Things seem to be improving for Las Vegas. March 2021 saw the air traffic to the city increase dramatically, which has also led to an increase in wins for the city’s casinos. The significant increase in air traffic and casino wins will come as good news to everyone, indicating Sin City might finally be putting the COVID pandemic behind it.
Big Increases In Air Travel
In March 2021, McCarran Airport saw 2.5 million passengers arrive and depart from the airport. This is a 25% increase over March in the previous year, increasing by around 510 000. McCarran is the main airport for travel in Las Vegas and is located south of the strip. The COVID pandemic was devastating for Sin City, a city that relies heavily on tourism from around the USA and the world. The nearest major city to Las Vegas is Los Angeles, over 4 hours away by car.
The good news is that since the vaccine has started being rolled out around the country, tourism has increased. Over three million doses of the vaccine are being administered in the USA every day. It is estimated that 37% of adults are currently vaccinated.
Increased Wins for Las Vegas Casinos
As tourism has increased, so has gaming revenue for the city’s casinos. A recent report from the Nevada Gaming Control Board revealed that casinos in Nevada won over $1 billion in March 2021, compared to March 2020. This is a 73% increase, when they won just $618 million 12 months earlier. The last time casinos won over $1 billion was February 2020, before the casinos were put into lockdown.
Casinos in Las Vegas saw their wins increase by 63%, up from $546.5 million, up to $893 million. It isn’t just Las Vegas that saw impressive improvements. Casinos in Northern Nevada also saw triple-digit improvements. Reno saw its gambling revenue climb 164%, from $22 million, up to $59 million.
However, Reno is less reliant on air travel than Las Vegas. While gambling is still important, there are numerous other tourist attractions for the city. This includes skiing at Lake Tahoe, as well as other outdoor activities.
