I agree with the premise of this thread.

As a counterpoint though, it seems like professional sports franchises are migrating to Vegas in recent years. With rumors that the Mavs may end up there too.

Even though Vegas is withering I sure as heck will go if Metallica does a Sphere residency!

Last time we went was for a medical conference that happened to overlap with AC/DC and Van Hager shows. Stayed at the Rio which has nice big rooms and a pretty nice pool area. As mentioned the casino itself was pretty pathetic.

The Rio was a dump 20 years ago!

jac4 said:

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I agree with the premise of this thread.

As a counterpoint though, it seems like professional sports franchises are migrating to Vegas in recent years. With rumors that the Mavs may end up there too.

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Okay? Younger people dont go to Vegas to gamble and they can watch games on TV at home.

It has undergone a full renovation starting last year.

txyaloo said:

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GeorgiAg said:

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ts5641 said:

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I abhor casinos and gambling so it's just not my scene. It's a depressing place with depressing people.

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I also went to a casino with a friend one time for hours. I wanted to leave.

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why didn't you leave his ass? Friends tried that with me this weekend. I grabbed a taxi after I got tired of waiting and did something I wanted to do.

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I'm 15 years older now and definitely would do it now. We were in New Orleans and the wives were doing their thing so it was definitely more fun than whatever they were doing. He went to Tulane and I didn't know what to do other than Bourbon Street.

If anyone wants to see some statistics about how much money is made by the casinos on gaming alone, there are a couple of reports that are released by the Gaming Control Board and UNLV. Long story short, the slots are tighter than they used to be (and continue to trend even tighter) and even though table games have a much lower margin for perfect play, players do not play anywhere close to perfectly.

This is a report from UNLV that looks at the hold percentages on slot machines from 2004-2025: https://gaming.library.unlv.edu/reports/nv_slot_hold.pdf



On the strip, the percentage went from 6.52 in 2004 to 8.04 in 2025. Downtown is even worse. Note that the hold percentage is an overall figure so most players are losing everything and some are winning big, especially with the wide are progressive jackpots.

This second report is a monthly report from the Nevada Gaming Control Board showing revenue broken down by the type of game: https://gaming.nv.gov/uploadedFiles/gamingnvgov/content/about/gaming-revenue/2025Jun-gri.pdf

On table games, the win percent for the casino is 15.51%. For slot machines last month it was 7.38%. The win amount (total amount the casino makes) on table games is trending downward and it is going up on slot machines. More people are playing slots than tables and that is where the casino is making their money. There is a good reason why there are fewer and fewer table games available on the casino floor.

Looking just at the Las Vegas area, total gaming revenue last month was just over $1.1 billion. Over the past year it was $13 billion.

If you want somewhat better odds, play in the high limit rooms. Slot machines start around $5 per spin but have better payouts than on the main casino floor. You will also get better odds on the tables, albeit with higher limits. I would rather play 3:2 blackjack at $100 per hand than 6:5 at $25. They also do not have the shadier tactics like 000 roulette in high limit. Also, a lot of the strip casinos have better amenities in high limit like nicer cocktails, snacks, quiet lounges, etc.

With all of that being said, I still love going to Vegas but I do it differently than I have in the past. It is no longer fun to walk the Strip. I will fly in for a few days and usually never leave the resort until it is time to go home. Even though comps in general are down, I can still get a free suite for a few nights and some free play to make it appealing. You usually can get around 30% of your average theoretical loss returned to you as comps if you know how to ask for it.

KidDoc said:

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Even though Vegas is withering I sure as heck will go if Metallica does a Sphere residency!

Last time we went was for a medical conference that happened to overlap with AC/DC and Van Hager shows. Stayed at the Rio which has nice big rooms and a pretty nice pool area. As mentioned the casino itself was pretty pathetic.

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My friends and I said the same thing about Metallica.

We saw BSB at The Sphere on Sunday. The Sphere itself was insane. There were a few times it felt like we were sitting outside at a Red Rocks show. It was well worth the "premium" for the experience.

swampstander said:

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This exactly.

I will be there at the end of the month, I'm kind of glad its down right now. Not as many California hood rats walking around.

Northgate is in the process of pulling a Las Vegas.

HollywoodBQ said:

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Krombopulos Michael said:

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Probably three things at play IMO.....

1) Private equity/corporate greed ruining the experience (finance/accounting execs not hospitality execs)

2) the average American consumer is tapped out

3) Younger generations tastes are completely different than older generations.

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1 - Yes
2 - Yes but there's always more credit cards - but Vegas did get spoiled during Covid when lots of folks were spending their stimulus checks there
3 - Yeah, when I took my Gen Z daughter there (been about 9 years ago now), all she cared about was the fact that she found a bunch of Pokemon Go fight gyms at different places.

These days, none of her friends are interested in Vegas. If they're doing a bachlorette party, or a destination wedding, it's Nashville.

