With the lockdowns of 2020 in the rear view mirror and a booming regulated sports betting industry, American gaming CEOs are extremely bullish on the future of gambling in America. That’s the main takeaway of a recent survey of casino executives conducted by the American Gaming Association (AGA).
The survey was conducted over the past two months and queried 24 executives from all parts of the US gaming industry, including tribal operators and gaming equipment suppliers, found that 67 percent of them rate their current business situation as “good”. That’s up from just 54 percent who rated the situation as “good” six months ago.
None of the chief executives queried rated their situation as “poor” while about 40 percent of them said they expected their situation to improve over the next quarter. Only 13 percent of them expected their business situation to worsen.
In a statement to the media, AGA President and CEO Bill Miller summed up the situation saying, “Gaming executives are signaling confidence in our continued recovery that is in line with record-setting consumer demand for gaming. I’m optimistic that 2022 will see the return of a true sense of normalcy for gaming.”
While the c-suite types see a bright future, they do have a few concerns that are worth noting. A full 75 percent of the respondents surveyed said that supply chain problems are a serious concern for their businesses. Almost 70 percent of them see the specter of inflation as a serious threat in the near future.
“Like businesses across the country, our industry is grappling with supply chain, labor and inflation challenges that, if left uncontrolled, could dampen our continued growth and economic outlook,” Miller said.
But with Americans increasingly seeing COVID as the thing of the past, and a tidal wave of regulated sports betting, the American side of the gaming industry is looking very good.