June’s report from the Las Vegas tourism bureau reveals that tourism has plummeted from last June, but surprisingly, it did not affect the casinos, as gambling was up slightly.
Las Vegas Lacking
We have all read stories of quiet Las Vegas resorts and viewed pictures of empty casinos. But let’s face it, those anecdotes can be crafted to fit a certain narrative that Las Vegas, Nevada, is a waning tourist destination due to spiraling costs and lacking the gambling exclusivity it once enjoyed.
LVCVA Report Reveals Sharp Decline
However, numbers don’t lie, and if we believe what the Las Vegas Convention and Visitor Authority’s (LVCVA) June report showed, then we can see that the year-over-year report in June showed an 11.3% decrease in visitors to Glitter Gulch. Moreover, the travelers visiting Sin City tumbled from 3.5 million in June 2024 to 3.1 million in June 2025, while Harry Reid International Airport reported a 6.3% year-over-year decline.
“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.
Rising Costs Deter Would-Be Visitors
The weather in the desert during the summer months is toasty, to put it mildly, but the same blistering, arid landscape that faced customers last year did so again this year, so what has changed? Resort fees coupled with increasing prices have made the allure of all-you-can-eat buffets and free shows not the economic bargain it once was.
We should also point out that people now have options if they want to gamble legally. Tribal and commercial casinos have sprouted up throughout the country, and getting a bet down on your favorite team is as close as the sportsbook app on your phone. The glitz and glamour of a Vegas vacation have been tarnished, and the resort owners and workers are now feeling the pinch.
Locals to the Rescue
It wasn’t all doom and gloom for Clark County and Las Vegas, in particular, as the gaming numbers reflect a slight year-over-year increase. After perusing the figures released in June 2025, we can see that gambling has not missed a beat, as reflected by June’s report.
- 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%
Nevada’s gambling destinations report a $1.3 billion haul in June, and recent earnings calls from Red Rock Resorts and Boyd Gaming revealed an uptick in gambling.
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.”
Local residents continue to visit the casinos unabated and will often find better odds at downtown locations and those well off the Strip. Yet, even the high-priced resorts located on the Las Vegas Strip showed a slight increase in gambling, which means those who are staying in those resorts are gambling more heavily, and perhaps some of the locals have decided to venture where the tourists normally visit.
Concerns Over Upcoming Tax Rule Change
Lastly, Nevada’s House Ways and Means Committee gathered in Las Vegas and heard gamblers’ concerns regarding the recent decrease from 100% to 90% gambling loss write-offs that will take effect on January 1st, 2026. This will force customers to pay additional tax even if they lose money gambling. Members of the House Ways and Means Committee got the message loud and clear when it issued the following statement.
“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.”
