Posted on: December 3, 2024, 01:39h.
Last updated on: December 3, 2024, 02:23h.
A prominent gaming consulting firm has unveiled what it believes will be the top 10 issues facing the US gaming industry next year.
Pennsylvania-based Spectrum Gaming bills itself as a nonpartisan consultancy specializing in the economics, regulation, and policy of legalized gambling. Spectrum has conducted research for gaming regulators and lawmakers in 40 states, and has been commissioned by most leading gaming companies to carry out studies, including Las Vegas Sands, MGM Resorts, Caesars Entertainment, Boyd Gaming, and Penn Entertainment.
On Tuesday, Spectrum released its “U.S. Top 10 Trends to Watch for in 2025.” The company has conducted such a review every year since 2005.
For 2025, Spectrum believes the most impactful issues facing the gaming industry will be the outcome of the competitive bidding process for the three New York City casino licenses, whether Texas ends its prohibition of most forms of gambling, and if new states legalize iGaming.
Other critical issues, Spectrum researchers say, involve the ongoing controversy surrounding online “sweepstakes” casinos, further expansion of slot-like historical horse racing (HHR) machines in states where parimutuel wagering is allowed, and if states will crack down on so-called “skill gaming” terminals.
Big Apple is the Big Kahuna
It should come as no surprise to anyone who keeps tabs on the US gaming sector that Spectrum believes the outcome of the downstate New York casino licensing process is most significant for 2025.
New York City is considered the greatest gaming market opportunity for commercial casino operators in decades. Each license comes with a one-time fee of $500 million, but the high cost of entry hasn’t deterred the biggest players.
MGM Resorts and Genting are considered the front-runners for two of the concessions, which would allow the companies’ respective Empire City Casino in Yonkers, and Resorts World in Queens, to transition from video lottery racinos to full-scale casinos with Las Vegas-style slots, live dealer table games, and sports betting. Though only one license might remain up for grabs, Sands, Caesars, Hard Rock, Mohegan, Wynn Resorts, Bally’s, and others are spending tens of millions of dollars in designing their schemes in hopes of being NYC’s third casino wheel.
A key decision will be whether the state essentially converts current racetrack gaming operations Empire City and Resorts World NYC into full casinos while also selecting a third winner, or awards the three licenses to other applicants,” the Spectrum report detailed.
The New York Gaming Facility Location Board is expected to render its three winners late next year.
Texas Obsession
Sands has been focused on Texas for years. Dr. Miriam Adelson, the largest shareholder of the gaming empire founded by her late husband, continues to pour millions of dollars into lobbying efforts to convince Texas lawmakers to end the state’s casino ban.
As the Texas biennial legislative session resumes in January, there will be the usual hope for enabling casino legislation, led by Las Vegas Sands — as well as a push for sports betting in this state highly prized by the gaming industry. But it appears to be another uphill battle for proponents, and the legalization push may have strengthened efforts by opponents,” Spectrum reported.
Dr. Adelson last year acquired a controlling stake in the NBA Dallas Mavericks from billionaire Mark Cuban. Cuban, who is also supportive of bringing casinos to Texas, has suggested building a new NBA arena paired with an integrated resort casino in Dallas should a change to state law come.
iGaming Considerations
Another key issue in 2025 will be iGaming, or online casinos with slots and table games.
The matter could be two-fold, as some in the regulated gaming industry believe more legal iGaming states would hurt controversial online sweepstakes casinos that operate unregulated and unlicensed. Legal iGaming remains limited to Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and West Virginia.
“Whether legal or illegal or somewhere in between, states and the mainstream gaming industry alike will continue to watch this upstart form of gaming closely to determine whether it is a threat or an opportunity and potentially a catalyst for states to legalize traditional iGaming,” Spectrum concluded.
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