At the end of ICE London, it feels strange to say the busiest period of our gaming calendar is yet to come. But, in the US, that's very much the case, as we look forward to the National Indian Gaming Association trade show (24-27 March), with a view towards the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association trade show (27-29 July) and, of course, G2E in October. As far away as that mammoth show is, preparations will have already begun in earnest, which is equally the case for the Global Gaming Awards Las Vegas (see our round-up on the latest state of play on p8).
There was, of course, a more European-centric focus at ICE. Many US companies still made the trip however, and we caught up with the likes of Gaming Arts (p50) and Lightning Box (p52) at the show. American Gaming Association CEO Bill Miller was also on hand to offer his expertise on all things gaming regulation and you can read his thoughts in our in-depth catch up with him in this magazine (p30).
Ahead of NIGA, there is naturally a heavy focus on tribal gaming and it's a theme that has come up in several of our interviews. More specifically, we have previewed the event itself (p40) and covered a tribal gaming conference from the ICE agenda (p28).
Inevitably, plenty has happened within US gaming since our last Gaming America publication and change has been rife within the industry. MGM Resorts International Chairman and CEO Jim Murren is stepping down after 12 years in his role and Tim Poole assesses his legacy in his From the top column (p6). We would also be remiss not to mention MGM's recent property sales, which are the subject of our cover feature from Sean Chaffin (p10), and is also touched on in an extremely informative feature from Oliver Lovat (p14).
Elsewhere, we consider some of US gaming's most pressing current issues: tax rates (p28), advertising (p34) and sports betting monopolization (p18). In a Gaming America first, we also address the issue of advertising in the form of a team debate, as Tim Poole, Owain Flanders and Iqbal Johal consider whether an over-use of sponsorship and advertising in sports betting could be something the US sector comes to regret.
As you can see, there has been an abundance of content for us to sink our teeth into while putting this publication together. Whether you're reading this at NIGA or in the comfort of your own home, we hope you'll enjoy getting your teeth into consuming the result.
