“We’ve been waiting a long time for this,” Carrison said after the 2020 G2E was reduced to a virtual event during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Carrison said hundreds of vendors participating in the show have been waiting for two years to show off their latest innovations in a variety of categories, including slots, table games, sports betting, igaming, and payment modernization.

Many providers came this year as visitors and others hired a suite to meet with their customers. Although there are less visitors that in previous editions, all the attendees are happy to return to a face to face show.

Meredith Pallante, vice president, global events, American Gaming Association, said it’s been a difficult 18 months since the start of the pandemic, but that G2E showcases the gaming industry’s resilience.

“We’re reconvening after one of the toughest times in our industry’s history where casino operators shuttered their doors,” Pallante said. “We learned how to get back open and now here we are, having one of the best years on record. It’s a very exciting time for our industry to be back together for G2E in Las Vegas.”
The conference and educational sessions help the industry reconnect with one another, review common problems they’re facing, and explore the solutions being developed, Pallante said.

AGA President and CEO Bill Miller kicked off the show Tuesday morning, followed by Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak and U.S. Rep. Dina Titus of Las Vegas. CNBC reporter Contessa Brewer will interview casino executives Wednesday.

As for projections for show attendance, organizers said it won’t reach the levels of 2019, when they had just shy of 30,000. “We know that this year isn’t the same from what we’ve seen in the past,” Carrison said. “(Even so), we’ve had a steady stream of attendance coming in even this morning.”

The show also has a virtual component with some of the educational sessions and that’s drawing interest.
After its worst year in history, the U.S. gaming industry is roaring back by every measurement, American Gaming Association president and CEO Bill Miller said Tuesday. Revenue is above the record pace of 2019, suppliers’ sales are increasing, and the commitment to promoting responsible gaming and social awareness is strong, he said. “The industry has never been more united. We’ve never been more determined or, really, better positioned for success,” Miller said in a keynote address before the opening of the trade-floor exhibition at the Global Gaming Expo.