STATESIDE
Stateside
Sharon Harris looks back at Sheldon Adelson’s career, and the AGA’s task moving forward
W
ho could ever imagine so much gaming activity in the midst of a global pandemic? It is hard to keep pace with so much happening across the US. I promised an analysis of the new Joe
Biden administration, compared to the Trump administration. Biden was then number two in the Obama White House and now is the top guy. At 78, Joe Biden is among Washington’s most familiar
figures as a senator and vice-president since 1973. Will that affect events? Maybe. Biden has already signed a record number of Executive
Orders (EOs) bypassing Congress. I will evaluate them and report back next month. Many will have a dramatic impact on gaming. The rampant polarization among my fellow Americans is sad, plus everyone in Congress acts like they hate those on the other team. So, as we navigate through this catastrophic pandemic, will life as we knew it, and know it now, improve and bounce back even a bit? The American Gaming Association (AGA) will have its
work cut out for themselves going forward. During CEO/ President Bill Miller’s media conference last month, he laid out a bright future that counteracts the grim reality since March 2020.
After months of lockdowns and restrictions, Miller recognizes
a pent-up demand. He optimistically cited vaccine distribution, responsible reopening, and consumer confidence as encouraging signs.
“I’m upbeat about the second half of the year in particular.
As vaccines roll out, people will be excited to travel, be hungry for entertainment, and desperate to get out and have fun again. That’s an environment where gaming will thrive, Miller said. He may be on to something. One-in-three American
adults, the highest number since AGA began tracking last March, plan a casino visit this year. 80 per cent praised the industry’s safe reopening. Our fortunes have changed too. Gaming has clearly moved
from the children’s table to the adults. Remember when, as children, we sat at a side table only to move up as we aged? Maybe paying $10 billion in gaming taxes in 2019, plus many additional business taxes, gets you respect and a seat at the table.
Miller said that gaming received economic relief in 2020, the
first time historically it enjoyed “fair” treatment during a national disaster. Gaming companies are good corporate citizens that used their resources to donate unused food to food banks and offer their parking lots for testing or vaccine centers. Many organizations, like Hard Rock International, gave bonus gift cards to furloughed employees.
10 FEBRUARY 2020
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