What’s Going on in Las Vegas? Casino Revenue Dips For Third Consecutive Month
Posted on: May 28, 2025, 02:36h.
Last updated on: May 28, 2025, 02:36h.
- Las Vegas casinos struggled in April, as gaming win slowed
- Gross gaming revenue on the Strip was down year-over-year by about 3%
- Criticism regarding supposed nickel-and-diming continues
Las Vegas Strip casino revenue last month fell almost 3% from a year ago to about $646.9 million. April marked the third month in a row where Las Vegas casino win was lower year-over-year.
It might not yet be time to panic, but Nevada gaming operators are certainly becoming increasingly worried about their near-term business outlooks. A rattled global economy due to higher costs and a looming trade war threat from President Donald Trump, paired with recent criticism about Las Vegas no longer providing value and many casinos seemingly trying to poach every dollar out of a guest that they can, has many would-be Sin City travelers are seemingly rethinking their plans.
The Nevada Gaming Control Board revealed today that the Strip’s gross gaming revenue (GGR) April outcome was slots’ fault. While table and sportsbook win was up 1% to $259.4 million, revenue from the terminals was down over 5% at $387.5 million.
Clark County as a whole reported GGR of a little more than $1 billion, a 1.1% decline. The Boulder Strip helped offset some of the Strip’s struggles with a gaming win surge of 8% to $89.9 million.
Statewide, GGR came in at a little more than $1.23 billion, a 0.5% decline compared with April 2024. Nevada casino revenue over the past three months is down almost 4% from last year and down 0.5% over the past 12 months.
Visitation Slows
Along with the poor April gaming report, the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority (LVCVA) exposed today that Southern Nevada visitor volume last month tumbled over 5% to approximately 3.33 million people. Despite a return in convention attendance — up 14% to 573,600 — Las Vegas catered to 177,600 fewer overall guests.
Fewer guests naturally led to hotel occupancy declines. Strip hotel rooms were occupied 87.6% of the nights, down 0.4%, while downtown Las Vegas rooms saw occupancy rates slow almost 3% to 72%.
Strip casinos still managed to charge higher rates. The going rate for a Strip casino hotel in April 2025 was $194 on the weekend and $182 midweek. Downtown rooms were considerably cheaper at around $101.
Officials at Harry Reid International Airport said total passenger traffic, inclusive of arriving and departing passengers, dipped by over 3% to 4.7 million fliers.
New Room Service Fees at Bellagio
MGM Resorts is blamed for bringing parking fees to Las Vegas, an amenity that had been provided for decades to gamblers and guests of all statuses and rewards tiers until the Strip dominator removed the free self-parking and valet perk in 2016. MGM is once again taking the lead in further nickel-and-diming customers by now charging for silverware and glassware for in-room dining.
Dubbed the “Classic Service,” MGM’s Bellagio is charging a $25 fee on top of its already inflated room service prices for linens, silverware, and glassware. Guests can reduce the fee to $10 for “Takeout Service,” but that brings one’s food to the room in “eco-friendly” containers with plastic utensils.
The Bellagio menu says the two service options are “for your convenience.”
Most of MGM’s other Strip casinos, such as the MGM Grand, levy an in-room service charge of around $10. Guests are encouraged to tip on top of the operational fee.
Have you experienced a new fee or charge in Las Vegas? Let us know in the comments below.
Last Comments ( 8 )
We used to go to the Encore about every four months and are now noticing that the incredible service is disappearing while the prices go up for everything. You know it is bad when the Encore starts slipping. Our family is rethinking our junkets now. Yamava seems to get it, and at half the cost. Wake up, Vegas.
The Money Pit You Didn’t Plan For The House Always Wins: Tourists lose an average of $500 per person gambling in Vegas. That’s not entertainment—it’s engineered loss. Surge Pricing Everywhere: Hotel rates, drinks, shows, Ubers—they all spike on weekends and events. Your “budget trip” can balloon fast. $20 for Water?: Expect to pay resort-level prices for basics. A poolside cocktail can cost more than dinner back home. Hidden Fees Galore: “Resort fees” ($35–$50/night) often aren’t included in booking prices. Surprise! Glamour Masking Real Mental Strain Addiction Hotbed: Between gambling, alcohol, and adult entertainment, the city is designed to keep you hooked—and spending. Sensory Overload: Constant lights, noise, and stimulation can leave you exhausted and irritable by day two. “What Happens in Vegas” Hangover: Many leave feeling regretful—emotionally and financially. ⚖️ The Ethics of Entertainment Underpaid Hospitality Workers: Many behind-the-scenes staff struggle with low wages and poor benefits despite the city’s wealth. Tourism-Driven Inequality: While casinos rake in billions, many locals face housing insecurity and unstable work conditions. Exploitive Marketing: Vegas glamorizes risky behaviors—often targeting vulnerable tourists with “get lucky” fantasies. It Costs More Than You Think—Long-Term “What Happens in Vegas” Hangover: Many leave feeling regretful—emotionally and financially. That “once-in-a-lifetime” experience can take months to pay off. Impulse Spending Traps: Vegas is built to short-circuit your judgment. Those “splurges” aren’t always as fun in hindsight. No Return on Experience: Many leave without meaningful memories—just receipts and hangovers. If you're craving something real—authentic food, meaningful moments, or sustainable adventure—there are better places to spend your time, money, and energy. Vegas may be iconic, but it's never worth the cost.
It will probably get worse. All those big resorts are owned by publicly traded corporations. Their primary goal is to make as much profit as possible for the shareholders. Gauging customers whichever way they can has been a trend for years if not decades now.
If I am a trourist from other country,I will think twice before coming to any place in the US at the present time, Las VEgas is now a greedy place to visit and gamble when you have to pay 30 dollars for parking and 25 dollars for a drink and pay resource fee for your hotel room,you start your day buying a cup of coffee for 10 bucks,breakfast 30 dollars. forget about it.
I have been going to Vegas probably 4 - 5 times a year since my 21st birthday, which is about 30 years now. When I first went out there you could get a steak and buffet for $1.99 - $2.99, food was cheap, rooms were cheap, flights were cheap, everything was cheap. The most expensive place I ate my first time out there... was MCdonald's. But then they changed it to a resort type thing and the prices skyrocketed. The combination of that change and now many states having their own casinos have completed drained my desire to go to vegas. in fact, I now only go if I have a conference to attend there. It would be interesting to see what would happen if one hotel operator went back to the lower prices to get people in the doors, could this be fixed, or are we just done with the price-gouging and hold a grudge?
Honestly this is all on the casinos losing the plot. I don't support gambling but the reason they used to rake in so much was by making everything else cheap and reeling people in to dump more into the machines. If everything else is already draining your wallet, why gamble? If gambling is no longer an option, why even go to Vegas over anywhere else? The expensive shows with limited seats can only attract so many people.
It's a matter of time before the casinos reach critical mass and find themselves hurling to bankruptcy. The clientele they are losing by the day are finding other gaming options and THAT will make returning to Vegas less desirable. Take me for example, I used to travel to Vegas 4 or 5 times a year. I brought a comfortable amount for gaming...8 to 10g. For me, the nickel and dime is no big deal but in principle, it is everything. My sentiment towards Vegas is " F them, there are enough casinos near me to get my fix". I won't even mention how happy I am and I don't have to get involved with the airports and the TSA and all their crap. I don't miss going to Vegas one bit
Recession or not, Nevada gaming operators have themselves to blame for any loss of business. Charging for using silverware? A new low for these corporate c***ts that take home millions of dollars in bonuses every year.