Nevada casinos top $1 billion for 8th straight month
Reno market sees nearly 11 percent YOY increase
Overhead view of the The ROW properties — including Caesar’s Entertainment-owned casinos Eldorado, Silver Legacy and Circus Circus — in downtown Reno in October.
Photo: David Calvert / The Nevada Independent
Nevada casinos recorded their eighth consecutive month of over $1 billion in gaming win in October — a total of $1.22 billion statewide. That is a 48.5 percent, $399 million increase over October 2020, according to new monthly statistics released Nov. 30 by the Nevada Gaming Control Board. Clark County casinos alone recorded a billion dollars in winnings in October. The Las Vegas Strip accounted for $702.2 million of the total, an 86.9 percent increase over a year ago. Gaming Board Analyst Mike Lawton said the 8-month streak ties the record for consecutive billion-dollar months set between October 2006 and May 2007. Meanwhile, sports wagering set a record of $1.1 billion in the total bet on games, Lawton said, far surpassing the previous Nevada record of $786.5 million set in September. Sports pools won $48.3 million in October. According to a Nov. 30 report by The Nevada Independent, for the first 10 months of the year, sports betting revenue is up 36.4 percent and wagers are up 46.3 percent compared with 2019, which was a record year in both categories. Lawton said 64 percent of all sports wagers were placed through mobile accounts. “Nevada has experienced strong acceptance of mobile wagering by visitors who sign up for access while in town,” Lawton told The Nevada Independent. “Additionally, October is also the month where all four major league sports are in play in addition to NCAA football. Another contributing factor is that this month also had five weekends of NFL games which obviously contributed to the football totals.”
BY THE NUMBERS
Region: October Win (Percentage Change)
Statewide: $1.22 billion (48.5%)
Carson Valley: $11.5 million (14.3%)
South Tahoe: $16 million (-25.8%)
North Tahoe: $2.19 million (-2.89%)
Washoe County: $86.9 million (11.21%)
Reno: $62.48 million (10.77%)
Clark County: $1.05 billion (57.3%)
The Strip: $702.18 million (86.88%)
Source: Nevada Gaming Control Board
Overall, total casino win is now up 9.2 percent calendar year to date. The win total was helped by the return of a full slate of special events in Las Vegas, including the 52nd annual World Series of Poker, the Tyson Fury-Deontay Wilder heavyweight fight, the resumption of residencies by Lady Gaga and Gwen Stefani, and the resumption of the Electric Daisy Carnival after last year’s cancelation. Meanwhile, Northern Nevada’s main markets continued to see strong numbers in October. Washoe County’s win is up 19.6 percent calendar year to date. Win in October was $86.9 million, an 11.2 percent increase from the same month in 2020. Specific to Reno, casinos reported $62.48 million in October win, a 10.77 percent increase from last year. In the Carson Valley Area, which includes valley portions of Douglas County along with the capital, win was up 14.3 percent in October to $11.5 million. That puts the area 20 percent ahead of calendar year 2019.
Churchill County casinos reported $2.15 million in total win, an increase of just under 18 percent compared to October 2020. South Tahoe casinos at Stateline, however, were down significantly in October to $16 million, a 25.8 percent decrease compared to the same month a year ago. Lawton blamed loss of business caused by the nearby Caldor fire for the decrease. Slot win at South Tahoe was down 7.9 percent. The “Other Games” category, which includes Baccarat in smaller markets, lost $163,000. At the north end of the lake, total win was $2.2 million in Crystal Bay and Incline Village, a decrease of 2.9 percent or $65,000. NNBW Editor Kevin MacMillan contributed to this report.