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For your last point, Im going on 3 bachelor trips this upcoming year- destinations: colorado, Wyoming, and south Carolina. Gen Z likes natural beauty and the outdoors, but inside were on our phones. So why go to a place that has 99% of attractions inside when well likely be sitting on our phones?

KidDoc said:

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Even though Vegas is withering I sure as heck will go if Metallica does a Sphere residency!

Last time we went was for a medical conference that happened to overlap with AC/DC and Van Hager shows. Stayed at the Rio which has nice big rooms and a pretty nice pool area. As mentioned the casino itself was pretty pathetic.

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Let me know when you go for Metallica because I am going too. It would be great to see you again. We saw Eagles at the Sphere a few months ago and it was AMAZING!

whytho987654 said:

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HollywoodBQ said:

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Krombopulos Michael said:

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Probably three things at play IMO.....

1) Private equity/corporate greed ruining the experience (finance/accounting execs not hospitality execs)

2) the average American consumer is tapped out

3) Younger generations tastes are completely different than older generations.

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1 - Yes
2 - Yes but there's always more credit cards - but Vegas did get spoiled during Covid when lots of folks were spending their stimulus checks there
3 - Yeah, when I took my Gen Z daughter there (been about 9 years ago now), all she cared about was the fact that she found a bunch of Pokemon Go fight gyms at different places.

These days, none of her friends are interested in Vegas. If they're doing a bachlorette party, or a destination wedding, it's Nashville.

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For your last point, Im going on 3 bachelor trips this upcoming year- destinations: colorado, Wyoming, and south Carolina. Gen Z likes natural beauty and the outdoors, but inside were on our phones. So why go to a place that has 99% of attractions inside when well likely be sitting on our phones?

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What is a bit funny about this post is how most of the apps on your phone are designed to simulate the slots experience. So why go for real life experience when you already get it everyday...

This will only make it easier to win Nevada in the future.........

Two extra senate seats sounds amazing and very likely after the last couple went. The cheat is still there but every election it is closer and we have won one race, Governor which will further help in elections. And Trump won, so things are going in the right direction

Harry Reed cheat machine is about broken

Now turn Arizona back Charlie Kirk........

Aust Ag said:

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Probably should have also included Gen Z there, as they go even farther against the Gen X ways. Definitely don't see them keeping Vegas afloat.

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I think you're wrong about that.

BMX Bandit said:

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Aust Ag said:

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I'm also guessing since Millennials don't embrace the Gen X "hook up" culture, and don't drink like Gen X, these factors also contributing.

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Just when you thought millennials couldn't get any lamer…

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Boomers, Gen X and Z all have one thing in common. We hate millennials. Why is that?

Sounds a lot different than when I played $10 holdem with Pat Riley back in the day.

Man, that first picture looks like your seats were in space or something.

This is why Vegas tourism is down

American shows prices for food and drinks by a Vegas pool

- Bucket of 24 Coors Light $290.99
- 24 High Noon Seltzers $309.99
- Basic cocktails like a Bloody Mary $39.99
- 12 shots $190

Just look at this good and drink menu, the prices are… pic.twitter.com/ZAh3XKRCzb

— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) August 14, 2025

Was in vegas the last two weeks and it was PACKED. Freemont was asses to elbows at night. The strip was just as busy as ever and tons of construction. I went up and down on the monorail and into many of the big casinos and they were all busy for the most part.

Seems like a lot of BS to me.

Squadron7 said:

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This is why Vegas tourism is down

American shows prices for food and drinks by a Vegas pool

- Bucket of 24 Coors Light $290.99
- 24 High Noon Seltzers $309.99
- Basic cocktails like a Bloody Mary $39.99
- 12 shots $190

Just look at this good and drink menu, the prices are… pic.twitter.com/ZAh3XKRCzb

— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) August 14, 2025

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Yeah, that's completely insane. You can go most places in the United States and stay in a decent hotel with a pool for one night, and buy two 12-packs of Coors Light, for well under $290. Even as somebody who could go spend that kind of money and not really notice it, I refuse to do it just on principle because it's moronic.

Most of the pools charge a crazy price for their drinks. If you walk inside the casino, it is considerably cheaper. If you walk across the street to a CVS or the gas station, you can get mostly normal prices like in texas.

U.S. spending on services — hotels, airfare, dining — has been down for three straight months, the first time since 2008, per Bank of America.

— unusual_whales (@unusual_whales) August 12, 2025

Aust Ag said:

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Man, that first picture looks like your seats were in space or something.

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Felt like it too! We were on the 3rd level to get the Sphere experience. I was too cheap to pony up for closer seats to see the backstreet boys. I think the experience up there is still worth it. The sphere itself was wild

Signel said:

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Most of the pools charge a crazy price for their drinks. If you walk inside the casino, it is considerably cheaper. If you walk across the street to a CVS or the gas station, you can get mostly normal prices like in texas.

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we stay at Planet Hollywood because I have been in their system for a long time and a good room is essentially free. Like $35 resort fee or something.

They have ABC Stores in the mall. Probably within 10% of Texas convenience store prices.

