Nevada Casinos Rebound After Two-Month Slump

It appears the gambling gods are smiling once more upon Nevada’s casino industry, which managed to pull itself up by its bootstraps after two months of disappointing results. December saw the state’s casinos hauling in a respectable $1.46 billion, a two percent increase over the same month last year.

It may not be the kind of jump that would make a man break out in applause, but it’s enough to get the wheels turning again.

However, before anyone starts handing out cigars and backslaps, it’s worth noting that Nevada’s gaming revenue is still trailing for the fiscal year, down nearly two percent compared to the same time in 2023.

This news comes courtesy of the Nevada Gaming Control Board, who are always quick to point out the fine print.

Clark County—home to the sparkling jewel of Sin City, Las Vegas—did its part to help turn the tide, though the Strip itself wasn’t exactly leading the charge. Suffering a four percent decline in November, the county rallied with a 1.5 percent increase in December, with revenues hitting $1.29 billion. But let’s not get too excited: the Strip saw a slight dip of 2.7 percent, pulling in $881.3 million.

The culprit for the drop? Table games, especially high-stakes baccarat. Those high-rollers seem to have taken a little extra from the casinos, with revenue from that game slipping nearly ten percent.

But all wasn’t lost. Slot machines were a bright spot, bumping higher by 11.1 percent to $495.4 million.

Meanwhile, the parts of Clark County that aren’t the Strip quietly enjoyed a little boom. Downtown Las Vegas saw a nice uptick of 8.4 percent, North Las Vegas grew by 1.6 percent, and Laughlin saw a 9.4 percent boost. The Boulder Strip was the real standout—surging 29.7 percent, pulling down $87.8 million.

Reno reported a solid 19.9 percent jump with $65.8 million in revenue. South Lake Tahoe wasn’t far behind, up 20.3 percent to $19.4 million, while Lake Tahoe saw a dip, down 3.6 percent to $2 million.

So, while the road’s been a little rocky, it seems that the Silver State is managing to weather the storm, with a few bright spots scattered across the landscape. Whether enough to keep the casinos from betting on a royal flush remains to be seen, but as they say in these parts, “The house always wins.”

Maybe not today, but give it time

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