Resorts World to Fold Poker Room, Leaving 8 on Vegas Strip
Posted on: March 14, 2026, 02:08h.
Last updated on: March 14, 2026, 02:14h.
- Resorts World Las Vegas will close its poker room March 30
- Rising operational costs drive the ongoing contraction of poker on the Strip
- More then half of all poker rooms in Las Vegas have closed since 2000
Resorts World Las Vegas will close its poker room on March 30, 2026, the casino confirmed this week. The poker room opened along with the property on June 24, 2021, and its closure leaves eight active poker rooms on the Las Vegas Strip.
The first to report the latest closure was poker player Chris Murray, who organizes a regular game at the property. After he shared the news on X, a Resorts World spokesperson confirmed the news to Vital Vegas.
“We look forward to introducing new offerings that reflect our continued commitment to dynamic, high‑quality experiences,” the spokesperson said, though it had no plans to announce.
The announcement comes only six weeks after Planet Hollywood shuttered its poker room, continuing a long-term contraction. Once Resorts World’s room closes, only eight poker rooms will remain on the Strip. Across the Las Vegas Valley, the total number will stand at 17.
Boom Gone Bust
Roughly 40 poker rooms have folded since the early-aughts poker boom — which saw the number swell to 60-70 by 2010 — started busting around 2012.
Most poker rooms have been replaced by slot machines, which don’t require human supervision and vastly outperform poker’s modest rake-based revenue. (In poker, the house doesn’t compete against its guests. It only earns money via a percentage — typically 10% of the pot with a maximum cap of $4 to $6 per hand.)
When Resorts World departs the market, only the following casinos will offer poker rooms on the Strip:
- Aria
- Bellagio
- Caesars Palace
- Horseshoe
- Mandalay Bay
- MGM Grand
- Venetian
- Wynn
Despite the decline in dedicated poker rooms, major tournament events continue to draw strong participation. The World Series of Poker, the largest annual event in the game, is scheduled to run from May 26 to July 15, 2026. Some properties that have recently closed their poker rooms may temporarily reopen them to accommodate tournament traffic; Planet Hollywood has indicated that this is under consideration.
No comments yet