Everything from the national economy to the increased competition for consumers’ gambling dollars has been blamed on the tourism decrease in Sin City.
One growing factor is the ease and availability of offshore sportsbooks, which continue to siphon action away from brick-and-mortar casinos, giving bettors more flexibility—and fewer tax concerns—than what’s currently offered in Las Vegas.
Leaving Las Vegas
June was a tough month for Las Vegas tourism, as reports show an 11.3% year-over-year decrease. However, June and July are scorchers in the desert, and not many are prepared for that intense heat in the summer months. However, that’s true in any year, so a year-over-year slump must be attributed to other factors besides the weather.
Conventions in Las Vegas are big business, but in June 2025, there was a 10.7% decrease in convention attendance compared to June 2024. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitor Authority’s (LVCVA) June report showed an estimated 3.1 million people came to the city, down from nearly 3.5 million in June 2024. Harry Reid International Airport showed passenger counts fell by 6.3% in June 2025 compared to last June.
“Reflecting the broader backdrop of persistent economic uncertainty and weaker consumer confidence, compounded by a slower convention month, the destination saw a -11% YoY (year-over-year) decline in visitation, hosting approximately 3.1M visitors,” according to the LVCVA.
Aside from increased competition with 39 states now offering mobile, retail, or both sports betting and seven states offering iGaming, as well as land-based casinos dotting the national landscape, there is also the concern from bettors about the decrease from 100% to 90% gambling losses effective January 1, 2026, under the new budget bill.
This is a major issue, especially for casinos that rely on “whales” to feed their slot machines and play at the tables. Let’s also not forget about professional sports bettors who do not hesitate to wager heavily at the windows.
Late last week, the House Ways and Means Committee was in Las Vegas, no doubt getting an earful from disgruntled bettors and Nevada legislators. However, the meeting spawned a ray of hope when the committee said the following:
“For those of you concerned about this change, I can tell you that members on both sides of the aisle have heard you, and I know that many members on both sides of the aisle are open to working to address it before it goes into effect on January 1.”
Good News Generated From Gaming
Although the occupancy rate may have been down at the hotels, which has a reverberating effect on bars, restaurants, and entertainment, gaming was not affected. Clark County, of which Las Vegas is part, is the epicenter for gambling in Nevada, and the following numbers show positive year-over-year growth.
- Las Vegas Strip – Up 0.88%
- Downtown Las Vegas – Up 10.48%
- North Las Vegas – Up 4.7%
- Laughlin – Up 6.61%
- Boulder Strip – Up 19.32%
- Mesquite – Up 2.44%
- Rest of Clark County – Up 5.41%
In June, Nevada won more than $1.3 billion from gaming revenues. Positive earnings calls from Red Rock Resorts and Boyd Gaming showed that gambling is not slowing down in Nevada.
Keith Smith, President and Chief Executive Officer of Boyd Gaming, said, “Growth in play among our local guests more than offset softness in play from our out-of-town customers. We remain confident in the prospects for the Southern Nevada economy and the future of our local business.”
