Commercial gaming revenue in the United States fell by 31% to around US$30 billion in 2020 – the first market contraction for the industry since 2014 and lowest gaming revenue since 2013, according to figures released by the American Gaming Association (AGA) overnight.
With operators nationwide impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the AGA’s statistics show that commercial casinos lost 27% of normal operating days in 2020 with an estimated 124,882 days combined (counting each day that each commercial property was open during the year) versus 170,484 days had there been no closures.
“COVID-19 devastated our business and the employees and communities across the country that rely on casino gaming’s success,” said AGA President and CEO Bill Miller. “We have persevered by leading responsible reopening efforts, supporting our employees, and extending a hand to our communities. Still, these numbers show the economic realities of COVID-19 and underscore the importance of targeted federal relief and ramped-up vaccine distribution to accelerate gaming’s recovery in 2021.”
The heaviest impact was felt mid-year, with the AGA revealing a 1.7% sequential increase in revenues in 4Q20 at US$9.2 billion, although this was still down 17% year-on-year.
There are currently 911 of 998 casinos in the US open and operational.
