Most of us know that we should always take anecdotal evidence posted on social media should always be taken with a grain of salt. Yet, it was interesting to see that over the late spring and across the summer, platforms like X were littered with videos purportedly showing dramatic drops in Las Vegas tourism. The videos often showed empty bars and restaurants, and normally busy thoroughfares that made Sin City look like a ghost town.
Of course, we should always be skeptical of these social media posts, especially without context. Yet, as the summer waned, they were backed up by real data. On September 1st, CBS News reported that the city had seen six straight months of declining tourist numbers. Most reports cited drops of about 10%. It’s not as dramatic as the ghost town video we see on social media, but it is significant.
Europeans have been put off by current policies
If we do have real data to support the assertion that tourism is declining, the reasons are certainly unclear. One of the fashionable theories is to blame the Trump Administration. But while there is some truth that the administration’s policies are dissuading international visitors, especially Europeans, other American tourist institutions – Disney theme parks, for instance – have seen increased numbers and revenues.
Another theory that has actually been around for several years is that Vegas is under pressure since the 2018 Supreme Court ruling on sports betting, allowing individual states to legalize sports betting and casino activity. At a stroke, it meant that tens of millions of Americans could access betting and games of chance offline and online in their home states. Even for entertainment purposes, players can access games at social casinos online like McLuck.com. The point is that a pilgrimage to Las Vegas was no longer necessary for residents of dozens of states.
Gaming revenue is actually up
And yet, casino revenue was actually up significantly across the summer of 2025, despite tourist numbers being down. That might offer another clue to what is happening in Las Vegas, or at least back up another theory: Vegas has changed in how it appeals to different budgets, or, to put it another way, Vegas has become more expensive. Certainly, if tourism numbers are down and gaming revenue is up, it would suggest that the tourists who do go are spending more, and thus have bigger budgets.
This theory has plenty of evidence. The classic idea of Vegas has always been that the casino economy meant that other aspects of the trip could be cheap – the $5 steaks and cheap shrimp, the free drinks while you play, and the cheap hotel rooms. It varies by hotel type, but some have pointed to the average cost of a hotel room going from $111 in 2014 to $194, with resort fees also rising from $25 to $40 in that time. The cost of drinks also went viral on social media over the summer, with people taking photos of their bills for bottle service – a bucket of 6 bottles of Coors Light costing $79.99 was one of the most viral posts.
You can, of course, still get those cheap steaks and free drinks that Vegas has been famous for, but it is arguably not just as common. The nightclub and pool party economy have become huge draws in the city, especially among Gen-Z, and, they are certainly not cheap. As for dining, the resorts have moved towards the concept of Michelin Star experiences and franchises of celebrity chefs, where the idea of a $5 steak is laughable.
Some have lamented these changes, claiming that the kitsch charm that was once the calling card of Vegas has been supplanted by something more sterile. The cabaret show hosts have been replaced by superstar DJs; the number of cheap buffets is dwindling; a trip to see the Raiders, Golden Knights, and soon, the city’s NBA team is the attraction.
Visitors may be priced out of the Vegas experience
In March, just as the alarm bells began to sound on tourist numbers dropping, hoteliers spoke to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, pointing out that the expense of visiting other cities in the US had risen more dramatically than in Vegas, as inflation bit across the 2020s. Yet, they admitted that Vegas struggled to appeal to lower budgets as it once did. Some tourists, speaking in the article, cited the removal of coffee machines in many hotel rooms, forcing people to pay $6 or $7 for their cup ‘downstairs, was an example of people being priced out.
Tourist numbers rose quite healthily across the early 2020s, although we always have to temper such data with respect to the pandemic years, so we should again wait for more evidence before we say that the last six months are more than a blip. Perhaps the numbers start to rise again in 2026 and beyond, but it is clear that Vegas has changed dramatically, and it is continuing to evolve. It remains the most unique large city in the United States, but some tourists might vote with their feet.
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