Posted on: October 15, 2022, 01:05h.
Last updated on: October 15, 2022, 01:05h.
The numbers are in, and while the 2022 edition of the Global Gaming Expo (G2E) didn’t match 2019’s totals, it came close.
Organizers announced the four-day show at The Venetian Expo, which ended Thursday, attracted nearly 25,000 gaming industry professionals. That’s down about 2,000 from the 2019 show, but nearly double the attendance from last year’s G2E, which ran under some COVID-19 regulations.
“It was fantastic to bring the full global gaming community back together to reconnect and drive business,” said Korbi Carrison, G2E’s event vice president. “The energy and excitement at this year’s show announced that gaming is all the way back and made it the most impactful G2E yet.”
On G2E’s Opening Day, Carrison said the annual gaming conference had a 2019 feel to it, and it showed in ways other than just attendance.
Organizers also said that more than 350 businesses set up exhibits in the G2E Expo Hall, and the 252,000 square feet of convention hall space they took up was 42% larger than last year’s event.
“After leading the return of tradeshows to Las Vegas last year, G2E 2022’s pre-pandemic atmosphere is a milestone for our industry and a testament to our collective excitement around gaming’s future,” said American Gaming Association (AGA) President and CEO Bill Miller.
AGA’s Miller Gives State of the Industry Address
On Tuesday, Miller gave his annual state of the gaming industry speech as the lead-in to the keynote session featuring six gaming executives, including FanDuel’s Amy Howe and DraftKings’ Jason Robins.
Similar to his previous G2E addresses, Miller touched on the need for the gaming industry to take hold of its digital future, including further adoption of digital payment technology and continued expansion of the online gaming sector. He also said the industry needs to promote responsible gaming more.
He then brought up the industry’s “biggest threat,” which is what he called illegal gaming. That would include unregulated skill machines set up at convenience stores and online sports betting and iGaming apps offered by offshore operators.
The AGA and its members cannot stop those operators by themselves, he said. They’ve sought the help of the US Department of Justice, Congress, and state officials on the issue. Other stakeholders, though, need to get involved.
It’s going to require law enforcement to get aggressive and go after bad actors, businesses to remove unregulated machines, tech companies and the media to cut off these illegal platforms, and policymakers to strengthen laws and close loopholes,” Miller explained. “This is a fight we’re in for the long haul, and we’re not going to win it overnight. But together, we can and will make it much, much harder for them to do business here in America.”
He said that next month the trade organization will release a new report showing that American gamblers wager more than $300 billion each year through unregulated or illegal markets. That includes bets placed through unlicensed skill machines at retail stores and offshore sports betting and iGaming apps. Those operators, Miller said, cost the regulated gaming industry $15 billion in revenue and governments about $4 billion in taxes each year.
G2E 2023 Dates Set
The dates for the 23rd edition of G2E have also been set.
Next year’s conference will run from Oct. 9-12, with education sessions planned for all four days and the Expo Hall running for the last three.
Once again, the conference will take place at The Venetian Expo on the Strip.
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