Q3 Report for US Commercial Gaming Revenue Nearly $14 Billion

The third-quarter commercial gaming revenue across the US has been reported as $13.98B – a record high in quarterly earnings. This is up from last quarter, which hit a record of its own at $13.6 billion.

Earlier in August, American Gaming Association (AGA) CEO Bill Miller had suggested that commercial gaming was moving towards a record-breaking year.

Following the AGA’s Q3 revenue report, Miller said, “Two straight quarters of record gaming revenue is an incredible accomplishment in any context, let alone after the most challenging year in industry history.” “Our recovery is not a flash in the pan, but rather a sustained result of our leadership in responsible reopening, world-class entertainment offerings, and widespread favorability.”

The American Gaming Association (AGA) uses its Commercial Gaming Revenue Tracker to keep up with the latest earnings in the US gaming industry based on state revenue reports. In the past nine months, it has recorded $38.67 billion.

By the end of the year, total earnings are set to top that of 2019, which holds the current annual record of $43 billion.

Contributions from the Various Gaming Categories

Slots and table games also broke a few records, according to the reports. Combined, their Q3 earnings totaled $12.05 billion, up more than 10% from last year’s $10.84 billion.

The iGaming vertical also grew significantly, contributing $938.6 million, whereas sports betting recorded a quarterly low of $886.5 million. However, both verticals had a combined revenue of $5.36 billion from Q1 through Q3. This reveals an increase of more than 200% from last year.

Miller further explained that the industry is in a strong position for a full recovery. He pointed out the record-setting streak of brick-and-mortar gaming, the expansion into new verticals, and the recovery of domestic and international tourism.

Thanks to tourism returning in full force in Las Vegas, the city’s gaming revenue boasted an all-time high of $2.06bn. Q3 2021 saw 9.2 million tourist visits, which is almost a 10% increase over Q2 2021.

Ten out of the 25 states that currently offer commercial gaming reached a new quarterly record. Four of the ten were the highest-grossing states in 2019, including Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.

Nevada led the way in Q3 GGR at $3.68 billion, while New Jersey came in at a distant second with $1.33 billion. Pennsylvania is third place at $1.26 billion, and New York is fourth at $756 million. Indiana rounded out the top five at $712.9 million.

With several developments favoring the gaming interests and more US states moving towards regulating sports betting, revenue will continue to increase. Most recently, Arizona and Louisiana launched sports betting, and New York has released a list of nine operators chosen to kick-start mobile sports betting. They include FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, Bally Bet, Caesars Sportsbook, PointsBet, Resorts World, Rush Street Interactive and Wynn Bet.

Miller concluded by saying, “I’m confident that the return of meetings, conventions, and international travel will further accelerate gaming’s recovery in 2022.”