AGA: $53bn in gaming revenue during 2021 shatters record
Industry rebounds with $23bn improvement from Covid-impacted 2020.
2021 set a new record as the highest-grossing year ever for the US commercial gaming industry, reaching $53bn in revenue, according to the American Gaming Association’s (AGA) Commercial Gaming Revenue Tracker.
The trade group on Tuesday said revenue for 2021 broke the previous industry record of $43.65bn, set in 2019, by more than 21%.
The gaming industry closed the year on a high note, the AGA reported, setting an all-time quarterly revenue record in Q4 2021 of $14.31bn. This surpassed the previous high-water mark of $13.93bn, which had just been set in Q3 2021.
The AGA says its Commercial Gaming Revenue Tracker provides state-by-state and cumulative insight into the US commercial gaming industry’s financial performance based on state revenue reports. This issue highlights full-year 2021 figures and Q4 2021 results, covering 33 states and the District of Columbia, including casino gaming, sports betting and iGaming.
Four new commercial gaming markets opened in 2021: Arizona, Connecticut, Virginia and Wyoming.
Of the 34 operational commercial gaming jurisdictions in 2021 – including the four new markets – 23 set individual records for full-year commercial gaming revenue. On a national level, every commercial gaming vertical set new annual revenue records, the trade association said.
Traditional brick-and-mortar gaming led the industry’s recovery, with 2021 combined slot and table gaming revenue totaling $44.94 bn, a 6.6% increase over 2019’s previous record.
Sports betting’s growth accelerated in 2021, generating $57.22bn in handle and $4.29 bn in revenue – jumps of 165% and 177% over 2020, respectively.
Sports betting’s all-time high was powered by strong demand in established markets including Nevada, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and was further boosted by the launch of seven new commercial sports betting markets in Arizona, Connecticut, Louisiana, Maryland, South Dakota, Virginia and Wyoming.
Two new iGaming markets, Connecticut and Michigan, also opened in 2021, helping the sector to a record $3.71bn in revenue. Combined sports betting and iGaming revenue for the year totaled $8.00bn, which the AGA said was up 158% from 2020 and accounted for a record 15.1% of annual industry gaming revenue.
“These results are nothing short of remarkable,” AGA President and CEO Bill Miller, said in a statement. “The success of 2021 reflects our commitment to health and safety and how Americans have welcomed gaming’s expansion across the country. Today’s industry is effectively meeting customers how and where they want to engage – whether at a casino or through mobile gaming.”
Miller added: “Despite our record-setting year, gaming’s total recovery is still reliant on the full return of travel and large events, which requires a safe health environment and open economy. I am optimistic that we will see continued growth throughout 2022.”
The American Gaming Association (AGA) is the national trade group representing the $261bn US casino industry, which supports 1.8m jobs nationwide. AGA members include commercial and tribal casino operators, suppliers, and other entities affiliated with the gaming industry.
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