Las Vegas is in freefall, expert warns

Daily Mail​

5 hours ago

A retail expert has warned Las Vegas is in freefall with consumer spending slumping, with one recent visitor raising concerns over an outrageous tip demand. The Nevada city, known for its lavish shows and around-the-clock gambling, has recorded a large drop in tourism and spending in recent months.
According to the Nevada Department of Taxation, sales at food and beverage outlets, clothing, shoes and jewelry retailers have all fallen in the last 11 months. From July 2024 to May 2025 food services and drinking outlets clocked in just under $11.7 billion in sales, down 1.6 percent.
That drop might look small but represents a decline of around $191 million, with clothing, shoes and jewelry stores down $140 million over the same period. Bryan Wachter (pictured), president of the Retail Association of Nevada, told the Las Vegas Review Journal that fewer consumers is due to the low amount of visitors.
On Sunday, Carlos Gil, a marketing consultant, posted an image of a receipt he was handed asking for an additional tip - after already paying 22 percent to his server. The meal, which was for 30 people, came to $1,729.39 after the tip - with Gil crossing out the additional tip line.
He posted it to social media saying: 'Tipping culture in Las Vegas is OUT OF CONTROL. 'My bill was $1,729.39 and they still slid the receipt over with an 'additional tip' line. At what point does this highway robbery end?
'What I'm calling out is why they're still asking for MORE on top of that. At what point does tipping turn into straight-up extortion? '22% was already added… and they still asked for more. That's not gratuity, that's greed.'
Gil is not alone, just last week stunned partiers in Sin City went viral after they shared the eyewatering sums they had been paying for drinks. A bucket of six Coors lights was priced at a staggering $76.99, with 24 cold ones running up to $290.99 - a near 15 times markup from its usual $20 retail price. Cases of Topo Chico or Truly hard seltzers, which typically cost around $30 to $35, were also sold for almost $300.
For drinkers who want a mixed cocktail, a large Bloody Mary would set them back $40 per drink. And six shots, a total of just 9 fluid ounces, costs $99.99 in the party hub on the iconic Vegas strip. Food options at the pool weren't any more reasonable, with a chicken tender platter or a cheeseburger slider plate running up to $89.99.
Besides price gouging, the city welcomed just under 3.1 million tourists in June, an 11% drop compared to the same time in 2024. There were 13% fewer international travelers, and hotel occupancy fell by about 15%, according to data from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority has also warned that the number of airline passengers arriving will continue to plummet.
They warned the number of inbound passengers will plunge to around 95,000 seats per day for the rest of the year - a worrying prediction that represents a 2.3 percent fall from 2024 numbers. The decline is largely being fueled by a sharp 18.5 percent drop-off in traffic from Canada, which comprises the largest share of international visitors to the Nevada city Mayor Shelley Berkley said tourism from Canada has dried up from a torrent 'to a drip.' Same with Mexico. Predictions point to the city losing out on $12.5 billion in international visitor spending for 2025.