Record gaming revenue in Nevada: July sees strong gains amid tourist drop

Nevada’s casino industry continued to defy falling tourism numbers in July, posting its seventh-highest monthly gaming win of all time, according to data released Friday by the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB).

Casinos statewide reported a total win of $1.36 billion for the month, marking a 3.99% increase compared to July 2024. The Las Vegas Strip, which remains the heart of the state’s gambling economy, generated just over $749 million in revenue, a 5.6% jump from the same month last year.

The performance came despite a notable dip in visitor numbers. According to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), Las Vegas saw a 12% drop in visitation compared to July 2024, with just under 3.1 million visitors. June had already recorded an 11% decline, and year-to-date numbers show an 8% fall from 24.6 million to 22.6 million visitors.

LVCVA President and CEO Steve Hill

Yet, the drop in foot traffic did not curb gaming revenue. “Our gaming revenue is really hanging in there pretty strongly, and so not following the visitation drop, which is great,” said LVCVA President and CEO Steve Hill.

“It matters to all the properties, and it matters, obviously, from a tax base perspective. It’s one of the two largest tax producers for Nevada. So that’s good news for everyone.”

Slot machines played a major role in July’s revenue surge. According to Shelley Newell, senior economic analyst for the NGCB, the statewide slot win was the second-highest on record, trailing only December 2024.

“The trend we are seeing is that licensees are changing the mix of machines,” Newell said. “For example, a number of licensees are changing some of their penny machines to multi-denomination (MD) machines as the MD machines have more games to offer patrons.”

Baccarat also made a significant contribution, particularly on the Strip. The game generated $114.4 million in revenue, about 15% of the Strip’s total win and a 79% increase year-over-year.

“The State and Strip hold was much higher in July 2025 than in July 2024. Hold for the State in baccarat was 16.89% in July 2025 versus 9.69% in July 24. Hold for the Strip in baccarat was 17.46% compared to 8.79% last July,” Newell noted.

Clark County as a whole recorded $1.15 billion in gaming revenue for the month, up 3.24% from July 2024. Downtown Las Vegas brought in $74.42 million, a 3.59% increase, while North Las Vegas saw a 7.78% gain with $24.65 million. Mesquite posted a 9.89% increase with $15.14 million.

However, not all areas were up. Laughlin declined by 7.14% and the Boulder Strip was down by 1.05%. Casinos categorized under the “Balance of Clark County” saw a 3% drop, totaling $166.03 million.

Other parts of the state saw record-breaking results. South Lake Tahoe posted its highest-ever gaming win with $37.69 million, a 21.5% increase year-over-year. Reno also set a new high, up 9.93% with $76.13 million. The Carson City area recorded an 8.85% rise with $12.39 million.

Nevada sportsbooks also had a strong month. Sports betting revenue reached $37.8 million in July, a 46.7% increase compared to July 2024. “So the hold also contributed to the good numbers for July 2025 for Sports,” Newell said. The hold percentage climbed to 9.02% from 6.86% last year.