Las Vegas roars back to life with record gambling win – US$1.36 billion in July – as visitors flock to the city that Covid-19 couldn’t beat
- Las Vegas has weathered closures and restrictions, and is now seeing the return of major events, star residencies and conventions
- Pent-up demand and a reluctance to travel overseas are helping to fuel the rebound
Barely a year after the Las Vegas Strip was shut down by Covid-19, its world-famous casinos have roared back to a record-breaking summer thanks to a remarkable winning streak.
Nevada pocketed an all-time record US$1.36 billion last month from gamblers, who are flooding back to the city nicknamed Lost Wages, after months confined at home with little to spend their money on.
“We weren’t anticipating these type of numbers,” said Michael Lawton, senior analyst for Nevada Gaming Control Board. “In Nevada, a billion dollars in gaming win is kind of a bellwether number. And we’ve recorded a billion dollars in gaming win in five consecutive months.”
The month also contained five weekends, including the bonanza Fourth of July holiday. But the hot streak – and bustling crowds on the Strip – point to a renewed confidence in the safety of piling onto slot machines and roulette tables, even as the Delta coronavirus variant spreads and Nevada has had to reimpose indoor mask mandates.