topics, including emergency response, first aid, guest welfare, surveillance, and human trafficking prevention and identification.
The newly-minted officers will now be assigned to MGM Resort properties on the Las Vegas Strip.
“It’s one of the best days that we have when we get to welcome new officers through our academy to our teams,” said Marc Cassell, vice president of corporate security for Las Vegas-based MGM Resorts. “The enthusiasm that these officers have coming out of this training program, which by the way, is best in class, is just amazing. They go from here to our field training program. They’re excited to go out and see our properties, and the properties are excited to see them come.”
The Review-Journal is owned by the Adelson family, including Dr. Miriam Adelson, majority shareholder of Las Vegas Sands Corp., and Las Vegas Sands President and COO Patrick Dumont.
