The Future of Land-based Gaming in the Americas: A Leadership Perspective

By Raul Bouchot, Vice President – Gaming, PureSoftware

As we navigate through 2025, the land-based casino gaming industry in the Americas is undergoing a fundamental transformation. Traditionally seen as brick-and-mortar entertainment venues, casinos are now becoming hybrid ecosystems that integrate physical infrastructure with digital capabilities, immersive content, and personalized player engagement. From Las Vegas to Lima, regulatory modernization, technological advancement, and shifting player demographics are reshaping what it means to lead in this market.

Americas in Motion: A Market in Transition

The Americas—spanning North, Central, and South America—represent one of the most diverse and high-growth regions for land-based gaming. According to the American Gaming Association, U.S. commercial gaming revenue reached $71.9 billion in 2024, marking the fourth consecutive year of record growth. Of this, land-based casino slot machines and table games generated $49.3 billion, highlighting the continued strength of physical gaming venues despite digital expansion (AGA, 2024). Meanwhile, the National Indian Gaming Commission reported that tribal gaming revenue totalled $41.9 billion in 2023, reaffirming its critical role in the broader U.S. gaming landscape (NIGC, 2024).

As these revenues soar, understanding the regulatory frameworks that govern the industry becomes critical to unlocking further growth. In Mexico, a country regulated by the Secretaría de Gobernación (SEGOB), nearly 380 land-based gaming establishments were legally authorized as of late 2023 (SEGOB, 2023). This diverse regulatory landscape is both a challenge and an opportunity for operators aiming to expand across jurisdictions.

Understanding Class II and Class III Gaming

To fully grasp the dynamics shaping the Americas’ gaming market, it’s essential to understand the regulatory classifications that govern tribal casinos, which is a significant segment of the industry. A key distinction in U.S. tribal gaming lies in the classification of casino operations:

• Class II gaming includes bingo and certain non-banked card games, regulated directly by tribal governments with oversight from the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC).
• Class III gaming, often referred to as traditional casino gaming (slots, table games, etc.), requires tribal-state compacts and is subject to more complex regulatory scrutiny.

Understanding this split is critical for gaming suppliers and operators tailoring game portfolios or entering tribal jurisdictions.

Foundations of the Future: Building Blocks of Casino Innovation

Innovation is reshaping how casinos engage players and comply with regulations, laying the foundation for future success. Today’s players expect interconnected experiences. Loyalty rewards earned at physical slot machines are redeemable via mobile apps. Live leaderboard tournaments in casinos are now broadcast across social platforms. This hybrid model is powered by cloud-based architectures and robust integration frameworks that enable omnichannel consistency.

Artificial intelligence is helping casinos dynamically adjust game difficulty, bonus offers, and even table layouts based on real-time behavior. Such personalization boosts player retention while aligning with responsible gaming mandates increasingly emphasized by regulators in markets such as Canada and Chile.

Compliance-Driven Development

Yet, innovation cannot come at the expense of regulatory adherence; compliance must be integrated into every stage of game development. The Americas comprise numerous regulatory jurisdictions, each with unique certification requirements and evolving frameworks. In this environment, game testing and compliance are non-negotiable. Embedding pre-compliance assessments, RNG validations, and responsible gaming audits early in the development lifecycle is essential to ensure smooth market entry and regulatory approval across diverse territories.

Regulatory Frameworks: A Patchwork of Complexity

This integration is complicated by a fragmented regulatory environment that requires local expertise. In the U.S., commercial casinos are regulated on a state-by-state basis, with states like Nevada, New Jersey, and Michigan leading in enforcement maturity. Tribal gaming is regulated federally through the NIGC, though state compacts define operational boundaries.

In Canada, provinces independently regulate casinos, with Ontario’s Alcohol and Gaming Commission (AGCO) being a model for hybrid land-based and iGaming regulation.

In Latin America, Brazil is in the process of legalizing integrated resorts and land-based casinos, potentially creating one of the world’s largest new regulated markets. Meanwhile, Colombia is already recognized for its progressive regulatory framework, particularly in hybrid gaming formats.

Opportunities and Challenges in Land-Based Gaming Growth

Navigating this complex landscape presents both substantial growth potential and significant operational challenges. While North America continues to dominate revenues, the real expansion potential lies in Latin America. Brazil’s legalization push, coupled with demographic shifts and mobile-first entertainment consumption, is making the region a magnet for investment. However, operators must navigate socio-political sensitivities and localized content preferences to succeed.

In Mexico, strong demand exists for land-based entertainment experiences, especially in border cities and tourist zones. However, the licensing structure under SEGOB requires careful navigation, especially for foreign entrants.

Partnering for Scalable Innovation

Meeting these challenges demands strategic collaboration and technology partnerships. At PureSoftware, we work with leading gaming operators and suppliers to power next-gen gaming across Class II and Class III categories, providing:

• End-to-end game testing and regulatory pre-compliance tailored to the Americas
• Modular integration frameworks for hybrid environments
• Localization and cultural content adaptation

We believe that modernization is not just about technology. It’s about creating systems and content that resonate with local markets while meeting the global standards of fairness, safety, and innovation.

Beyond Revenue: Building the Casino Ecosystem of Tomorrow

The future of casino gaming in the Americas is not just about revenue growth, it’s about ecosystem evolution. As we blend heritage with high-tech, the operators who lead will be those who balance compliance, creativity, and connectivity.

From Las Vegas to São Paulo, the Americas are setting the stage for what the next decade of land-based gaming will look like, and it’s more integrated, immersive, and intelligent than ever.