The American Gaming Association (AGA) said March, April, and May are proving to be the best months overall for commercial non-tribal gambling in the US, despite a challenging economy and tougher year-over-year comparisons brought about by the waning effects of the pandemic.
Combined revenue from retail and online casinos and sportsbooks totaled $5.1 billion in May, marking a 9.5% year-over-year increase, according to the latest version of the AGA’s Commercial Gaming Revenue Tracker.
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May was the second-highest month for overall revenue. It trailed only March 2022, when revenue hit a record $5.3 billion.
While challenges like supply chain issues, labor shortages, and inflation persist, commercial gaming remains on track for another potential record-setting year.
AGA added that the 9.5% year-over-year increase was the softest annual growth rate since February 2021. The association said such gains will be increasingly difficult for the industry to replicate considering many of the restrictions related to COVID-19 were no longer in effect at this time in 2021.
“While challenges like supply chain issues, labor shortages, and inflation persist, commercial gaming remains on track for another potential record-setting year,” the AGA said, adding that revenue in the first five months of 2022 totaled $24.5 billion, a 21% increase from the first five months of 2021.
Full-year revenue for 2022 remains on pace to eclipse $58 billion, which would be a new record. The current record of $53 billion was set in 2021.
Sports Betting Revenue Surges Year-Over-Year
AGA found that revenue from online poker, casino gaming, and sports betting totaled $406.4 million in May, a year-over-year increase of 30.9%. Year-to-date, igaming has grossed $2 billion, up 45.6% from the same timeframe in 2021.
Data from US Gaming Review corroborates the AGA’s findings — the three verticals had $407.2 million in revenue in May according to figures submitted by state regulators — up 31.4% from May 2021 ($309.9 million).
Online gambling was live in five states in May 2021, compared to six in May 2022. Connecticut launched in October 2021.
Meanwhile, sports betting from both online and retail sportsbooks totaled $555 million in May, a 102.9% increase from the year-ago month — although there were 26 sports betting markets in 2022, compared to 20 in 2021. For the first five months of the year, revenue from sports wagering was up 78% to $2.7 billion.
Oregon Saw Biggest Gain in Revenue
According to the AGA, 18 of the 31 US jurisdictions that were live with commercial gambling a year ago saw increased revenue year-over-year. That’s down from 24 jurisdictions that saw year-over-year increases in April.
Oregon saw the largest year-over-year increase (114.2%), climbing to $5 million in May 2022. New Hampshire and Virginia were both up 83.4%, at $5.7 million and $42.5 million, respectively. Tennessee ($27.3 million, up 77.4%) and New York ($356.3 million, up 46.3%) were the other states with large year-over-year gains.
AGA said that in the first five months of 2022, four jurisdictions — the District of Columbia (down 21.2%), Kansas (down 0.8%), Mississippi (down 2.5%), and South Dakota (down 1.9%) — had started the year at a slower revenue pace compared to 2021. The association attributed the declines in the last three to decisions by those states to ease pandemic-related restrictions earlier than other igaming states.
Only three states on the AGA’s list — Arizona , Connecticut, and Wyoming — had not launched commercial gaming at this time last year.
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