STATESIDE
This nonstop saturation does not sit well with the public and may ultimately turn customers off. In highly-populated regions, with millions of residents, smart advertising and a smart balance are vital to a continuous successful program.
According to a recent Fairleigh Dickinson University (NJ) poll, 76 percent of New Jersey residents want sports betting advertising limits. It is almost impossible to avoid them on live television when watching an event.
For example, the tri-state region that includes New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania is an advertising mecca. The proximity of the three states, and easy transportation, lends itself to regular travel through all three jurisdictions.
The advertising is often ineffective because legislation often only requires a physical presence within state borders, not inside a casino property. Since customers do not now have to travel and spend money to enjoy a casino experience, many land-based properties have suffered revenue declines. There is definitely an action/reaction scenario.
Nonpartisan consultants Spectrum Gaming Group has studied the situation. The company provides independent research and professional services to public and private- sector clients in 44 US states and territories, plus more than 50 countries on six continents.
Spectrum compared retail gaming results in six non-igaming states (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Ohio and New York with six igaming states (Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and West Virginia).
In the igaming states, retail gaming revenue decreased by $9 million, or 0.1 percent, from January 2023 to January 2024. In the non-igaming states, retail gaming revenue increased by $2.2 billion, or 4.1 percent, during the same period. The issue of smoking is another factor that
continues to influence patrons’ decisions of where to play. A 2023 Normington Petts survey from Washington D.C. showed that 75 percent of those polled continue to demand smoke-free casinos and want to permanently close loopholes designating legal smoking areas.
After years of delays, excuses and outright ignoring the issue, the repercussions to land-based casinos are clear. Without a gaming alternative in years gone by, they thrived despite the smoke. Now, with other states operating land-based sites, plus sports wagering in 38 states, consumers may choose other gambling options. I know I’ve written about this before, but legislators have done little about it. It’s about time that smoking finally be prohibited everywhere at commercial properties. If not, the severe repercussions may be irreversible. We’re only three months into 2025 and already the stakes for a healthy, multi- faceted gaming industry remain high.
Sharon Harris
Sharon has worked in the casino and coin- operated amusement industries since the 1980s. In the early 1990s, Sharon transferred her public relations and journalism skills to the gaming industry. She wrote her fi rst feature for Casino International predecessor EUROSLOT magazine in 1994.
As Associate Editor, North America for Casino International, Sharon has chronicled the explosive growth of U.S. gaming and reported on its most signifi cant changes. She has traveled across America to participate in dozens of industry events and has interviewed
hundreds of gaming operators,
executives and suppliers.
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