Do You Think Las Vegas is Coordinating Its Efforts to Go Upscale?

What do you make of the LVCVA promoting heavily, while the Strip casinos keep their prices and fees sky high? Do you think this is a coordinated effort to change the business model from attracting the average traveler to catering to the biggest spenders?

We couldn’t say if there’s a “coordinated effort” or not (which would border on conspiracy), but it certainly appears that Las Vegas is moving in the direction of appealing more to upper-class than value-conscious visitors.

This is becoming a meme and not only via sensational media headlines about how expensive everything has gotten in Las Vegas, especially on the Strip. In forums and chat rooms and all over social media, we’ve seen comments to the effect that Las Vegas is intentionally shifting its strategy toward becoming less accessible in favor of becoming more exclusive.

In our view, this has been escalating since the reopening of Las Vegas in June 2020 after the nearly three-month pandemic shutdown. A number of trends have emerged since then. First and foremost, the casinos discovered that they could raise the prices of virtually everything and figuratively starving visitors would line up to pay them. (They also learned that they could provide good-enough customer service with a smaller workforce.)

By then, the resort and parking fees “experiment,” starting in the early 2000s and 2016, respectively, had proved to be a success. Even in light of a fair amount of highly public pushback over the fees, visitors still flocked to the Strip and sucked it up when it came to shelling out for all the tacked-on charges. And they continued to do so when those fees started rising and rising.

It’s no secret that the Wynn, perhaps the most exclusive resort in Las Vegas, has been defying the current slowdown with record earnings and profits. Station Casinos, the erstwhile bargain locals company, has been raking it in since pivoting to a more Strip-like model, especially at Durango; Station’s second quarter of 2025 was the best in its 49-year history, achieving more than a half-billion dollars in net revenue in the three-month period.

It goes without saying that Formula 1, notwithstanding the token offered to locals via reduced ticket prices for the worst seats and standing room, is aimed at the high end of the market when it completely takes over the city for a week. Wynn does just fine. Downtown not so much.

Cirrus Aviation, a Las Vegas-based private-jet charter company, told Fox News Digital recently, “Business is booming. The millionaires, billionaires, celebrities, athletes, residencies — you name it — are flying in.”

Personally, in our review of Gjelina at the Venetian, where we paid $100 for a minimal lunch ($78 for food and drink, $15.60 mandatory service charge, and $6.53 tax), plus $45 to valet park (due to circumstances), we concluded, “Yet another very expensive and less than satisfying couple of hours on the Strip.”

All this in the midst of the very well-publicized “downturn” in Las Vegas’ recent fortunes.

We’re not sure what to make, exactly, of the LVCVA’s campaigns, especially the five-day sale from a few weeks ago. Are they desperation moves to counter the international storyline that Las Vegas is a ripoff? Are they a cynical attempt to fool some of the people all of the time by putting lipstick on a pig? Are they a sop, a bone thrown to both the big casinos taking most of the high-price heat and small casinos that are really feeling the pinch?

What do you think?

In the end, we suppose the more things change, the more they stay the same. It doesn’t matter how much money you have or how famous you are, a sucker is still a sucker and Vegas has thrived on them since long before our time. Our readers, LVAers, know better. Some of you have stopped coming here altogether and we certainly don’t blame you. Others still come and get good value for their money by paying close attention. We hear from you all the time.

We might be a dying breed, but until we’re all gone, we can still get more out of Las Vegas than Las Vegas gets out of us. Just ask Bobby Vegas.

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Comments

David Miller Oct-14-2025

It Is Simple

 As long as visitors pony up the gouging will continue.

Jersey Jeff Oct-14-2025

Shifted my stays

I'm still coming, but I've moved my stays to more affordable areas like downtown or utilizing our time share points.  
 By the way, I was walking through the Belagio last weekend (Oct 18) and I saw a new record "high" minimum bet for craps, at least for me.  $200!  Outrageous.  And it was "Crapless Craps" which lowers the overall odds.

