I was in Vegas in March and noticed that outside of the convention I was attending, the overall headcount on the streets seemed really low. Pricing on food and entertainment seemed much higher than when I was in Vegas in 2023. Higher than inflation would indicate. There seemed like there was trouble brewing. People are broke and the market is uncertain. And it’s hitting the entertainment sector hard. Today this article popped up in my feed to back up my observations. 'Has hell frozen over?': Las Vegas tourism is in trouble Is Las Vegas becoming too expensive for a middle class traveler to enjoy anymore? The Sphere in Las Vegas during a Formula 1 race. Raf Willems/Getty Images/Corbis Unreleased By Alex Schechter, Freelance WriterJuly 24, 2025 In early March, Anthony Curtis, the publisher of the long-running Las Vegas Advisor, noticed that Station Casinos had a startling promotion going: $5.99 for a cheeseburger and fries. He found the deal appealing but out of character for Las Vegas, and he promptly announced in his newsletter: “Has hell frozen over?” The way he saw it, if a consortium of casinossuch as Station (typically laser focused on profit margins, like most businesses in town) was willing to bring prices down, it could be a sign that the casinos were hungry for customers. He wasn’t far from the truth. According to Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority data, the first four months of this year showed a decrease in the overall number of visitors. Mark Wayman, a recruiter for executives in the gaming and casino industries, told Business Insider in May that Las Vegas bookings through the summer are “the worst I’ve ever seen.” Terminal 3 at Las Vegas’ Harry Reid International Airport in January 2025. NurPhoto via Getty Images Air traffic into Harry Reid International Airport is also trending downward, as domestic travel for the first half of 2025 was down 4% compared to last year. Tourism trouble in Las Vegas is no surprise. Last year, an economics professor from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, predicted “a slow contraction” through 2026. “Gross gaming revenue over time will likely return to pre-pandemic trends, as savings and discretionary income return to where they were before the pandemic, adjusted for higher wages and inflation,” Stephen Miller, the director of research for the Center for Business and Economic Research, told CDC Gaming. Meanwhile, tariffs and inflation spurred by the Trump administration continue to stoke concerns about a recession, which would impact the consumer-driven Las Vegasearly before hitting other major cities. As reports point to a general slowdown in tourism for Las Vegas, some are quick to place the blame on inflation and political unrest. Or could it be that tourists have simply gotten tired of overspending? It’s not uncommon these days to hear visitors grumble about the shameless price markups and ever-increasing add-ons, or what Curtis refers to as “the gouge.” In December, MGM Resorts made headlines when it raised resort fees across its properties — for the second time in a year. Last month, a guest at the Flamingo discovered that the hotel was allowing guests to check in early for an extra $60 — and that’s on top of what they already paid to book the room. His tweet about it went viral. MGM Resorts raised resort fees across its properties in 2024. Alina555/Getty Images The Sportsbook at Caesars Palace Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas in May 2025. George Rose/Getty Images “This is why we just sleep in the car,” one Reddit user commented in response to increased resort fees. Insiders, however, said that blips such as these are simply part of Las Vegas’ evolution. “This market is more adaptable than others out there,” noted Jeremy Aguero, a lead analyst at a local research firm. “You can find $8.99 steak and eggs and also $100 steak dinners.” (He’s referring to a popular breakfast special at Village Pub.)
I can get my gambling fix closer to home. or even On Line. Are the shows a draw? Can anyone say they win more in Vegas than anywhere else? Rocket River
Definitely ain't what it used to be. We used to go once a year. We would just walk around from casino to casino, sit at a slot machine and get free drinks (as long as you tipped the cocktail waitress). I could make $20 last all day including the drinks. Last time we went, all the slots were a $1 minimum and cocktail waitresses were few and far between. Plus is seems like the hardcore gambling addict (Vegas core customer) can just gamble away his life life savings without even leaving the house these days.
I know that's a joke, but if you're blaming a shift in social patterns, it's Gen Z who doesn't really drink much and can't afford to gamble. And we all know which generation ****ed it all up.
The last time I was in Vegas, January of 2023, it seemed same old same. There were lots of people out and about. Vegas shows if hot were selling out. A recent change (at least for me) is how much pot is being smoked out walking the strip. Very loud at places. Just from what I have read, there are fewer people visiting Vegas this year, especially Canadians ... to no one's surprise ... except maybe Mad King Don.
+1 Agree, Vegas stinks- cigarette and mar1juana smoke everywhere. Even well ventilated casinos like The Venetian smell. It's a major negative.
I prefer Laughlin. It’s a hour south of Vegas on the river bordering Arizona. It doesn’t have the thirty thousand millionaire and bachelorette party vibe just cheap gaming, hotels, and food.
Forgot to mention that. It's totally overwhelming...and I actually like pot. Lots of homeless heroin addicts begging on the strip too. Everywhere.
-Good restaurants have become way too expensive -essentially every other restaurant is expensive. -the inflation, is beyond Ludacris. For many years, the consumer was just accepting it as the Vegas tax, but that wasn’t a sustainable concept for the city. -although I support the legalization of mar1juana, it’s too prevalently smoked in the open. They would behoove themselves by allowing some bars to apply for a usage permit and trying to get it off of the street
S.O. is out there on a girls trip. Was informed that the spa day passes for hotel guests are now $100. I encouraged her to go thinking it was like $40 still.
Went to see a show at the Sphere (incredible venue) but damn man the minimums at the tables on the strip were so expensive. I don’t go to Vegas often, but Fremont street is a better spot for me to gamble. (And people watch) **** $50 craps
I was less than pleased with the experience the last time I went. It was just too much in my face. It honestly made me think about going off-Strip to the old school casinos and getting a tolerably nice hotel/motel room, and checking out the whole "Vegas but not the Strip" locals scene. If I ever go back, that's probably what I'll do just for sh!!s and giggles.
Ah…yes. Reminds me of the time I went to Cancun and the hotel had some moist layer of “who knows what” covering everything in the room.
This is the only correct answer. They are price gouging, eliminated the best buffets and the great 24 hour ones, increased resort fees while decreasing resort amenities, Ocean One closed, Strip hotels increasing table minimums, eliminating tables for more slots, random taxes on food bills, etc. At this point, the best Vegas bargain are the outlier resorts scattered around town or maybe you can find a good deal downtown but even thats not the case anymore like it used to be. The corporations want Vegas to be a millionaires playground.
