The fourth quarter of 2021 saw further recovery across domestic gaming markets, while overseas operations remained hindered due to the COVID-19 pandemic that caused worldwide economic fallout in early 2020. Overall industry results reflected a continued recovery trajectory almost two years since the pandemic began.
With 2021 in the books, a number of the world’s largest publicly traded gaming companies released fourth quarter earnings reports that showed significant recovery from both the prior quarter and year, with domestic operations driving the trend. In the latest calendar year, a record-setting $53.0 billion in gross gaming revenue was recorded across the United States, shattering the previous high from 2019 by 21.0 percent, according to the American Gaming Association. Major domestic markets all reported triple-digit percentage point improvements on the year, while some inched closer to their prepandemic levels. Additionally, 23 of the 34 states in which commercial gaming is legal posted annual records for revenue in 2021, including major markets in Nevada, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Ohio.