Tourism
Nevada casino owners and operators maintained over $63 billion in fixed assets as of 2018, the highest level on record for the industry and a culmination of substantial investments spanning the 1990s and 2000s. Fixed asset costs stabilized after 2010, with little to no growth through 2018. Fixed asset costs reflect historical tourism-related investments. Going forward, another $21 billion of future investments are either under construction or planned for future development as of the date of this publication. These investments are expected to generate new construction jobs as well as additional personal income and output within the industry and throughout the state's economy.
Carson City, in the western part of the state, is the capital. Gambling is legal in Nevada, and Las Vegas, the state’s largest city, is known internationally for its opulent casinos and as an. Nevada is the gambling and entertainment capital of the United States. Hoover Dam, near Las Vegas, impounds the waters of Lake Mead, one of the world's largest artificial lakes. Nevada is the largest gold-producing state in the nation. It is second in the world behind South Africa. Las Vegas has more hotel rooms than any other place on earth. Nevada was not the birthplace of the atom bomb, but it is where the bomb grew up. About 100 kilometers (65 miles) north of Las Vegas is the Nevada Test Site, where over 100 above-ground nuclear tests were conducted between 1952 and 1962, when the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty was ratified.
Nevada reported 2,926 active gaming licensees during fiscal year 2018. Only 451 of licensees were non-restricted gaming operators. The balance included 1,977 restricted operators, 368 manufacturers and distributors, 54 slot route operators, and 76 other licensees.
Nevada Gambling Laws
Key Statistics for Nevada Gaming Operators
FY 2017 and 2018
Click here for FY 2009 through 2016| FY 2017 | FY 2018 | 5-Yr Growth Rate | Annual Growth Rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visitation | ||||
| Visitor Volume | 56,479,940 | 56,519,001 | 1.7% | 0.1% |
| Airport Volumes | 52,141,535 | 53,748,993 | 3.3% | 3.1% |
| Vehicle Traffic Volume (Entering Nevada) | 26,028,576 | 24,711,395 | -2.4% | -5.1% |
| Convention Attendance | 6,713,169 | 6,824,815 | 4.1% | 1.7% |
| Hotel Occupancy Rate | 83.6% | 83.4% | 1.0% | -0.2% |
| Hotel Room Nights Occupied | 58,783,863 | 58,288,244 | 0.7% | -0.8% |
| Hotel Room Inventory | 192,017 | 192,326 | -0.2% | 0.2% |
| Gaming | ||||
| Total Gross Gaming Revenue | $11,444,722,566 | $11,812,578,783 | 1.6% | 3.2% |
| Slot Machine Coin In | $108,392,716,715 | $111,683,584,579 | 1.0% | 3.0% |
| Number of Slot Machines | 144,556 | 141,431 | -2.2% | -2.2% |
| Number of Table Games | 5,929 | 5,756 | 1.6% | -2.9% |
| Total Number of Licensed Gaming Operations | 2,908 | 2,926 | 0.0% | 0.6% |
| Total Number of Restricted Gaming Operations | 1,957 | 1,977 | -0.3% | 1.0% |
| Investment and Key Operating Ratios | ||||
| Non-Restricted Licensee Revenue* | $26,174,699,272 | $27,107,879,852 | 3.3% | 3.6% |
| Gaming Revenue | $11,109,963,417 | $11,595,722,030 | 2.2% | 4.4% |
| Rooms Revenue | $6,165,784,751 | $6,239,824,567 | 5.4% | 1.2% |
| Food Revenue | $3,890,157,739 | $4,027,631,792 | 3.1% | 3.5% |
| Beverage Revenue | $1,804,476,733 | $1,938,358,366 | 3.1% | 7.4% |
| Other Revenue | $3,204,316,632 | $3,306,343,097 | 3.5% | 3.2% |
| Total Fixed Asset Value (Capital Investment) | $62,308,236,849 | $63,606,538,359 | 0.9% | 2.1% |
