I like traveling around Nevada (coming from Boston, the wide open spaces are SO inviting) and playing slots (don't hate me). Are the hold percentages on the machines reported to the state? If so, can you tell me what jurisdictions have the lowest hold percentage? I'm guessing Laughlin is lowest, then some out of the way place like Carson City or Elko.
Yes, Nevada breaks out the hold percentages on slot machines by jurisdiction and what's more, the Center for Gaming Research at UNLV has compiled a list of the monthly and annual hold since 2004.
In the executive summary, the UNLV analysts write, "Slot hold has increased, on average, since 2004, and looking at the 11 largest (by revenue) reporting areas in Nevada, the geographic trend is clear: The Las Vegas Strip has a significantly higher hold than other reporting areas, followed by downtown Las Vegas, South Shore Lake Tahoe, and Laughlin. At the bottom of the scale, North Shore Lake Tahoe, the Boulder Strip, and Reno have progressively lower slot holds."
Here are the hold percentages averaged over the past 21 years:
Las Vegas Strip 7.57
Laughlin 7.41
Downtown Las Vegas 7.17
South Shore Lake Tahoe 6.89
Statewide 6.55
Elko 5.98
North Las Vegas 6.39
Mesquite 5.97
North Shore Lake Tahoe 5.61
Boulder Strip 5.64
Reno 5.21
And here are the average hold percentages for 2025:
Downtown Las Vegas 8.30
Laughlin 8.22
Strip 7.90
South Shore Lake Tahoe 7.71
North Las Vegas 7.50
Statewide 7.15
Mesquite 6.75
Boulder Strip 6.43
Elko 6.02
Reno 5.49
North Shore Lake Tahoe 5.43
You can see the trend of rising hold percentages, as well as the historic top three and bottom three-four. And you can read the most recent report here.
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Tim Soldan
Feb-03-2026
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