Las Vegas Casinos Win $689.4 Million in April Despite Drop in Visitors
Posted on: June 1, 2026, 12:59h.
Last updated on: June 1, 2026, 12:59h.
- Casino revenue in Las Vegas totaled $689.4 million in April
- Las Vegas remains amid a tourism slump
- Big changes are set for the Las Vegas Strip in the coming months and years
The Las Vegas visitor slowdown has persisted in 2026, but casinos have nonetheless managed to grow gaming revenue.
The Nevada Gaming Control Board reports that statewide gross gaming revenue (GGR) in April reached $1.29 billion. April was 5% higher than April 2025, and brings year-to-date casino win to $5.3 billion, 2.7% richer than the first four months a year ago.
April was propelled by a strong month on the Las Vegas Strip, where GGR climbed almost 7% to $689.4 million. Baccarat led the way for Strip properties, with the popular banker versus player table game accounting for more than $124.8 million, a 15% increase on the prior year.
Blackjack also fared well, with players losing $53.4 million on the Strip, a 6% year-over-year premium. Craps soared 62% to $24.3 million, and revenue from slot machines ticked 5% higher to $407 million.
Visitor Blues, Casino Gains
April’s strong result came in the face of fewer visitors in Las Vegas. The Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority (LVCVA) reports that an estimated 3.27 million people traveled to the area last month, a 1.8% year-over-year decline.
The tourism promoter said convention attendance climbed over 3% to 592,100 attendees. Las Vegas benefited from hosting the NAB, Google NEXT, and Coverings tradeshows. As for special events, the Sick New World music festival, the NCAA Frozen Four college hockey championship, WrestleMania, and Bruno Mars’ The Romantic Tour all took place in April.
Conventions and special events weren’t enough to overcome a slowdown in general leisure travel. Casino rooms on the Strip were occupied at a rate of 85.8%, down 1.8% from April 2025. Hotels still charged more, with the average nightly rate up $3 to $206. The total number of occupied room nights throughout Las Vegas was 2.2% lower at 3.74 million stays.
Year to date, Las Vegas visitor volume is flat, down 0.2%, to 13 million guests. The count follows 2025, when visitation slowed by 7.5%.
The tourism woes extended to Harry Reid International Airport. Arriving and departing passengers totaled 4.3 million fliers, a 7.1% decline from April 2025. Southwest remained the top carrier at LAS with 1.76 million passengers. Delta was a distant second at 447,670 passengers.
Some good news regarding Las Vegas is that a recent poll suggested the public’s sentiment regarding the destination remains strong. Truist Securities reports that three in four tourists think Las Vegas provides value, and 65% said their perception of the destination has improved over the past few years.
Strip Changes
The Las Vegas Strip is poised for big changes in the coming months and years.
Along with Hard Rock’s multibillion-dollar development, Golden Nugget billionaire Tilman Fertitta last week agreed to acquire Caesars Entertainment for $17.6 billion. MGM Resorts is also being pursued by billionaire Barry Diller. Diller’s media conglomerate, People’s Inc., is already MGM’s largest shareholder with a 26% position.
No comments yet