There’s no question that the 2020s are truly a golden age for regulated gambling in the United States. With the rise of regulated sports betting, operators have seen a boost to all of their operations and their bottom line revenue numbers are getting bigger each month. In that context, it’s no big surprise that the American Gaming Association (AGA) reported this week that US operators brought in $13.6 billion in revenue during Q2 2021; a new national record.
And the big performers in this record-breaking quarter are probably not what you’d expect.
According the to the AGA, the industry’s $13.6 billion revenue is the best quarter on record, $11.1 billion, which was set in Q1 2021. The new record represents an astonishing 22.5 percent leap over the previous record.
So where is all that American gaming action coming from? $8.7 billion of the $13.6 billion came from that old casino standby, slot machines. The one-armed bandits brought in an astounding $8.5 billion in Q2 alone. Table games, such as blackjack, brought in another $2.1 billion, while sports betting brought in just $888.9 billion.
AGA President and CEO Bill Miller could barely contain his enthusiasm over the new revenue numbers saying, “These first half results are truly remarkable. It is even more impressive when you consider commercial gaming revenue was at its lowest point ever just a year ago. This is a testament to our resilience and commitment to providing customers safe environments and world-class entertainment experiences.”
If American gaming continues to grow at this breakneck speed, it could easily shatter the revenue record of $43.6 billion that it set back in 2019.