These gauged out bar prices, especially at the pool, are for rich, Southern Cal, trust fund babies. What a joke. F that.

Vegas will never die as long as we have poolside blackjack pic.twitter.com/b7qAIhOCdD

— Las Vegas Locally 🌴 (@LasVegasLocally) August 16, 2025

2000AgPhD said:

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The Canuck economy is in the s#itter right now, so that may be the reason the Canadians aren't showing up. It has nothing to do with Trump.

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Yep

Canadian air travel to Las Vegas has fallen off a cliff in 2025. Canadian visitors contributed about $3.6 billion to the Southern Nevada economy last year, according to UNLV economics professor Stephen Miller. pic.twitter.com/7MmIjzis4w

— Las Vegas Locally 🌴 (@LasVegasLocally) August 16, 2025

Vitani said:

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If anyone wants to see some statistics about how much money is made by the casinos on gaming alone, there are a couple of reports that are released by the Gaming Control Board and UNLV. Long story short, the slots are tighter than they used to be (and continue to trend even tighter) and even though table games have a much lower margin for perfect play, players do not play anywhere close to perfectly.

This is a report from UNLV that looks at the hold percentages on slot machines from 2004-2025: https://gaming.library.unlv.edu/reports/nv_slot_hold.pdf



On the strip, the percentage went from 6.52 in 2004 to 8.04 in 2025. Downtown is even worse. Note that the hold percentage is an overall figure so most players are losing everything and some are winning big, especially with the wide are progressive jackpots.

This second report is a monthly report from the Nevada Gaming Control Board showing revenue broken down by the type of game: https://gaming.nv.gov/uploadedFiles/gamingnvgov/content/about/gaming-revenue/2025Jun-gri.pdf

On table games, the win percent for the casino is 15.51%. For slot machines last month it was 7.38%. The win amount (total amount the casino makes) on table games is trending downward and it is going up on slot machines. More people are playing slots than tables and that is where the casino is making their money. There is a good reason why there are fewer and fewer table games available on the casino floor.

Looking just at the Las Vegas area, total gaming revenue last month was just over $1.1 billion. Over the past year it was $13 billion.

If you want somewhat better odds, play in the high limit rooms. Slot machines start around $5 per spin but have better payouts than on the main casino floor. You will also get better odds on the tables, albeit with higher limits. I would rather play 3:2 blackjack at $100 per hand than 6:5 at $25. They also do not have the shadier tactics like 000 roulette in high limit. Also, a lot of the strip casinos have better amenities in high limit like nicer cocktails, snacks, quiet lounges, etc.

With all of that being said, I still love going to Vegas but I do it differently than I have in the past. It is no longer fun to walk the Strip. I will fly in for a few days and usually never leave the resort until it is time to go home. Even though comps in general are down, I can still get a free suite for a few nights and some free play to make it appealing. You usually can get around 30% of your average theoretical loss returned to you as comps if you know how to ask for it.

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No Biloxi?

What about it? Those are just reports about Nevada casinos. The nickel and diming certainly goes for most casinos but it is a little bit better in Lake Charles than Vegas.

It seems like Vegas is running the same playbook as many other industries are now during this period of economic softness. Rather than lower prices to drive traffic, prices are being raised to increase profit margins on the remaining customers. This can work for a little while, but eventually Vegas needs to drive traffic. And it doesn't help that the two newest casinos on the Strip, Resorts World and Fontainebleau, were built with high income consumers in mind, but the demand from those consumers hasn't grown to meet the increased supply of high end Vegas casinos.

Quote:

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If anyone wants to see some statistics about how much money is made by the casinos on gaming alone, there are a couple of reports that are released by the Gaming Control Board and UNLV. Long story short, the slots are tighter than they used to be (and continue to trend even tighter) and even though table games have a much lower margin for perfect play, players do not play anywhere close to perfectly…

(snip)

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Your post above was probably the best I've seen in regards to how to approach a Vegas vacation as a gambler. I visit Vegas from LA two to three times a year, and I make sure one of those visits is during a Caesars tier credit multiplier week so I can maintain Caesars Diamond status. This allows me to get comped rooms during weekdays and waived resort fees, which come in handy when visiting in the summer for World Series of Poker.

I was there last month and stayed at Planet Hollywood. Room was comped except for the Saturday I arrived and that night was only $40. There were no resort fees and I got upgraded from my basic room to a room that was a little more spacious. One evening they had a blackjack table right outside the high limit room that was a $25 minimum that paid 3:2 on an 8 deck shoe. These type of tables can be found every now and then, but you definitely have to look for them. Overall, I finished down about $100 on the gambling. The high food and beverage costs are frustrating, but I'm not sure much can be done about that other than going off-Strip.

I feel better about Arizona than I did a couple of years ago. I honestly was surprised Trump won here in November and I think we have a good chance at governor with Andy Biggs.

Back to Las Vegas. We have nice casinos in the Phoenix area with reasonable limits, nice golf, good food, etc. If I'm in Las Vegas and get bored I'm stuck. When I go to a casino here when I'm done I just go home.