It may seem weird, but the plan to make Sin City a tourist destination is working. Las Vegas gaming revenue numbers have fallen from last year while the state’s tourism has been booming for the past three years. And while the figures are not alarming, they are interesting.
First, let’s look at what the Silver State is famous for: Betting! The year on year Las Vegas gaming revenue fell in 2024, but it was only down about 1% from the year before. Profit from gaming on the Las Vegas Strip fell by over $88 million, with the most noticeable drop in the second half of 2024. That began six months of steady declines. So yes, after an 18 month run of a post-pandemic success, the profits from games was down.
However, their tourism industry reported record visitor spending at the same time. For a third straight year the numbers have risen, hitting more that $55.1 billion last year, up 7% from 2023. As Las Vegas continued its steady post-pandemic recovery, it welcomed more than 41 million visitors, which was over a 2% increase over the previous year, and approached the 42.5 million peak recorded in 2019.
March emerged as the busiest month, drawing nearly 3.7 million visitors. A slate of high-profile events helped fuel tourism throughout the year. Super Bowl LVIII brought an estimated 325,000 attendees to the city, while the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix and the Neon City Festival packed downtown with crowds. The National Finals Rodeo also remained a strong draw, surpassing 170,000 in attendance.
Adding to the momentum, two major resort openings at Durango Casino and Fontainebleau Las Vegas completed their first full year of operations, contributing to Las Vegas gaming revenue and visitor interest and activity across the region. The tourism sector remained a vital economic engine for southern Nevada. Direct tourism-related employment rose 1.6% to 252,610 jobs.
When factoring in indirect and induced impacts, total employment linked to tourism reached 385,330 jobs. Wages tied to the sector totaled $21.3 billion, representing 30% of all wages paid in southern Nevada in 2024. As visitor numbers edge closer to pre-COVID levels, Las Vegas continues to reinforce its position as one of the world’s premier travel and entertainment destinations.
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