According to reports from the Nevada Gaming Control Board, Nevada casino revenue continued on a downward trajectory.
After experiencing year-over-year revenue decline in February, it was more of the same in March.
The state’s gaming revenue totaled $1.28 billion, a 1.1% decrease from March 2024, when the industry reported $1.29 billion. For the current fiscal year, which started last July, gaming revenue decreased by more than 1.1%.
As it always does, Clark County had a significant impact on the monthly report. The county, home to Las Vegas, saw casino revenue drop 1.8% to $1.1 billion. That included a 4.8% decline from Las Vegas Strip casinos, from $715.9 million last March to $681.7 million this year.
While slot machine revenue was up 4.7% to $681.7 million, table game numbers were down significantly. Baccarat, which attracts high-stakes gamblers to Sin City, was once again a major culprit. Revenue from the game declined 32.3%, but that was less than the 51% drop in February. Total table game revenue was off 16.7% to $262 million.
A decrease in tourism didn’t help the situation, mainly because March typically attracts sports betting tourists coming to town for the NCAA March Madness tournament. However, economic concerns and the accessibility of online sports betting in several jurisdictions were likely factors in the numbers.
Total Las Vegas visitors fell from 3.67 million in March 2024 to 3.38 million, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. So far this year, visitation numbers are down 6.9%, a total of about 725,000.
“With a slightly less‐packed event calendar and as‐yet unclear impacts of evolving federal policies rippling through international and domestic markets, visitation saw a 7.8% year-over-year decline,” the LVCVA noted.
Despite the struggles on the Strip, downtown Las Vegas performed well. Casino revenue in the downtown area rose 11.6% to $85 million. North Las Vegas was also up, increasing 3.2% to $26.5 million, and the Boulder Strip saw growth of 10.2% to $86.3 million. Mesquite saw a revenue increase of 1.3% to $19.4 million.
Reno was a bright spot for the state, rising 10.9% to $57.7 million. However, North Lake Tahoe dropped 4.9% to $1.6 million and South Lake Tahoe declined 7.2% to $14.7 million.
