Casinos Around The Country Were As Busy As Nevada In 2021

Casino operators nationwide, similar to Nevada, witnessed a huge surge in gaming revenue in the fourth quarter of 2021 as well as for the entire year. The revenue increase was so significant that it shattered the country’s total gross gaming revenue records.

The American Gaming Association (AGA) reported that 2021 saw a record-breaking gross gaming revenue in US commercial casinos, reaching an all-time high of $52.99 billion. This was revealed in the AGA’s annual report.

US gaming revenue

The gross gaming revenue, breaking records, was substantially higher than in 2020 when nationwide casinos briefly shut down to help curb the spread of Covid-19. It also surpassed the revenue in 2019, prior to the global pandemic which significantly reduced casino revenue.

The report reveals that US commercial casino revenue was almost 77% greater than in 2020. The growth exceeded the previous annual record by more than 21%. Interestingly, this record was established in 2019.

In total, 23 out of the 34 commercial gaming jurisdictions across the nation achieved record full-year gaming revenue in 2021. The states that set this record include:

Casino operators nationwide had quite a year. However, when compared to Nevada’s casino revenue, all others seem insignificant.

Comparing US casino revenue to Nevada

To compare, the gaming revenue in Nevada for 2021 surpassed that of 2020 and saw a 19% increase from 2019. Although tourists were somewhat hesitant to return to Las Vegas, they were less reluctant to visit casinos nearer to their homes.

Throughout the year, as tourism to Las Vegas gradually increased, gamblers opted to frequent local casinos instead. While regional casinos enjoyed booming business, Las Vegas’s casinos, restaurants, and shows were lagging in returning to full capacity.

While Nevada as a state shattered records, two of its most popular tourist spots experienced varying levels of increase.

In 2021, gaming revenue on the Vegas Strip increased by 7.4% compared to 2019. Similarly, downtown Las Vegas casinos experienced a 23% rise in gaming revenue last year compared to 2019.

Considering the two have different customer bases and rely on tourist visitation in different ways, the increases are logical.

Casinos in downtown Las Vegas attract a significant number of customers from the local population living nearby. Their success mirrors that of regional casinos across the country.

Tourists who visit downtown Las Vegas usually gamble more. This is because the casinos there are smaller than those on the Vegas Strip and lack the same variety of amenities like fine dining, shows, spas etc.

Although the Vegas Strip experienced a rise in gaming revenue, it didn’t quite match expectations. Gambling tourists were not particularly attracted to the $25 6:5 blackjack offered, especially when they could play more appealing games for a smaller minimum bet in the downtown area.

The Vegas Strip is #1 in the US

Although the gaming revenue growth on the Vegas Strip is smaller than that of its downtown counterpart, it remains the top gaming market in the US. The Vegas Strip’s gross gaming revenue is nearly three times as much as the second-highest market, Atlantic City, according to the American Gaming Association (AGA).

In 2021, casinos on the Vegas Strip generated over $7 billion in gross gaming revenue, while Atlantic City casinos saw about $2.5 billion in gross gaming revenue during the same period.

The top five gaming revenue markets in the US include Chicago, Baltimore/Washington DC, and the casinos on the Gulf Coast in Mississippi.

The AGA report ranked Downtown Las Vegas 15th in terms of market size for gross gaming revenue.

Sports betting on the rise around the US

Since the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) was repealed in 2018, sports betting has been on the rise in Nevada and across the US.

States new to sports betting are witnessing significant revenue from this form of gaming, which constitutes a minor portion of total gaming revenue in Nevada. In 2021, sports betting made up slightly more than 4% of the casino gaming revenue for Nevada casinos and sportsbook operators.

In the previous year, sports betting reached a record high of $57.22 billion across online and retail sportsbooks nationwide. This represented a substantial increase of 164.8% compared to 2020.

The substantial surge in sports betting across the country can be attributed to the legalization of this form of gaming in eleven states and tribal markets.

Despite the rise of sports betting in larger states across the country, Nevada is not fading into obscurity. Last year, the Silver State recorded the second-highest sports betting handle in the nation.

According to the AGA report, New Jersey outpaced all other states in sports wagering, with a total of $10.9 billion bet last year. It was the only state to surpass Nevada, which came in second with $8.1 billion wagered on sports.