American Gaming Association
Florida Gambling Market Faces Pressure as Offshore Sites Lure Players
Florida’s gambling picture is shifting again. Court battles over the Seminole Tribe’s compact continue, and legislators are hearing more calls to consider broader online betting.
Even with sports betting tied up in appeals, residents are finding workarounds. Offshore websites still advertise directly to Floridians. Many of them promote speed over safety, boasting that they allow withdrawals with no ID. Regulators say that may sound attractive, but it sidesteps the verification checks required by licensed U.S. operators.
The Seminole Tribe runs the state’s biggest casinos and its Hard Rock brand. Their 2021 compact with the state included online sports betting. That deal faced lawsuits almost immediately, slowing any momentum for a wider rollout. Yet the appetite hasn’t gone away.
People here talk about what’s happening in other states. New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan—they’ve all seen billions wagered online. Tax money follows. Advocates in Florida argue the state is leaving money on the table.
Opponents tell a different story. They warn about access on every phone and the risks that come with it. “Once it’s in an app, you can’t put the genie back in the bottle,” said a Jacksonville-area pastor who has lobbied against expansion. Addiction specialists add that enforcement is more rigid when offshore platforms are already targeting residents.
Tourism officials keep an eye on the numbers, too. Florida casinos, especially in Tampa and South Florida, drive hotel bookings and restaurant traffic. A full online market could change that balance. Some business leaders like the idea of keeping players at home. Others say brick-and-mortar casinos fuel jobs that digital sites will never replace.
For lawmakers in Tallahassee, it’s a tricky call. The Seminole compact brings in revenue through a revenue-sharing deal. Expanding online casinos could mean more money, but also more legal fights with tribes who guard their exclusivity. That divide was one reason ballot measures in 2022 failed, after record spending on both sides.
Residents are split as well. A Miami resident outside a Hard Rock property said this week he enjoys visiting in person. “I wouldn’t mind having it on my phone, but I like the atmosphere here. It’s not the same on a screen.”
Meanwhile, the unregulated market keeps growing. Analysts with the American Gaming Association estimate billions of dollars flow to illegal sites each year nationwide. Florida’s share is significant. Enforcement is difficult, and warnings do little to stop players who want speed, privacy, and access.
The state’s size makes it a prime target. With more than 22 million people, Florida could become one of the largest online casino markets in the country if the law ever changes. For now, the lines hold. The Seminole Tribe runs its venues. Offshore operators keep pushing ads. And residents wait to see if lawmakers will take the next step.
Source: floridadaily.com
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American Gaming Association
Gaming Industry’s Top CEOs Bill Hornbuckle, Peter Jackson & Jason Robins to Keynote G2E 2025
The Global Gaming Expo, presented by the American Gaming Association (AGA) and organized by RX, announced its highly anticipated main stage programming for G2E 2025. Over three days, G2E will feature conversations with some of the most influential voices in gaming and offer diverse perspectives on the future of the industry. G2E 2025 takes place Oct. 6-9 at The Venetian Expo in Las Vegas and marks the event’s 25th year.
“We are honored to welcome a distinguished lineup of key industry leaders to the G2E main stage. As we mark 25 years of G2E, we’re proud to continue to be a catalyst for gaming’s growth, and our programming reflects the ideas and leadership shaping the industry’s future,” said AGA President and CEO Bill Miller.
Progress or Pressure: How Tribes Can Harness Innovation on Their Terms
Monday, Oct. 6 at 4 p.m.
Doors open at 3:30 p.m.
Indian Gaming Association (IGA) Chairman Ernie Stevens Jr. will open the main stage by underscoring the central contributions of tribal operators to the U.S. gaming landscape and the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.
Bringing together leading tribal voices, the program will explore how tribes embrace innovation on their own terms—balancing growth with sovereignty and long-term success. Panelists will address how emerging technologies, evolving business models, and the rise of illegal, unregulated markets are reshaping the competitive environment. The dialogue will highlight both the opportunities to harness new tools for sustainable growth and the pressures of protecting the industry’s integrity in a rapidly changing landscape.
Moderated by IGA’s Executive Director Jason Giles, the conversation will feature:
• Rodney Butler, Chairman, Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation
• James Siva, Chairman, California Nations Indian Gaming Association
Additional participants may be announced in the coming days.
Inside the C-Suite: Gaming’s Future in Focus on Stage
Tuesday, Oct. 7 at 8:45 a.m.
Doors open at 8:15 a.m.
AGA President and CEO Bill Miller will open G2E 2025’s keynote session, welcoming global gaming professionals and underscoring the strength and momentum of legal gaming upon the opening of the industry’s biggest gathering of the year.
