Gaming revenue on the Las Vegas Strip experienced a third consecutive month of decline in April, driven by diminishing visitor numbers and a drop in air travel, despite a resurgence in convention attendance, as per insights from local and state tourism authorities.
In April, casinos along the Las Vegas Strip reported a gaming win of $646.87 million, reflecting a 2.9% decrease from $666.06 million recorded in the same month the previous year, according to data from the Nevada Gaming Control Board. This trend on the Strip also contributed to a mild decline statewide, with overall gaming win across Nevada decreasing by 0.5% to $1.23 billion.
“The markets remained generally stable and consistent,” commented Shelley Newell, the senior economic analyst at the Control Board, emphasizing that April marked the 50th consecutive month in which Nevada casinos achieved over $1 billion in gaming revenue.
While the Strip struggled, various markets in Southern Nevada showed positive results. Gaming win in Downtown Las Vegas increased by 1% to $83.6 million. Year-to-date, Clark County’s gaming revenue decreased by 1.3% to $11.3 billion, with Strip properties down 3.3% and downtown establishments up by 2.7%.
Nevada accrued $68.05 million in gaming taxes in April, consistent with previous months.
Tourism statistics continued to reflect weakness, with Las Vegas attracting 3.3 million visitors in April, down 5.1% compared to the previous year—marking the fourth consecutive month of year-over-year drops. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) linked this decline to “consumer uncertainty regarding changing federal policies,” which include implications from President Donald Trump’s trade conflict and recent comments about Canada.
“Although the strong convention segment and events like Wrestlemania were present, they were overshadowed by ongoing consumer uncertainty surrounding federal policies, resulting in a net year-over-year visitation decrease of 5.1 percent,” said Kevin Bagger, the LVCVA’s research director.
Air travel trends also reflected these broader tourism patterns. Passenger volumes at Harry Reid International Airport dropped by 3.6%, totaling 4.7 million in April. Furthermore, Spirit Airlines traffic plummeted by 26.8% year-over-year, while Southwest Airlines exhibited a 3.6% drop year-to-date.
International air travel showed similar softness. Both arrivals and departures fell by 3.4% to 310,969 passengers, with Canadian airlines like Air Canada and WestJet reporting significant declines.
Despite the overall reduction in visitors, business travel displayed resilience. In April, convention attendance surged by 13.9% year-over-year to 573,600, bolstered by events such as the International Sign Expo (21,000 participants), the American Urological Association meeting (15,000), and The Carwash Show (10,000). The National Association of Broadcasters also hosted its annual convention during this period.
Hotel performance metrics presented a mixed picture. Overall occupancy rates dipped by 1 percentage point to 84.5%, though weekend occupancy rose slightly to 93.8%. The average daily room rate on the Strip increased by 4.4% to $203.17, while downtown rates saw a 4.5% rise to $100.87.
The LVCVA projected a 5% decline in room tax revenue for the next fiscal year. “We are adopting a conservative outlook… recognizing that there is some disquiet,” remarked LVCVA President Steve Hill.
A shift in the Easter holiday calendar from March in 2024 to April in 2025 provided slight support for this year’s revenue figures. Gaming analysts observed that while baccarat holding decreased, there was an uptick in slot handle.
The state’s fiscal year-to-date gaming tax revenue stood at $911.2 million, reflecting a negligible drop of just 0.07% from last year. Over the last three months, Nevada also accumulated $24.5 million from fines related to various disciplinary actions involving Resorts World Las Vegas, MGM Resorts International, and Wynn Resorts.