Speaking ahead of the official opening of the three-day event on Tuesday, Miller said that it was necessary to pursue sustainable evolution and innovation to meet customer demands post-Covid.

“I think that it’s important, it’s one of the things that I say to government leaders in the US all the time, is we need you to understand that that evolution is because of the customer, and that at the end of the day, we want to be where the customer is, in the same way that every other discretionary, consumer-facing industry does,” said the president of the AGA.

While acknowledging the exchange of information and intelligence between Macau and Las Vegas, Miller underscored the pivotal relationship between business leaders and regulators, emphasising the need for collaboration and mutual understanding.

“So I think that’s one of the most important things is to see the evolution, both from the business leader perspective, as well as the regulatory perspective,” he added.

“It is very important that regulators and operators have an arm-length relationship, but it doesn’t have to be adversarial. If we demonstrate that we’re responsible, then we should have regulators that are not adversarial to us.”

Furthermore, Miller addressed the consequences of potential bad apples acting in a “predatory” manner towards the communities in which the industry operates.

“If we act in a manner not consistent with our values, not consistent with being responsible to the communities in which we operate, then we kind of deserve to have an adversarial relationship,” he told attendees.

“So I think it’s really up to the industry leaders to set the table for it, and make sure that it comports with the values that the regulators are looking for, whether it be here or in the U.S. or anywhere else in the world.”