Casino win tops $1.1 billion in September even as fewer visitors come to Las Vegas

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Casino win tops $1.1 billion in September even as fewer visitors come to Las Vegas
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LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Another strong month at Nevada casinos produced a gaming win of $1.1 billion, the sixth straight month of billion-dollar wins as the economic recovery revs its engine.

Clark County alone reported a win of over $1 billion in September, totaling $1,005,184,833.

The gaming win — the amount casinos take from gamblers — produces tax revenue for the state, and the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) reports the state has collected $72.9 million so far in October. That’s a 7.5% increase over October of 2020 — about $5 million more, according to an NGCB news release.

The string of billion-dollar wins is continuing through the summer spike of COVID-19 cases due to the Delta variant. A mask mandate that went into effect as cases grew in late July hasn’t stood in the way of success for casinos.

Numbers released Wednesday by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitor’s Authority (LVCVA) indicate visitor volume actually dipped by 2.1% — about 64,000 visitors. Clark County is still about 15% below pre-pandemic visitation levels.

The lower visitor volume is likely due to continued impact on convention schedules and international travel. Available hotel rooms are about 73% full.

The total number of visitors in September was 2,935,600, according to LVCVA figures.

The Las Vegas Strip produced $640 million of the state’s total gaming win, up from $625 million in August.

Compared to 2020, the numbers are enormous. September’s gaming win is 41% higher than September of 2020, and for the fiscal year, the gaming win is up more than 58%.

Year-to-year comparisons are inflated because the pandemic flattened activity in casinos last year as occupancy limits and travel restrictions severely limited operations.