'Right now, I don't know if I'm comfortable going overseas.' 'We had been planning a girls' trip - we were originally going to Greece in 2020, but it was postponed, so this is like a revamp,' said Karen Utsey, 50, a defense contractor from Michigan. Las Vegas became a ghost town in early 2020, with casinos ordered to close for 78 days, dealing a heavy unemployment blow to the tourism-reliant economy.Ĭapacity limits remained in place until this June, but even by May the city had broken its long-standing monthly gambling revenue record set before the global financial crisis that began in October 2007, according to Lawton.Īmericans' reluctance to travel abroad during the COVID-19 pandemic appears to have benefited Las Vegas, with domestic tourism surging.

if you ain't able to do something for a while, then there's a big rush when they are able to get out.' 'It's definitely back to pre-pandemic levels,' said Shawn Jones, a promoter at the brand-new Resorts World casino, who said the previous weekend's pool parties had fully sold out. Workers at casinos told AFP that many of their customers hail from the U.S. I think if you're paranoid about getting sick, I don't think those people travel - they probably stay at home.'

'They don't seem super worried about getting sick or anything. 'The people that come to Vegas don't really seem too concerned,' said one barman working on the Strip, who asked not to be named. The month also contained five weekends, including the bonanza Fourth of July holiday.īut 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 variant spreads and Nevada has had to reimpose indoor mask mandates. July was something of a 'perfect storm,' thanks to the presence of major events including a Conor McGregor fight, a Garth Brooks concert at the gleaming new Allegiant Stadium, and the return of musical residencies such as Usher and Bruno Mars at swanky casino theaters. And we've recorded a billion dollars in gaming win in five consecutive months.' 'In Nevada, a billion dollars in gaming win is kind of a bellwether number. 'We weren't anticipating these type of numbers,' said Michael Lawton, senior analyst for Nevada Gaming Control Board. Nevada pocketed an all-time record $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. 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.

Las vegas casino shut down again