Despite what was an active month for the Omicron variant, gaming revenue in Nevada continued to perform well in January. This was a reoccurring trend and the extension of a record: last month was the 11th straight to see $1bn in revenue reached.
According to numbers released by the Gaming Control Board, casinos statewide were able to hit $1.1bn in gaming revenue. This is a startling improvement of 41.6% over January 2021, a largely pre-vaccine time when the pandemic was indeed running rampant through the land, reducing both travel and casino capacity.
At $567.2m, the Las Vegas Strip accounted for over half of the take. This was a marked 76.4% improvement on the year before. And, as a sign that things have even gone beyond pre-pandemic numbers, the Strip’s revenue was 6.6% higher than what it had been in January 2019.
That’s not to say Omicron did not take its toll, especially at the beginning of the month. Convention travel, for instance. took a significant hit, something that has an outsized influence on gaming revenue. Furthermore, travel disruptions led to thousands of flights being cancelled to and from Harry Reid International Airport.
Altogether, this meant that Las Vegas had 600,000 fewer visitors than it had the month before.
As a result, gaming revenue on the Strip was the lowest it had been in nine months.
At the state level, every market besides South Lake Tahoe reported a revenue increase. In Reno and Washoe County, for instance, this increase was to the tune of 8%.
Despite the comparative slowdown last month, Nevada has been having a fine performance overall. Last year was a record one for the Silver State: it saw $13.4bn in revenue, including $7.07bn from the Strip alone.
