Published on: June 29, 2026, 03:23h.
Updated on: June 29, 2026, 03:23h.
- In May, casinos on the Las Vegas Strip generated $807.8 million, marking a 13.1% rise compared to last year, contributing to a total gaming revenue of $1.38 billion across Nevada.
- An increase in convention participation, prominent events, and elevated hotel occupancy resulted in a 2% uptick in visitors to Las Vegas, countering previous worries over declining airport traffic.
- The revenue growth on the Strip was primarily driven by baccarat (+59%) and blackjack (+12%), with casino earnings rising 4.1% year-to-date, despite stable visitor numbers.
May proved to be a successful month for Nevada casinos, particularly those on the Las Vegas Strip, where gross gaming revenue (GGR) surged over 13%.
The Nevada Gaming Control Board reported on Monday that gamblers placed $1.38 billion in total bets last month, reflecting a 7.4% increase from the previous year. This figure was buoyed by the Las Vegas Strip, where patrons wagered $807.8 million, a 13.1% increase compared to May 2025.
Baccarat played a crucial role in this growth, with the classic banker versus player game earning $174.3 million, an impressive 59% increase. Blackjack also contributed positively, with GGR reaching $100.5 million, up 12%.
Slot machines also performed well, with earnings climbing nearly 8% to $410.7 million.
Boost in Convention Attendance Drives Visitor Numbers
Las Vegas Strip casinos experienced a significant increase in visitors due to solid convention attendance, a surge of BTS fans at four sold-out shows at Allegiant Stadium, and the Vegas Golden Knights competing in the NHL Stanley Cup Conference Finals at T-Mobile Arena.
In May, Las Vegas drew 3.48 million visitors, a 2% rise year-over-year, largely fueled by conventions where attendance surged nearly 15% to about 586,300 participants. Major conventions included Knowledge (~25K attendees), ICSC Las Vegas (~25K), and the Licensing International Expo (~25K).
Increased demand permitted Las Vegas hotels to raise their average nightly rates, now at $211. Hotel occupancy hit 84.7%, an increase of 1.7 percentage points from May 2025.
Visitor traffic numbers from the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority (LVCVA) were somewhat unexpected, considering that passenger metrics at Harry Reid International Airport suggested ongoing challenges in tourism, with airport traffic showing a reduction of over 8% mainly due to Spirit Airlines’ departure.
Notwithstanding high fuel prices, the LVCVA noted that daily traffic along I-15 at the Nevada-California border increased over 7%, averaging around 48,600 vehicle crossings.
Is Las Vegas on the Rebound?
Following a challenging 2025, which saw a 7.5% decline in visitor numbers, the outlook for Las Vegas in 2026 appears more optimistic.
As of May, over 16.5 million individuals have visited Las Vegas, reflecting a slight 0.3% increase. However, momentum is seemingly favoring the destination.
Even with stable visitor volumes, casinos on the Las Vegas Strip have successfully increased GGR by 4.1%, with gaming wins exceeding $3.7 billion. After an initial slump where casino earnings dropped 11%, every month from February to May has shown year-over-year growth.