May’s cupboard empty

With Nevada casinos closed all May, gaming revenue was a ghost of its former self, down 99.5%, kept alive by mobile sports wagering and online poker. Silver State casinos grossed just under $6 million. Reno, Laughlin and Lake Tahoe all recorded negative gaming revenue. Business was best where you’d expect: the Las Vegas Strip. It made slightly under $4 million, with Downtown following with $2 million. All other jurisdictions were negligible. At the same time, passenger traffic at McCarran International Airport dove 91.5% to 319,712 ingoing and outgoing passengers. Southwest Airlines had the lion’s share of the business, with 229,622 fliers. All traffic was domestic, as international travelers remain personae non grata in the U.S.

Speaking of people coming to Las Vegas, October brings—or is slated to bring—Global Gaming Expo. Envision, if you will, large numbers of masked industry executives, packed into the Sands Expo Center, examining the latest and greatest in products and vendors. Global Gaming Business Publisher Roger Gros says this Covid corral is exactly what the industry needs at this moment in its history.