Former American Gaming Affiliation (AGA) CEO Geoff Freeman helped remodel the US gaming {industry} by efficiently petitioning the Supreme Court docket to overview the longstanding federal sports activities betting ban in 2018. The nation’s excessive courtroom in Might of that very same 12 months overturned the Skilled and Newbie Sports activities Safety Act (PASPA) and made sports activities betting legality a state’s proper.
Geoff Freeman is ready to turn into the following CEO of the US Journey Affiliation. Freeman’s resume contains 5 years on the helm of the American Gaming Affiliation. (Picture: US Journey Affiliation)
Freeman, thought of one of many nation’s prime lobbyists, was subsequently poached from the AGA in June 2018 by the Grocery Producers Affiliation. Freeman has led that commerce affiliation since, which was renamed the Shopper Manufacturers Affiliation in 2020.
Now, Freeman is ready for one more new gig. The US Journey Affiliation, the nationwide nonprofit that represents all parts of the journey industries, has named him as its subsequent chief govt.
Freeman is not any stranger to US Journey. He served because the group’s SVP of public affairs, govt VP, and chief working officer earlier than departing for the AGA in July 2013. The affiliation cited Freeman’s gaming {industry} expertise in introducing him as its incoming CEO.
“As CEO of the American Gaming Affiliation … Freeman led an industry-wide marketing campaign to legalize sports activities betting and expanded the group’s membership to incorporate tribal gaming entities,” the US Journey Affiliation launch learn.
The group moreover pointed to Freeman’s management navigating the Shopper Manufacturers Affiliation into its new id, and serving to to “re-establish the affiliation as a Washington, DC, powerhouse.”
Essential Position Throughout Essential Time
The COVID-19 pandemic damage practically each {industry}, however journey was among the many hardest hit.
The journey {industry}, which is inclusive of on line casino gaming, got here to a standstill in 2020. The pandemic’s restrictions on home journey endured into a lot of final 12 months, too.
An abundance of leftover pandemic pent-up demand spurred a fast restoration in lots of journey segments. For casinos, final 12 months and the primary half of 2022 has been a thriving time, as file gross gaming revenues are being skilled in quite a few states, together with Nevada.
However a chaotic Wall Road, paired with steep inflation, threatens to stampede the roaring post-pandemic 2020s. Freeman is keenly conscious of the potential challenges forward, and the important have to maintain the journey {industry} afloat.
There are few industries extra important to the nation’s financial system, extra linked to shoppers and extra important to bringing Individuals collectively than the journey {industry},” Freeman declared.
Freeman and the US Journey Affiliation will work with Congress to push laws that solely strengthens the affiliation’s many sectors. Freeman will formally enter his function efficient September 1. He replaces Roger Dow, who has been within the function for the previous 17 years.
Casinos US Journey Members
With gaming and resorts a serious part of the home journey {industry}, the nation’s largest on line casino operators are members of the US Journey Affiliation.
Notable gaming operators which can be US Journey members embody MGM Resorts, Caesars Leisure, and Las Vegas Sands. The AGA itself is moreover a member group.
The US Journey Affiliation makes use of a dues mannequin that’s based mostly on every firm’s annual income and {industry} phase.
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