The omicron variant didn’t slow Las Vegas, or the rest of Nevada, which finished 2021 recording its 10th consecutive month of $1 billion and higher in gaming revenue, ending the year with $13.4 billion. The state surpassed the all-time record of $12.8 billion set in 2007; the Las Vegas Strip also set an all-time record.
The $13.4 billion in revenue, aided by record win in slots and sports betting, is 11.6% higher than the $12 billion recorded in 2019 prior to the pandemic, the Nevada Gaming Control Board reported Thursday. It also blew away the $7.8 billion in 2020 when casinos were shuttered more than two months because of COVID-19.
Eleven of the state’s 18 submarkets covered in the report achieved all-time gaming-win amounts in 2021, according to Michael Lawton, a senior economic analyst with the state. Those that didn’t include Washoe County, Reno, North Lake Tahoe, Sparks, South Shore Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, and North Las Vegas. North Las Vegas was one of two markets statewide to record a decrease from 2019, falling 5.5%. Laughlin was the other, falling 5.1%.
“Gaming revenue increased across all areas of the state as the economic outlook dramatically improved during 2021,” Lawton said. “The reasons for the record level of gaming win recorded this calendar year began with the successful rollout of vaccines, which eliminated capacity restrictions on the gaming floor. Subsequently, strong demand for gaming-related activities by customers representing multiple market segments across all areas of the state, propelled Nevada to a record ten consecutive months of total gaming win in excess of $1 billion.”
Lawton said the demand was driven by healthy consumer savings as a result of stimulus payments and by the sustained rebound of leisure travel. Also, the return of special events and entertainment helped boost gaming win to record levels.
Nevada had a strong December despite the arrival of omicron, with $1.15 billion in gaming revenue, 68.2% higher than the $683 million in December 2020 prior to widespread vaccinations.
Some 3.87 million passengers passed through Harry Reid International Airport in December, 8.9% lower than the 4.2 million December 2019. For 2021, some 39.7 million passengers passed through the airport, an increase of more than 17 million from 2020.
The Strip finished 2021 strong, with $650 million in revenue in December, a gain of 122.8% over December 2020. The state had an overall increase of 68%. Strip revenues were 9.9% higher than December 2019.
For the year, the Strip had $7 billion in gaming revenue, an 89.6% increase over the $3.7 billion in 2020, the largest of any segment monitored. The statewide gain was 70.6%. The Strip was 7.4% higher than 2019.
Downtown Las Vegas, in its first full year of the Circa Las Vegas resort, registered $73.8 million of revenue in December, a 62% increase over the $45.5 million in 2020. It rose 23% over December 2019.
For the year, downtown recorded $842.2 million in revenue, an 81.4% gain over $464.2 million in 2020, the second largest increase of any segment monitored.
The Balance of Clark County, which includes Las Vegas local casinos, generated $1.61 billion in revenue, a 58.9% increase over the $1 billion in 2020. In December, it had $136.2 million, a 35.3% increase over December 2020’s $100.6 million.
Deutsche Bank reported that in December, locals casino revenues were 5.2% higher than December 2019 and that the fourth quarter was 16.2% higher than the fourth quarter of 2019.
The Boulder Strip reported $967.1 million in gaming revenue in 2021, a 47.6% increase over the $655.3 million in 2020.
North Las Vegas recorded $285.7 million, a 39.8% increase over the $204.4 million in 2020.
Laughlin had $486 million, a 32.6% increase.
Mesquite’s win was $171 million, a 57.5% increase.
Washoe County recorded $1 billion, a 50.3% increase.
The South Shore Lake Tahoe recorded $249.9 million, a 45.1% increase.
Sports books won $445.1 million on $8.1 billion in 2021 wagers. Both of these amounts represent all-time records. The previous records for win and volume were set in 2018 at $329.1 million and $5.3 billion, respectively, Lawton said.
Sports wagers made via mobile apps won $194.3 million on $5.3 billion in write, Lawton said. These wagers accounted for 64.6% of total sports betting statewide, up from 57.1% in 2020.
The continued acceptance of mobile sports wagering by customers is the catalyst for these results, Lawton said.
For the period October 2021 through December 2021, sports books recorded over $1 billion in wagers in three consecutive months, a threshold that had never been reached. Mobile wagers accounted for 70.4% of the total during that period.
In Nevada in 2021, slot win of $9.2 billion increased 70.5% following 2020’s 31.7% decrease. Compared to 2019, slot win increased 16.4%. This total represents an all-time record for slot win, beating the previous record set in 2007, which totaled $8.5 billion. Slot coin-in of $129.4 billion increased 64.6% after decreasing 31.6% in 2020.
Compared to 2019, slot volume increased 12.5%, Lawton said. Slot win generated 68.8% of total win versus 68.8% in 2020.
Table, counter, and card game win increased 70.7% in 2021, following a 40% decrease in 2020. Compared to 2019, game win increased 2.4%. Game drop of $31 billion increased 62.5%, after decreasing 35.5% in 2020. Compared to 2019, game drop increased 4.8%, Lawton said.
Over the 10-year period between 2012-2021, total win growth has averaged 4.8%, with slot win averaging 5.5% growth and table-game win growth averaging 3.4%, Lawton said.
Slot win percentage of 7.14% increased 0.25% during 2021. The slot win percentage has decreased only 3 times in the prior 25 years.
Downtown Las Vegas had the highest slot-win percentage in 2021 at 8.36%, followed by the Strip at 8.27%. The statewide average was 7.14% in 2021, up from 6.89% in 2020. The Boulder Strip had a 6.17% win percentage, while the Balance of Clark County had a 6.19% win percentage. The lowest win percentage was 5.44% in Reno.
The Nevada table-game win percentage was 13.5%, a gain over the 12.8% in 2020. The Strip had 13.9% while downtown had 8.69%.
In Nevada, baccarat win of $939.1 million was up 55.4% after decreasing 42.5% in 2020. Blackjack win of $1.1 billion increased 75.8% versus a decline of 42.2% in 2020, Lawton said.
Crap win of $407.7 million increased 54.4% versus a decline of 37.8% in 2020.
Roulette win of $428 million increased 103% versus a decline of 43.5% in 2020. This represents an all-time record for roulette win on volumes of $2.1 billion, also an all-time record, Lawton said.
