There are no two ways about it; 2020 and 2021 pretty much sucked for commercial businesses worldwide, with the hospitality and gaming industries being affected in particular. COVID forced lengthy shutdowns globally, and the Las Vegas Strip, with its multitude of casinos, was hit hard.

However, there is light at the end of the tunnel, and the good news is that no matter how hard the casinos were hit, they are fighting back with incredible numbers.

Nearly two years after the pandemic transformed Las Vegas from the spectacular city that we all know and love to a depressingly deserted ghost town, it’s well on the road to recovery, bouncing back with a determined push.

Las Vegas has reported that tourists are again streaming in, and gambling revenue is on the up. With the Las Vegas Strip boasting its first new casino in over a decade and huge concerts starting up again at a new gleaming stadium, it looks like Vegas again has the winning hand against the pandemic.

Big Revenue Gains

In October, according to numbers revealed by the Nevada Gaming Control Board, the State, which includes Las Vegas, collected $1.2 billion in gaming revenues. That was the eighth month in a row that revenues had topped a billion.

What is more startling is that the $1.2 billion figure is up a sensational 19.5% from the same month before the pandemic hit. And, if you were still skeptical – this was the first eight-month billion dollar streak since way back in 2007.

“We’ll probably set an all-time calendar year record,” explained Michael Lawton, an analyst with the Control Board. With that sort of figure coming around, no one can be in any doubt that Vegas is well and truly back on its feet. The removal of the Flexiglass panels used to separate players at the blackjack and poker tables certainly helps create the impression that things are returning to normal.

Of those huge October revenue figures, table games revenues in October hit $333.9 million, which was $100 million higher than the October 2019 equivalent. One reason for this may well have been the World Series of Poker running throughout the month when it is held in the early summer in previous years. The poker festival attracts thousands of visitors to the city, all of whom are well known to enjoy the occasional casino bet.

Casinos in Las Vegas are reporting that visitor numbers are on the up generally, with domestic US visitors being the main source of their footfall. International visitors are also now returning, although further variants of COVID and possible restrictions on traveling mean many international visitors are still wary about visiting Las Vegas, and rightly so.

An Online Alternative

Those that would normally have jumped on a plane and traveled to Las Vegas to try their luck are playing it safe and taking to playing online, which remains a viable and safer alternative.

With a multitude of online gambling sites available around the world, players in the UK, for example, are turning to fully-licensed online sites such as STS Casino, where they can play their favorite games without having to get on a plane and fly out to Vegas.

They can still experience the thrills and excitement of playing at a casino but from the comfort and safety of their own homes. Online casinos offer players a true Las Vegas-style experience, complete with table games like blackjack and roulette, live dealer games, and hundreds of slot machines.

Not Over Yet

The concerns over the coronavirus pandemic have still not settled down fully. New strains continue to surface, and measures restricting commercial premises like casinos may be re-introduced at any time.   

Financial and industry experts are estimating that a full “return to normal” for bricks-and-mortar casinos could take years. But for now, “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas” is absolutely still a thing, with those record revenues announced by the Nevada Gaming Control Board proving visitors are flocking in.

As with everything, time will tell, but early indications show the overall economy is rebounding gradually after the colossal losses made during the pandemic. As people are become a little less fearful and slightly more comfortable with traveling (when allowed), Las Vegas most probably will, once again, maintain its title as the most gregarious and vibrant entertainment capital of the world.