Best quotes of G2E 2022

One of the world’s preeminent gaming conferences offered plenty to say about the future of the industry.

This year’s Global Gaming Expo (G2E) in Las Vegas featured some of the biggest names in gaming along with more than 25,000 attendees, the biggest crowd since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are some of the most interesting quotes.

“Last year’s record performance is by and large fueled by pent-up demand. But this year, we proved that it wasn’t a fluke, and we have shown continued strength. And I don’t think that’s going to be changing anytime soon. So the question really is, how do we use this momentum to reach even greater heights for the industry.”

– American Gaming Association President Bill Miller speaking on gaming’s recent success after the onset of the pandemic

“Whoever these people are, whoever these operators are, this is the lesson they have to take. Go to a tattoo shop, have this put somewhere on your body: I will never underestimate California tribes again.”

– James Siva, Vice Chairman, Morongo Band of Mission Indians, on commercial sports betting companies trying to pass an online sportsbook ballot measure in California the tribes opposed

“And I think that the NFL’s position on sports gambling, I understand why it’s measured because the long-term success of this industry and the NFL partnership that some of the operators and some of the manufacturers have with the NFL is really important to not just be a short game. It’s really a long game.”

– Las Vegas Raiders President Sandra Douglass Morgan discussing the NFL’s approach to sports betting partnerships

“This is not an ‘if’ question, Contessa, it’s a ‘when’.”

– Las Vegas casino owner Derek Stevens responding to CNBC’s Contessa Brewer on a future NBA franchise in Las Vegas

“At the end of the day for us, as wild and funny and dynamic as Barstool is, we’re a business. And so I’m like, ‘hey, the name of the game has changed.’ And we’re gonna play by these rules. And we’re still going to do it our way, but we’re going to make sure that we’re at the front of the line in terms of dotting our eyes and crossing our T’s.”

– Barstool CEO Erika Nardini on her company’s integration into Penn National

“I think you’ll see more momentum toward ’24, hopefully, maybe even in ’22, but probably more likely in ’24 when that’s getting passed.”

– DraftKings CEO Jason Robins on California sports betting legalization hopes

“A consumer goes to the movies, and they spend $20 on a movie ticket and don’t get anything inherently valuable for that other than two hours of entertainment. They traded $20 for two hours of entertainment. That’s the ethos that we need to emulate, if this is going to be a successful long-term sustainable industry, where betting on sports is enhancing your consumption of sports.”

– Betr Co-Founder Joey Levy on how sportsbooks should perceive sports betting

“Omnichannel.”

– Bally’s Chair Soo Kim on his company’s strategy for gaming success

“This is a catastrophe in the making. And this is an existential issue for the industry. It’s a reputational issue for our industry, and we need to get on it and we need to help get in on it. We need help from our regulators and lawmakers. We need help putting these people behind bars if that’s what it takes, prosecuting them. And it’s a real issue.”

– Penn Entertainment CEO Jay Snowden discussing unlicensed offshore sites and unregulated gaming machines