G2E Recap 2025: Your Backstage Pass

“It began with machines built to serve humanity…” and then — cue ominous music — the machines take over. Terminator themed movies were running through my head walking the floor at this year’s Global Gaming Expo (G2E) in Las Vegas, celebrating its 25th anniversary. AI was everywhere — in booth names, in sales pitches, in “game-changing” promises. I was wondering what our industry would really look like in another decade.

What I love — and what I hope AI really delivers — is time. Time for our team members to do what Raving has always called “guest worship.” The goal isn’t to replace connection with convenience, but to use tech to free up space for what matters most: hospitality with heart.

After 25 years in this business, and being a little closer to retirement than my first G2E badge, these gatherings have become something deeper for me. We catch up on families before we talk business. We ask about health, adventures, and grandkids. I’ve seen friends move to new casinos, new businesses, new states — and every time, I’m just happy they’re still in our world. You can see that energy and friendship in Deana Scott’s interview with Michael Fairbanks, General Manager-Mole Lake Casino Lodge & Event Center.

We’ve weathered a lot together. The first G2E happened right after 9/11, when Raving organized a unique fundraiser for the Red Cross at our booth. We pushed through the lean years after the 2008 recession. Then came COVID — a time of enormous loss and reflection. And this year, loss came again in the form of saying goodbye to Chairman Ernest L. Stevens Jr.

On Monday of the show, Jason Giles, Executive Director of the Indian Gaming Association, led a heartfelt tribute to Chairman Stevens. The room was standing-room only as Vice Chair David Bean and Frances Alvarez, Chairwoman of the Tribal Gaming Protection Network, shared personal stories — from his early years in Los Angeles and his basketball court tactics to his belief that leadership is built on integrity, respect, and conversation.

Chairman Stevens helped open doors for Tribal representation at G2E — ensuring that Indian Country had a seat and a voice in an event that was once focused almost entirely on commercial gaming. Today, Tribal gaming enterprises drive billions in revenue and support millions of jobs across the country. And yet, as an industry, we still have a long way to go to fully recognize the scale and strength of that contribution. His legacy reminds us that progress takes persistence — and partnership.

“This year’s G2E felt different,” said Deana Scott, CEO of Raving. “Chairman Stevens’ absence left a space that you could feel. His leadership, humor, and heart were woven into this industry, especially for those of us who’ve worked in Tribal gaming our entire careers. But what gives me hope is seeing so many new leaders stepping up with that same integrity and compassion that he championed.

As someone who’s spent her career balancing technology and people, I’ve learned that innovation means nothing if it doesn’t serve relationships. Whether it’s AI or leadership training, it’s about being intentional — using tools and data to make us more human, not less. That’s what we try to teach and practice every day at Raving and Tribal Gaming and Hospitality Magazine. And having the chance to host our Native Networking Night again this year — thanks to the support of our incredible sponsors — reminded me how powerful this community really is. It’s not just an industry; it’s a family.”

So, fast forward to Thursday night. The show was done, my feet were tired, and like so many of you, I found myself sitting on the tarmac in Las Vegas, waiting to head home. A short 45-minute flight to Reno turned into four hours that the pilot attributed to air traffic control issues and lightning storms. The man next to me, clearly out of patience, was muttering f-bombs under his breath at the flight attendants. I was so hoping he was not going to cause such a ruckus we’d lose our place in the 20 plane line to get him off the plane.

And I thought — this is it. This is life, and maybe a metaphor for our industry, too. Everyone’s tired, everyone wants to move forward, and yet the best thing we can do is pause, be patient, and offer a little compassion (and maybe a snack).

Maybe that’s the real legacy of 25 years of G2E — not just machines or markets or new tech acronyms. It’s people. It’s connection. It’s the belief that even when we’re all stuck on the tarmac together, we’ll eventually get where we’re going — and hopefully, in better spirits than we started.

We had the opportunity to chat with a lot of amazing people this year that are working hard to bring the best products and services to our industry, so please check out our interviews below.

Thank you to all our subscribers for your support and friendship throughout the years.

Most sincerely,

Christine Faria

Executive Editor, Tribal Gaming and Hospitality Magazine