Tight Slots Lift Las Vegas Strip Gaming Revenue Despite Flat Tourism

Gaming revenue on the Las Vegas Strip made gains in September despite stagnant tourism numbers.

The Nevada Gaming Control Board reports that gross gaming revenue (GGR) on the Strip totaled $693.5 million last month, representing a 0.8% increase over September 2025.

The marginal growth was driven by slots, which posted an overall hold rate of 8.23%, up from 8.04% a year ago. Slot GGR was $452.6 million.

Revenue from table games and sports betting was 3% lower at $240.9 million. Barry Jonas of Truist Securities said table game bets were down 5%, but strong hold minimized the damage.

Blackjack win was down 6% at $94 million, and craps GGR fell 25% to $32.6 million. 3-Card Poker, mini-baccarat, bingo, Let It Ride, and Pai Gow Poker were all lower.

Baccarat was an outlier, as the banker-versus-player table game generated GGR of $58.6 million, up 12%. Roulette also fared well, with revenue surging 20% to $33.6 million.

Jonas noted that September benefited from having the Labor Day holiday weekend.

Statewide, GGR was flat at $1.28 billion. September marked the state’s 67th consecutive month with gaming revenue over $1 billion. The streak began with March 2021. The previous record of $1B+ revenue was only eight months, running from October 2006 to May 2007.

Las Vegas Tourism

The Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority (LVCVA) reports that overall visitation was flat in September, with nearly 3.1 million people making their way to the destination. Convention attendance grew 1.8% to approximately 436,200 attendees.

Strip casinos are seemingly trying to bring leisure travelers back, as resort hotel rooms lowered prices by almost 11% to $185. Downtown casino hotels were also cheaper, down 3% to $96.

Attractive rates weren’t enough, as Las Vegas hotel occupancy was lower at 78.1%, with weekend occupancy at 89.8%. Strip hotels reported RevPAR (revenue per available room) of $139.51, almost 7% lower.

Through September, the LVCVA says visitor volume was flat, down 0.1%, from 2025.

October Outlook

Las Vegas is poised for an October rebound. Along with having one additional Saturday in 2026 than in 2025, Halloween falls on a Saturday this year. Strip GGR in October 2025 totaled $748.8 million.

October 2026 hosted several major conventions, including the National Association of Convenience Stores (~26K attendees), National Business Association Convention and Exhibition (~17K attendees), FABTECH (~40K attendees), and SuiteWorld (~24K attendees).