Vegas Strip Powers Huge Jump in January Gaming Revenue for Nevada

^{New Year’s Eve on the Las Vegas Strip presents a magical start to the year. (Image: Las Vegas Issues / X)} 

Nevada’s gaming revenue remains on a hot streak. January’s $1.43 billion in revenue was the second highest month of gaming win in the state’s history, behind only December 2024’s record $1.46 billion take.

According to the latest numbers released by the Nevada Gaming Control Board, casino resorts on the Las Vegas Strip collected more than $840 million in January, accounting for more than half of the state’s total.

The increase coincides with recent casino operator earnings calls that hinted at a busy January. For those looking ahead, casino corporations warned that February could be lower without the Super Bowl being played in Las Vegas this year.

Visitation Dips Slightly While, Hotel Room Rates Rise

January was a busy month in Las Vegas for business travelers and tourists. Two of the year’s largest conventions, CES and World of Concrete, took place during the month. Meanwhile, leisure travelers enjoyed residency shows from Janet Jackson, The Killers, the Eagles, and Mariah Carey. 

Despite the strong event calendar, Las Vegas visitation fell 1.1% from January 2023 to 3.3 million, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. However, convention attendance rose more than 12% to 628,000, driven by the large trade shows.

Hotel room rates were up 2.2% to $195.35 thanks to the increased number of business travelers in Las Vegas for the conventions and fewer available hotel rooms with the closing of The Mirage and Tropicana last year.

Vegas Strip Casinos Explode In January

Vegas Strip gaming revenue surged a notable 22.5% to $840 million in January, up from $686 million a year ago. Statewide, gaming revenue rose 12.5% to $1.43 billion.

These casinos were by far the strongest performers in Clark County, which collected $1.2 billion in gaming revenue for the month. Downtown Las Vegas and the Boulder Strip, which had been on a hot streak, both saw slight revenue declines compared to a year ago.

As usual, baccarat was the top earner for Vegas Strip casinos. The game generated $214 million in revenue, a 121% increase from January 2023.

Slot machine revenue continued to decline year over year. With the exception of multi-denomination games, all slot machine categories reported lower revenue than in January 2023.

Vegas Strip casinos won $65 million from penny slots, down 25.2% from last January. However, overall slot revenue for the Strip rose 5.9%, boosted by multi-denomination machines, which include bartop games.

Boulder Strip Hot Streak Continues over Downtown Las Vegas

Unless you follow gaming revenue closely, it may come as a surprise that Boulder Strip casinos generated more gaming revenue than those in downtown Las Vegas last year. The fast-growing Henderson area continued that trend, outperforming Las Vegas’s second-most tourist-heavy district.

While downtown Las Vegas casinos saw strong gaming revenue growth last year, the area remains smaller than the Boulder Strip. Looking back at 2024 gaming revenue, the Boulder Strip was the 10th largest gaming area in the US while downtown Las Vegas is No. 13 and climbing.

Downtown Las Vegas casinos won $83.7 million in January, down 2.3% from a year ago. Boulder Strip casinos took in $87.4 million, a 6.2% decline.

January also marked the first full comparative month for the “balance of county” category, which includes Durango Casino. Revenue for these properties was essentially flat, with $170 million won, up less than 1% from January 2023.