| New Capital Investment | $973,858,096 | $1,298,301,510 | 39.8% | 33.3% |
| Net Income Before Federal Taxes and Extraordinary Items | $1,557,358,386 | $(1,168,224,369) | -2.8% | -175.0% |
| Percentage of Total Revenue | 5.9% | -4.3% | -5.9% | -172.4% |
| Average Daily Room Rate | $127.41 | $127.09 | 3.3% | -0.3% |
| Revenue per Available Room (REVPAR) | $106.52 | $105.99 | 4.3% | -0.5% |
| Return of Average Assets | 3.4% | 0.6% | -23.1% | -82.6% |
| Return on Invested Capital | 7.1% | 0.9% | -20.2% | -86.8% |
| Casino Hotels and Gaming Employment | 176,600 | 174,300 | -0.5% | -1.3% |
| Casino Hotels and Gaming as a Percentage of All Employment | 12.7% | 12.6% | -3.6% | -0.7% |
| Major Gaming Tax Payments | ||||
| Room Tax Collections | $875,191,155.00 | $885,891,541.00 | 9.3% | 1.2% |
| State General Fund Gaming Tax Collections | $718,019,936.00 | $711,328,219.00 | 0.0% | -0.9% |
| Casino/Live Entertainment | $102,080,068.00 | $100,863,895.00 | -4.3% | -1.2% |
Note: *Non-restricted licensee revenue with gaming revenues of $1 M+. Sources: The Nevada Gaming Abstract; Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation; Nevada Department of Taxation; Nevada Commission on Tourism; Nevada Gaming Control Board; Economic Forum and Applied Analysis.
Nevada's Changing Economy and the Impact on Casino-Hotel Revenue Distribution
Nevada Gambling Age
1998
| 1998 | |
|---|---|
| Gaming | 56% |
| Rooms | 17% |
| Food | 12% |
| Beverage | 5% |
| Other | 10% |
2008
| 2008 | |
|---|---|
| Gaming | 48% |
| Rooms | 21% |
| Food | 14% |
| Beverage | 5% |
| Other | 12% |
Why Gambling Is Bad
2018
Gambling Legalized In Nevada
| 2018 | |
|---|---|
| Gaming | 43% |
| Rooms | 23% |
| Food | 15% |
| Beverage | 7% |
| Other | 12% |
Source: Nevada Gaming Control Board, Gaming Abstract.
A person is gambling whenever he or she takes the chance of losing money or belongings, and when winning or losing is decided mostly by chance. Gambling in Canada has grown at an unprecedented rate over the last decade and is an increasingly popular recreational activity.
While gambling was once illegal, or viewed as a disreputable activity, social norms have shifted. Gambling is now a multi-billion dollar industry in Canada, and its growth is likely to continue. Surveys indicate that the general population favours funding charities, health care and other important initiatives through the funds raised from gambling.
While some may consider gambling only to be associated with casinos and racetracks, there are countless activities that are considered gambling.
There are many different ways to gamble, including:
- Lottery tickets
- Slot machines
- Bingo
- Casino games (for example, Blackjack, Roulette, Craps, Sic Bo, Pai Gow Tiles, Caribbean Stud, Three Card Poker, Casino War, Baccarat, Spanish 21, Pai Gow Poker)
- Betting on horse racing
- Other sports betting
- Keno
- Scratch, Nevada or pull-tab tickets
- Betting on card games, mah-jong or dominoes
- Betting on games of skill, such as golf or pool
- Tombola and similar games
- Internet gambling
- High-risk speculative investing, such as day-trading and penny stocks.
There are different reasons why people choose to gamble. Individuals may be gambling to win money, to socialize, for excitement or to pass time.
For some people, gambling may become a serious problem that affects all aspects of their lives. As gambling becomes more accessible, the number of people affected by problem gambling also increases.
Are you wondering whether you, or someone you know, has a problem with gambling? Fill out this quiz and find out!