Pandemic hangover and 'corporate greed' blamed for Vegas tourism collapse
It comes as figures from the city's convention and visitors bureau show tourism is down 11 per cent, while overall visits to the Nevada city are down six per cent this year.
Meanwhile, the Golden Gate Hotel & Casino - the oldest gaming hub in the city - has announced it is replacing human dealers with electronic games.
The former Vegas regular took to Reddit explaining they believe the tourist boycott is down to two things - 'the pandemic' and 'corporate greed.'
'I booked a trip and was on the strip the day some of the casinos reopened (after the pandemic) and it was dead, of course, but it was on it's way back,' the user wrote.
As companies attempted to claw their way back into the green following the Covid-19 shutdown, the user blamed the city's decline on corporations relying on 'the common man' to recoup their losses.
After having been a 'Vegas regular for over 20 years', they saw how prices were soaring following the pandemic.
'Resort fees. They started implementing them and every year they go up,' the user wrote.
'Even if you are getting comped rooms, some of these places have nightly resort fees ranging from about 40-80 bucks.
'That gives you access to Wi-Fi and usually the spa. Both things that were previously free.'
The user said that food prices also took a noticeable increase, where buffets used to be served at around $20 to $30.
'Now there are fewer buffets to be had and they are all around 50 and up,' they wrote, noting that 'most are brunch only so forget about a full dinner buffet.'
The gambling tables also had increased minimum bets if you wanted to sit and play.
'Pre-pandemic you could walk into most strip casinos and find 5-10 dollar tables and most would be full day and night,' they wrote.
'Now you find a rare low minimum table anywhere on the strip and most have jumped to 25-50 minimum.'
But the gambling tables came with another issue as staffing numbers were also reduced, according to the user.
With fewer staff comes slower service, which they said is a 'huge problem' when gambling.
'Most gamblers like to take advantage of the free drinks, but if they have to wait 20 minutes or more for a waitress to even come by and notice them, then another 20 for her to make it back around, that's a problem,' they wrote.
Yet, even if gambling is not your cup of tea, other forms of entertainment have also seen prices 'skyrocket.'
'Shows and events, prices have just skyrocketed for shows,' the user wrote. 'Prices everywhere have gone up but most people can't justify paying 2-300 a ticket for a show per ticket.'
They also noted that parking fees can cost a driver around 30 to 50 dollars per day if they wanted to 'park at a hotel where they were actually staying.'
After having spent the last 20 years going to Vegas 'four times a year like clockwork', the user has since cut their trips down to two and even considered skipping their second trip for this year.
'People need to just avoid Vegas until they realize they have to adjust prices that reflect what middle America are willing and able to pay,' they said.
Another frequent visitor said they had been 'five times since 2012, always for business' but agreed that corporate greed was a major issue.
'The first time I came, I was pleasantly surprised that I could just wander from casino to casino, having a beer here and there and some nice food in between.
'Enjoy the spectacle, hang out with colleagues and watch the crazy people,' they wrote on the Reddit thread.
'And at the end, I wasn't completely broke, or maybe even won a couple $. Now, it seems like the only reason to go to a certain casino is if you have a hankering for a specific restaurant.
'Everything else is generified and looks the same. The prices for food are astronomical... the corps have realized that people will pay anything, because once they are on the Strip for an event, they have no other options.'
Another user chimed in and agreed that corporate greed has been one of the biggest factors keeping Vegas from coming back to life.
'I live in Vegas... this is 100 per cent what I've heard the locals say is the problem too,' they said.
'[Big companies] talk about how they're optimizing for the high rollers now but [there] just aren't that many.
'And as they lose money they continue to raise prices to make up the difference but that just locks out even more people.'
Caesars Entertainment, which runs eight casino resorts and one non-gaming hotel on the Strip, reported a 3.7 per cent year-over-year decline in net revenue in the second quarter of 2025, according to SEC filings.
From April to June, the company brought in $1.054 billion in Las Vegas, down from $1.095 billion in the same time period in 2024.
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