Michael B Oct-14-2025

Deals can still be found

My last stay in Vegas last month was 9 nights. Granted I had to move around to 3 hotels but all rooms were comped at hotels that don't charge resort fees on comped rooms and offer free parking to it's guests. I have never paid for a room in Vegas in over 20 years. I will say the free play offers kinda of suck in Vegas because I have to spread my play around so I can get multiple free room offers. Some of the hotels that would only offer me a comped room Sun-Thurs are now offering weekends as well again. I'd say I am a mid roller who plays blackjack and slots. LVA also helps with sniffing out other kinds of deals. I am never on the strip. Downtown and Henderson usually. My point is that deals CAN be found. You just have to work a little to get them.

SCOTT Oct-14-2025

LVCVA Guy

I get a kick out of watching that LVCVA guy on the local news smile and lie through his teeth on how much of a bargain Vegas is. He must never go out and eat anywhere.

Keith Crane Oct-14-2025

Look Elsewhere

For more value with some glitz consider Atlantic City, Biloxi, or Reno/Tahoe

John Oct-14-2025

Just Out of Curiosity

If there continues to be a huge influx of the "beautiful people," will Clark County suddenly find a way to get the homeless, drug addicts and the mentally ill off of the streets?  Heaven forbid that demographic spoil the cool folks' good time.

Or will it all continue because the hoi oligoi just be whisked from hotspot to hotspot in limos, surrounded by a phalanx of bodyguards, hangers-on and boot lickers?

And what happens when the happening crowd finds a new place to play and be seen?  They always do move on to the next shiny object.  It may not occur for many years but it will.  

Quo vadis Las Vegas?

Parrothead Oct-14-2025

Downtown for me

Haven't stayed on the Strip for years. And will only go there very occasionally for a show. Downtown treats me decently, although food prices are climbing.

John Hearn Oct-14-2025

Curious John

"Hoi oligoi" is a gem. I bet many of them come courtesy of Rootin' Tootin' Vlad E. Putin!

Toni Armstrong Jr. Oct-14-2025

Was Strip, now Downtown

In the past it was Strip only for me — Stardust mostly, then Excalibur, Sahara, Tropicana, Riviera, and Cosmo (with someone who was comped). Then it was a mixture of Strip and off-Strip: Rio, Palace Station, Orleans, Boulder Station, with a smattering of visits to Red Rock, Green Valley Ranch, M, Texas Station, Fiesta, Palms, Gold Coast, and Sam’s Town (for the live music at Roxy’s)…. Then I discovered Downtown and for years now I have never looked back. Affordable, fun, reasonable table minimums, everything is easy to walk to. No resort fees at Four Queens or Binions. Aside from the Sphere and Vicki Barbolak comedy shows, there’s just nothing on the Strip that is worth going for.

Bryan Carr Oct-14-2025

Biloxi

Biloxi is now my go to place when I want to go to casinos. It doesn’t offer everything Las Vegas does but it still has reasonably priced buffets, low mins, no parking fees a very under rated 27 mile long beach. And it isn’t 115 degrees in the summer.

Artie Oct-14-2025

Poker

I’m almost stuck on the strip as the GN is the only downtown casino with poker since Binions and Plaza stopped offering poker. I wish there was another downtown casino with poker.

dblund Oct-14-2025

Artie

I agree, the lack of poker downtown limits my visits there.  It would help if GN brought back their regular poker tournaments; they use to run some very fun games.

Michael Kwiatkowski Oct-15-2025

One Word - Rio

Rio may not be the fanciest, but with full-pay VP, large rooms, and free parking, it has been my choice for the last year or two. Palms is right across the street with a good steakhouse and 2-4-1 buffet with MRB!

Sally Oct-15-2025

Biloxi on my mind!

Next time I go I am going to search out no resort fee casinos and use the money saved to enjoy shows or other entertainment. May be my last year in Vegas because I do like Biloxi.

Neal Greenberg Oct-17-2025

Was there in September

I visited in September.  Stayed at the Rio in a nice room that cost $60 TOTAL (thanks LVA no resort fee coupon)  I did the $20 trick for a nice renovated room.  Oh...and the free parking was nice.

I play poker and did not set foot on the strip but did drive up and down to see the changes.  (I played at South Point and The Orleans)

That being said, I see no reason to have to come back to Vegas anytime soon.

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