Published on: March 14, 2026, at 02:08h.
Updated on: March 14, 2026, at 02:14h.
- Resorts World Las Vegas is set to close its poker room on March 30
- Escalating operational expenses contribute to the ongoing decline of poker on the Strip
- Since 2000, over half of Las Vegas’s poker rooms have shut down
Resorts World Las Vegas has announced the closure of its poker room on March 30, 2026. This poker facility opened with the casino on June 24, 2021, and its closure will leave just eight active poker rooms along the Las Vegas Strip.
The closure was first reported by Chris Murray, a poker enthusiast who regularly hosts games at the venue. Following his announcement on X, a representative from Resorts World verified the news to Vital Vegas.
“We are eager to introduce new experiences that embody our ongoing commitment to exceptional, quality entertainment,” stated the representative, although they provided no specifics on future plans.
This announcement follows shortly after the closure of the poker room at Planet Hollywood, marking a continued trend of reduction in the number of poker facilities. After Resorts World’s closure, there will be only eight poker rooms remaining on the Strip, with a total of 17 throughout the Las Vegas Valley.
The Downhill Trend of Poker
Approximately 40 poker rooms have closed since the poker boom in the early 2000s, when the number of rooms peaked at 60-70 by 2010, leading to a significant downturn around 2012.
Many poker rooms have been replaced by slot machines, which require no human oversight and significantly outperform poker’s relatively modest rake-based income. (In poker, the casino earns money through a small percentage of each pot, typically around 10%, with a maximum cap of $4 to $6 per hand.)
With Resorts World’s departure, the following casinos will remain operational with poker rooms on the Strip:
- Aria
- Bellagio
- Caesars Palace
- Horseshoe
- Mandalay Bay
- MGM Grand
- Venetian
- Wynn
Despite the decrease in dedicated poker rooms, major tournaments continue to see robust engagement. The World Series of Poker, the biggest annual event in the poker industry, is set to take place from May 26 to July 15, 2026. Some venues that have recently closed their poker rooms may consider reopening them temporarily to accommodate tournament traffic; Planet Hollywood has indicated this possibility.