Following Miller’s remarks, Hope King, founder of Macro Talk, on-air contributor to Yahoo Finance, and events host and moderator for Axios, will lead an impactful series of one-on-one conversations with top global gaming CEOs. Discussions will address key trends and challenges shaping the industry—including investor expectations, domestic and international expansion, and intensifying competition in regulated and unregulated markets. Featuring:
• Bill Hornbuckle – CEO & President, MGM Resorts International
• Peter Jackson – CEO, Flutter Entertainment
• Jason Robins – CEO, DraftKings
The session will conclude at 10 a.m., immediately followed by the opening of the expo floor.
Breaking the Stigma: An Honest Dialogue on Mental Health
Wednesday, Oct. 8 at 9 a.m.
Doors open at 8:45 a.m.
Multi-sport athlete and mental health advocate Kendall Toole will share her personal journey in a conversation moderated by Global Gaming Women (GGW) Sip & Social Chair Meghan Speranzo. Presented by GGW, the session will foster an open dialogue on mental health, designed to reframe how attendees think about wellness and inspire stronger voices across the gaming industry and beyond. This conversation will be open to all badge holders. Ahead of the discussion, GGW will host their Sip & Social event from 8 a.m. – 8:45 a.m. in the same room.
Presented by the AGA and organized by RX, G2E’s full education lineup features more than 100 sessions. G2E 2025 runs from October 6-9 (Education: October 6-9 | Expo Hall: October 7-9) at the Venetian Expo in Las Vegas.
Since 2001, G2E has served as the premier global event for the legal, regulated gaming industry, fostering innovation and driving growth across casinos, hospitality, technology, iGaming, sports betting, and more. The event will welcome over 25,000 industry professionals from more than 120 countries, regions, and territories, and nearly 400 exhibitors showcasing the latest global gaming technologies.
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Hard Rock Bet has launched a responsible gaming website offering educational content, support resources, and interactive tools.
The Seminole Hard Rock Digital operator said its portal contains information on setting deposit, wager, and session limits.
Users can also find information on using time-out features and self-exclusion, with links to national and state-level resources also included.
“We consider ourselves to be our players’ partner in responsible gaming, and this new site gives our community the guidance, tools and support needed for a confident and enjoyable gaming experience,” said Danny Crook, Hard Rock Digital’s senior vice president of operations.
The responsible gaming website is part of Hard Rock Bet’s role in Responsible Gaming Education Month in the US, organised by the American Gaming Association.
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AGA
Four in Five U.S. Voters Say Sports Events Contracts Should Be Regulated Like Other Online Sportsbooks
The American Gaming Association (AGA) released new research showing strong sentiment that sports events contracts offered through prediction markets—online platforms where users wager on the outcomes of future events—should be regulated in the same way as other forms of legal, state-regulated sports betting. The study also shows that the public overwhelmingly view them as a form of gambling that requires oversight.
Key Findings:
- Americans overwhelmingly recognize sports events contracts as gambling, not financial instruments. 85% say sports events contracts are most like gambling, while only 6% believe they are most like a financial instrument.
- Most Americans want sports events contracts regulated like other forms of sports betting. 80% say that sports event contracts should be regulated like other online sports betting and 65% believe these bets should be overseen by state and tribal gaming regulators, not the federal Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
- Adults agree that sports events contracts should only be offered by state-licensed sportsbooks. 84% of Americans, and 69% of sports bettors, say that sports events contracts should only be available in state-licensed sportsbooks in the states where they are offered. 69% of Americans believe each state should have a say on whether sports events contracts can be offered in their state.
- Americans recognize prediction platforms offering sports event contracts are skirting the law. 70% say prediction platforms offering sports event contracts are exploiting loopholes to act as unlicensed sportsbooks.
“This research has made it clear: Americans know a sports bet when they see one—and they expect prediction markets offering sports event contracts to be held to the same rules and consumer safeguards as every other state-regulated sportsbook,” said AGA President and CEO Bill Miller. “This underscores the need for the CFTC to enforce and uphold its own regulations that prohibit gaming contracts, and for Congress to use its oversight power to ensure prediction markets are not used as a backdoor for gaming.”
With sports betting currently operational in 38 states and Washington, D.C., AGA’s research emphasizes the need for consistent oversight of emerging gaming products to maintain consumer trust and uphold responsible gaming standards.
Methodology
YouGov, on behalf of the AGA, conducted an online survey from August 1-8, among a nationally representative sample of 2,025 registered voters. The margin of error is +/- 2 percent and greater among subgroups.
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