Commercial casinos inward the United States missed out on some 45,600 operating days finally twelvemonth because of  the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s according to data compiled past the American Gaming Association (AGA) for its 2021 State of the States report.

The AGA, the chief lobbying chemical group of the commercial gaming manufacture inward the US, says the pandemic resulted inward the number 1 year-over-year gross gaming revenue (GGR) contraction since 2014.

GGR from brick-and-mortar casinos, online gaming, nomadic and retail sports betting, and picture gaming terminals (VGTs) totaled $29.98 billion. That’s push down 31.2 percent from 2019, when the industry reported GGR of $43.6 billion.

The nearly $30 one million million gaming win is the industry’s lowest yearly cart since 2003. Of the 25 states with commercial message casinos, all reported year-over-year revenue declines for their land-based play.

While brick-and-mortar gaming suffered greatly amid state-ordered closures, iGaming and online sports betting thrived.

Industry Leader Optimistic

2020 was a twelvemonth dissimilar any other in the history of the United States’ gaming industry. The US commercial sphere entered 2020 saucy away pentad sequentially years of GGR expansion. But then the coronavirus struck.

“The quick impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic were jarring. By late-March, every commercial-grade gambling casino — and nearly every tribal cassino — had shut its doors,” said Bill Miller, president and CEO of the AGA.

Miller focused on the positives, citing iGaming GGR exploding 200 percent, and sports betting revenue growing by 69 percent. Americans wagered $21.5 one thousand million on sports — upwards from $13 one thousand million in 2019 — and oddsmakers kept $1.5 billion of the wagers.

Although 2020 presented a tremendous dispute and many headwinds remain, I’m optimistic most gaming’s future,” Henry Valentine Miller continued.

But Alton Glenn Miller conceded that the land-based GGR offsets generated by iGaming and sports betting don’t narrate the replete(p) story. Casino resorts lost out on live entertainment, hotel stays, and meetings and conventions, all of which are critical to their operating profits.

Nevada was one time over again easily the top side commercial-grade gaming market, casinos in that respect winning to a greater extent than $7.87 1000000000000 from gamblers. New island of Jersey was endorsement at $3.46 billion, and PA a tight thirdly at $3.41 billion.

US commercial casinos delivered task revenue of $6.68 one million million lowest yr to tell and local governments.

Gaming Rebound, But in New Areas

Miller’s optimism, he says, stems from GGR inward Q1 of 2021, which tied the industry’s all-time best three-month period.

“The number one canton of 2021 clearly shows that consumer stake inwards gaming ne'er waned, despite the challenges of 2020,” the AGA brag explained. “This momentum is a unmediated outcome of our industry’s ability to ply safe environments for our employees and guests to takings to and is a warm indicator that our recovery is on the horizon.”

January through March, however, only matched the industry’s topper billet because of iGaming and sports betting. Of the $11.13 1000000000000 Q1 revenue, online gaming and sports gaming accounted for $1.7 billion. During Q1 of 2019 — the all-time high that was matched — those verticals accounted for only $250 million.