Las Vegas Strip Casinos See Decline Despite Baccarat Boost
April has traditionally been a slower month for Nevada casinos, and this year was no exception. The state reported a nearly 3% decrease in winnings on the Las Vegas Strip compared to the same period last year. However, a substantial boost at the baccarat tables mitigated what could have been a more significant decline. Players lost over $108 million at these tables in April, with casinos witnessing a 48% increase in winnings from March and a 41% rise compared to April 2024.
According to Shelley Newell, senior economic analyst for the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB), "Baccarat volume totaled $573.8 million, up 17.0% or $112.4 million for the Strip." The baccarat hold percentage increased to 13.97% from 11.57% last year, contributing to the improved figures for baccarat.
The most considerable revenue came from multidenominational slot machines, which brought in $652.5 million statewide, marking an 11% increase over April 2024. Newell noted this as a slight increase compared to previous quarters. Overall, the NGCB reported statewide casino winnings of $1.23 billion, a slight decline of 0.47% from April 2024. The Strip's earnings stood at $646.87 million, down 2.88% compared to a year ago.
Factors Influencing the Decline
Recent comparisons to last year have been affected by events like Super Bowl LVIII in February 2024, but now the numbers reflect more consistent conditions. The closure of Tropicana Las Vegas on April 2, 2024, resulted in a loss of rooms, impacting this year's comparison. Additionally, a drop in Canadian tourism and other international travel continues to affect Las Vegas.
The temporary shutdown of The Mirage, as it rebrands to a Hard Rock International property, will introduce further changes in July. March saw a decline in Las Vegas visitation, possibly due to a 3.5% reduction in available hotel rooms compared to 2024 levels. Newell mentioned that several Strip resorts are undergoing renovations, removing 10% to 30% of rooms from availability, which also affects foot traffic and casino play.
Impact of Events and Local Casinos
Las Vegas recently lost two major headliners, Garth Brooks and Carrie Underwood, as they ended their residencies. However, events like WWE managed to draw large crowds, which typically lead to increased volume and play.
Local casinos, categorized as the "balance of Clark County" in the gaming win report, showed steady results, bringing in $164.1 million, the second-highest total behind the Strip. This marked an improvement of 0.52%.
Geographical Breakdown
Here's how different areas fared in April, with comparisons to April 2024:
- Las Vegas Strip: $646,870,396 (-2.88%)
- Balance of Clark County: $164,095,072 (+0.52%)
- Boulder Strip: $89,892,346 (+8.14%)
- Downtown Las Vegas: $83,632,269 (+1.03%)
- Reno: $64,699,483 (+9.15%)
- Laughlin: $40,177,477 (-7.64%)
- North Las Vegas: $24,882,015 (+4.36%)
- Wendover (Elko County): $22,278,053 (+10.09%)
- Mesquite: $17,912,271 (+6.58%)
- South Lake Tahoe: $16,632,183 (-7.57%)
Despite these fluctuations, Nevada casinos are about 1% behind the pace set during the previous fiscal year (July 1-June 30), even with the highest win totals in the state's history recorded in December 2024 and January 2025. Percentage fee collections in May (through May 23) amounted to just over $68 million.