A focus on entertainment over the last decade mixed with gambling and the recent proliferation of sports betting has begun to skew the casino industry toward a younger audience, according to American Gaming Association President and CEO Bill Miller.

Milner highlighted some trends in the industry during a keynote address at the Global Gaming Expo (G2E) in Las Vegas. The changes in the industry have altered the demographics in the gaming industry and led to some major growth over the last few years.

“A decade ago, the gaming industry was trying to figure out why we weren’t appealing to younger generations,” he said. “The mantra back then was, ‘Well, we’ll get them when they’re 50.’ That’s changing.”

Industry Changes Seem To Be Working

The end of COVID pandemic also played a role in seeing younger people heading to casinos after avoiding social interaction for months, according to Milner. He pointed out that the average age of a casino visitor in 2019 was 50, and that age is now 42.

“This is a huge shift for the industry, and it’s one that we need to keep driving, to stay on the growth trajectory,” he said. “Post pandemic, we are continuing to capture younger adults through innovation such as fast growing mobile and online platforms.”

Online gaming has seen record numbers in recent years and that gaming segment has attracted even younger players with an average age of 34. An omni-channel approach combining live experiences and online gaming and sports betting has paid dividends for the industry.

“For years now the retail industry has pursued an omni-channel approach that combines physical stores with digital platforms to provide a seamless customer experience,” he said. “Millennials and Gen Zers, they’ve come to expect this kind of integrated experience, and our industry is rising to meet those expectations.”

Recent reports noted that the country’s commercial gaming revenue reached $17.63 billion for the second quarter, the industry’s 14th consecutive quarter of annual revenue growth and the highest-grossing second quarter performance on record.