Layoffs at The Venetian Las Vegas Raise More Questions
Posted on: September 2, 2025, 01:54h.
Last updated on: September 12, 2025, 07:44h.
UPDATE: A spokesperson for the Venetian emailed Casino.org on September 12, stating that this story was incorrect.
“Over the past weeks, we’ve onboarded more than 50 new team members,” wrote Devin Deatherage of Kirvin-Doak Communications. “Departures are part of the course of normal business operations, and any recent departures are just that.”
EARLIER: Layoffs at the Venetian are the latest example of Las Vegas casino operators responding with their actions to the headlines they’re downplaying with their words. Via a statement to the media, the Las Vegas Strip property confirmed that “less than 50” of its 8,500 team members were let go last week.
According to Casino.org‘s own Vital Vegas, this was the second staff cut made by the Venetian since July.
The “less than 50” in the property’s statement is notable not only for its incorrect grammar, but because of compliance with the WARN (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification) Act. This federal law, enacted in 1988, protects workers by requiring advance notice of significant layoffs, giving them time to prepare for the transition.
According to the WARN Act, no large business may lay off 50 or more employees at a single site during a 30-day period without 60 days’ written notice to the affected employees, their union representatives, and state/local government officials. Employers who don’t comply may be liable for back pay for up to 60 days and civil penalties for failing to notify local government entities.
What’s Really Happening Here?
In TIME Magazine’s August cover story, workers and union leaders described the current situation not only as worse than any summer they had previously experienced, but worse than the COVID-19 pandemic. All feared the downturn — which the author attributed to economic uncertainty, rising costs, and geopolitical tension — would not be short-lived.
Las Vegas saw a 12% decline in visitation in July — the last month for which statistics were released — compared to July 2024, marking the sixth consecutive month of year-over-year declines. Hotel occupancy rates also dropped to 66.7% in early July 2025, down nearly 17% from the same period in 2024.
On March 26, Resorts World similarly announced the termination of “less than 50” full-time employees.
On May 27, the Fontainebleau laid off as many as 60 table game dealers. And according to the reliable X news source Las Vegas Locally, Treasure Island enacted its second round of layoffs this summer during the week of August 23.
If casinos truly believe that Las Vegas’ current downturn was only temporary, then why are these layoffs not merely furloughs?
Last Comments ( 49 )
Maybe .....They get rid of their fees and price gouging and wow what a concept ...you wont have this problem or need to lay people off !!!! .The airlines are flying HALF as many people to Vegas so these choices they have made are effecting others as well
Basically, The Venetian said this decision was made with thoughtful consideration of how not to get sued because we laid off less than 50 people. We are guided by our core values of making money regardless of the people who help us make that money. We recognize that transitions like these can be challenging for us, but we are not willing to lose our money, so for our sake, we had to let go of those we considered less than us, for us to continue living the lifestyle we believe we deserve. Las Vegas has gotten RIDICULOUS! It used to be reasonably priced (like many things were, before the excuse of COVID to raise prices). Now it's completely outrageously overpriced. The rich want to become richer, while everyone who keeps the rich rich struggles. It's just like slavery. They keep making more, as they call all hard workers lazy if they can't serve off scraps, and they continue raising prices.
The Bellagio now delivers your $48 room service ketchup spaghettis in a brown paper box. Asking for silverware adds a $25 "service fee" ... I'm sure the finger meatballs and the $ x00 "resort fee" for "access to a boarding pass printer" have absolutely nothing to do with this ... right? right?
Anthony called those who don't like the price gouging broke LOOSERS Well there is gambling 25 minutes from my house in Pa No resort fees No parking fees I don't need Vegas LAS VEGAS NEEDS ME
The people of Las Vegas can blame the visitors all they want, but the reality is that Vegas has gotten too greedy. I’ll give you some examples 1. I have paid $30 for a hamburger and fries. 2. I have paid $69 to get into a buffet. 3. I actually won a $1200 jackpot on a $100 machine, and it was three credits so I was playing $300 at a time and the jackpot was only $1200. Just enough to pay 1/3 for taxes.They are robbing us and it is about time people stand up and say they’re not gonna take it anymore. Yes, we love your city. It is absolutely gorgeous and we don’t mind spending money, but you’ve gotten too greedy for the average person. Those parking fees, and resort fees are really unfair. And on top of all that the jackpots that they give out are minimum compared to what they are taking in on a daily basis. They deserve what they are getting now. Hopefully, they will think about the monster they have created. back down a little bit and all of the people who love Vegas will come back. I love Vegas, I usually come four times a year, but I’m not returning until they do.
The Venetian and Palazzo are currently owned by a blood sucking private equity firm intent on a pump and dump scheme. That's partially why they're doing this. Rumor is they're looking for a buyer and trying to make it as attractive as possible to get the biggest payday possible.
All of you losers that are crying about vegas being to expensive are broke losers who come here and don't gamble. All you have to do is gamble a little and you get everything free don't come here if your broke and cant afford to gamble get a life go cry somewhere else
Jermale- you pointed out. Your union can’t really protect you when you call off and are late often enough to hit discipline thresholds. Sounds like your former employer dodged a bullet by getting rid of you. Zero accountability for yourself.
Yeah, costs are too high for Las Vegas period. But the strip casino corporate execs could care less. As long as executive comp is strong and their stock options look good. That’s all that matters to them. They could care less about the line workers or the guests. Unless the guests are very wealthy and can give them lots of money.
Vegas is too much of an interest in attracting high rollers and neglecting everyone else. If that’s their objective then they should cut back on building more resorts and stop expanding more rooms. The house advantage should be equal for high rollers and regular gamblers. Currently high roller slot machine return 90+% while regular slots are in the 80s%. Low minimum tables black jack is 6/5 with running shuffle, triple zeros roulette. Just because people are not wealthy doesn’t mean they can’t do math. Would an ordinary gambler dump $2k for rooms, $1k for foods and $3k bankroll for the weekend? They could go nearby and easily spend less and have $5 bankroll.
Vegas in a whole is down. There are to many up charges on everything. WiFi to parking and the high cost of resort fees plus room tax and sales tax. You get nothing anymore. People come to enjoy the restaurants the gaming but no one can afford it anymore because the cost alone to stay is way to much. Cost of rooms are crazy and most people are not even in the room that much. It has gone to pure money hungry owners and less caring for the guests.
Maybe if the Venetian didn’t charge $700 a night for a room then maybe people could afford to go to Vegas. I stayed there for years but now it’s just too much
The downturn started when casinos got greedy and began charging for basics like parking. What used to be free—valet, self-parking, even Wi-Fi—suddenly came with a fee, on top of the ever-growing resort charges. Visitors notice. Instead of coming to Las Vegas and paying for what should be included, many are choosing local casinos in Southern California—Pechanga, Agua Caliente, Pala, Yaamava, Morongo, and others—that offer a better value without nickel-and-diming their guests. If Las Vegas wants to win people back, it needs to cut the extra fees and bring back free parking and fair pricing cut avoid nonsense resort fees
The downward spiral is because the casinos got greedy and started charging for parking. They need to go free valet parking and free self parking
I was a victim to this! Just let go for no reason, well it was for my attendance but I was even questioning that situation. I even had a union representative there but the crazy thing is I seen the person talk to the union rep before the meeting and she didn't say nothing honestly she barely knew English. So the fact this is what's going on, I might want to talk to the union personally.