The chair of the Nevada Gaming Control Board said Las Vegas casinos are making headway in bringing back tourists and is confident the destination is on its way back to recovery and strength.
Mike Dreitzer made his comments to casino executives and business leaders Tuesday night when he spoke before the Economic Club of Las Vegas at Park MGM. Visitation in February and March has recorded year-over-year increases and gaming revenue was strong in March. Visitation fell nearly 8% in 2025.
“Las Vegas certainly has challenges and that’s not new,” Dreitzer said. “We always have a great way of coming through challenges and coming out much stronger on the other side. The numbers for March were quite good. From a gross gaming standpoint, it was the second highest month ever.
“I’m heartened to see the licensees are very attuned to this,” Dreitzer said of the notion of Las Vegas being overpriced. “I’m heartened that they’re trying to do many things to change the perception, like all-inclusive packages. Free parking goes a long way. Certainly for locals, but anybody driving in from California doesn’t want to pay $25 to $30 to park. There’s also a strong recognition among very capable business operators that things need to change and they are. You’re starting to see strength come back.”
Dreitzer pointed out that Las Vegas is poised to welcome a new property to the Strip in 2027 with the Hard Rock Las Vegas under construction. It had a topping-off ceremony last week and he lauded the tribal investment in Las Vegas, with the Seminole Tribe of Florida on that project and San Manuel at The Palms.
“We’re all excited for 2028 when the A’s come (to their $2 billion stadium on the former Tropicana Las Vegas site),” Dreitzer said. “The Super Bowl is coming back in 2029 and the Final Four is on the way (in 2028 and college football national championship in 2027). Things are getting better. I’m optimistic about the state of the gaming industry in Las Vegas. Never bet against the city of Las Vegas and never bet against Nevada, because you’ll lose every time. We’ve been able to reinvent ourselves and find new ways to do things and lead the way. Are their challenges? Yes, but we’re certainly overcoming them.”
While the outlook is good, Dreitzer said they can’t take their feet off the gas. If Las Vegas and Nevada fall behind in regulation and guests can get better products in southern California or Phoenix, “That’s a problem for us. We need to have the best gaming experience in the world. There are versions of what we do in 40 states plus. There’s a recognition of that and from a regulation standpoint we have to support it, and we have to regulate at the speed of business.”
AGA CEO Bill Miller said the gaming industry across the country has overcome a lot of obstacles. He cited economic uncertainty in the U.S. whether it’s the war in the Middle East and what it means for discretionary income.
“It’s important we remember that this is supposed to be entertainment,” Miller said. “I look at the country and look at year-on-year and every single vertical was positive – brick and mortar, tribal, commercial, sports betting, and igaming.”
