In Las Vegas, a city famous for its neon lights, packed casinos, and high-stakes thrills, faces a quieter reality, a new report from a local news outlet says. A recent slowdown in tourism is hitting the Strip hard, and it’s casino dealers who are feeling the brunt of it. Several major resorts and hotels have quietly started laying off workers, many of them table game dealers, as foot traffic on casino floors declines. Experts said a mix of rising travel costs, fewer international visitors, and economic uncertainty is behind the dip in visitor numbers.
For this article, SBS will be going over the latest gaming news and notes coming from Sin City, along with some additional thoughts and comments regarding Las Vegas wagering
According to the Nevada Department of Employment, Training, and Rehabilitation, the Las Vegas metro area ended 2024 with an unemployment rate of 5.9%, the highest of any large metro area in the country. The leisure and hospitality sector, which includes casino dealers, shed thousands of jobs over the past year. Industry insiders say some properties are moving toward more automated systems, such as electronic table games, which require fewer staff. Others are simply tightening budgets amid weaker earnings reports.
“Fontainebleau announced some layoffs, as well as Resorts World. We want those casinos to be successful, active, and rrobust because that gives our break-in dealers an opportunity to transition, that’s the goal,” CEG Dealer School Managing Director David Knoll said in the article. “We have seen our enrollment drop, and people interested in becoming a dealer. We used to have a lot more people transition from out of state and come to Las Vegas for the opportunities here,” Knoll said.
Hotel occupancy rates have also declined, with a drop of one percent overall in April, and a larger decrease for hotels downtown of 2.6 percent. Additionally, noted in the same article, in 2024, the average hourly wage for casino dealers in Nevada was $19.96, closely aligning with the national average of $19.25. Despite Nevada’s prominence in the casino industry, it did not rank among the top five-highest paying states for this occupation.
In other Sin City news, Las Vegas casinos are moving towards a smoke-free future due to investor pressure and changing public views. While most Las Vegas Strip resorts still allow smoking on their gaming floors, more and more people wnat casino operators to think again. Park MGM stands alone as the only major Las Vegas Strip property to ban indoor smoking, a rule they brought back in 2020. Some visitors do not know about this rule, but others, like Amy Chamberlain, say it is why they pick where to stay, as reported in another local Vegas outlet.
Per the same article, new findings point to more industry players having to tackle the smoking issue soon. A survey backed by the Nevada Tobacco Control and Smoke-Free Coalition revealed that over two-thirds of voters want smoke-free casinos. This led groups like the American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation (ANRF) to submit proposals to several big gaming companies. These proposals ask shareholders to push for studies on the cost and benefits of no-smoking policies.
Most companies tried to keep these proposals off shareholder ballots, but the SEC stepped in and allowed the votes. So far, 8.6% of Wynn Resortrs investors and 11% of Boyd Gaming shareholders have supported these proposals. Caesars Entertainment and Penn Entertainment will hold similar votes in mid-June. Although these percentages do not represent a majority, ANRF’s Bronson Frick views them as indicators of growing support. He pointed out that investors are voicing concerns even when management resists, which might influence future policies.
Additionally, experts in the industry claim that worries about losing revenue may be exaggerated. Studies by UNLV researchers and independent groups suggest that bans on smoking have little impact on gaming income. In some instances, properties without smoke have shown signs of better performance. Professor Ashok Singh, who helped write a study about South Korea’s Kangwon Land, verified that the venue’s smoking ban in 2015 did not affect its business volume. Labor groups have also started to pay attention, the article notes. The Culinary Union, which speaks for tens of thousands of Las Vegas Strip workers, back smoke-free efforts at Park MGM and keeps pushing to protect workers better. For the time being, the industry remains cautious and so it will be interesting to see how things play out in Sin City.
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About the Author
As a devout aficionado of sports, Chris Boline has carved a career within the athletic realm. A skilled scribe, he boasts a decade-long portfolio that encompasses coverage of the NBA G League, the Los Angeles Chargers, football and basketball across the country. Beyond his professional pursuits, Chris is deeply invested in his community and dedicates his leisure hours to serving on boards, collaborating with community organizations, and cherishing the company of loved ones. CURRENTLY Business Development and freelance sports writing RESIDES IN Reno, NV EDUCATION University of Nevada BS and MBA EXPERTISE -Sports writing proficiency in: NFL, NBA, UFC, boxing, golf, and some motor sports -Topical news -Promotional and marketing ideas/updates -Business development Summary Chris Boline serves in a business development sales capacity as his day job. He has previously held sales/marketing positions with The Applied Companies (TAC), KTVN 2 News and the NBA G League’s Reno Bighorns, affiliate of the Sacramento Kings. He is a Reno native and is a member of various community boards including the Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, NCET and the College of Business Alumni Association (COBAA). Chris graduated from the University of Nevada in 2015 with a bachelors in management and economics and also earned his MBA from Nevada in 2023. More about Chris: Past president of the College of Business Alumni Association (COBAA) 2022-23 Two-time honoree for University of Nevada Alumni Chapter of the Year (Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, 2017 & COBAA, 2021) 2021 NCET award for Professional Services Organization of the Year with TAC Northern Nevada Human Resources Association 2020 Best Places to Work-Northern Nevada, Second Place with TAC 2016-17 Reno Bighorns MVP from the Sacramento Kings The Nevada Sagebrush editor-in-chief 2013-15 Associated Collegiate Press 2015 Four-year Non-daily Newspaper Pacemaker honoree University of Nevada, Reno College of Business Dean's List honoree (5x) from 2011-2015 Nevada Press Association award for Best Sports Column – Community in 2015 Education
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