Nevada gaming win rises 3.1% in August as Strip growth stalls

Nevada gaming win rose 3.1 percent in August compared with the same month a year earlier, the Nevada Gaming Control Board announced on Wednesday. While the Las Vegas Strip showed essentially no change, downtown Las Vegas posted a modest decline and the Boulder Strip delivered a double‑digit percentage increase. Reno also posted a strong performance. Gaming win represents the amount nonrestricted casinos—those with more than 15 slot machines—retain from patrons playing slots, table games and sports bets. Statewide, gaming win totaled $1.27 billion for the period, with $1.06 billion, or roughly 84 percent, coming from Southern Nevada properties. The Strip’s gross edged up 0.7 percent to $684.1 million, whereas downtown Las Vegas fell 3 percent to $61.5 million. Boulder Strip properties jumped 17.4 percent to $83.2 million. Laughlin grew 9.9 percent to $39.9 million, while Mesquite slipped 1.3 percent to $15.6 million. Reno’s gross climbed 15.7 percent to $79.4 million. Rural Nevada—encompassing Elko, Carson Valley and South Lake Tahoe—declined by as much as 4 percent from August 2025. During the first two months of the 2026‑27 fiscal year, statewide casino gross was up 2.6 percent; the Strip increased 2.2 percent, downtown Las Vegas dropped 6 percent and the Boulder Strip rose 6.6 percent. Gaming win matters to state authorities because they levy a 6.75 percent tax on that revenue. Tax collections from July 1 through September 21 stand at $256.8 million, a 1.3 percent decrease versus the same period a year ago. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitor Authority is scheduled to publish a visitation‑statistics report later Wednesday. On Tuesday, Harry Reid International Airport reported that August passenger arrivals and departures were down 9.2 percent from a year earlier, totaling 4.1 million. "This is simply a processing story. Check backmost for updates."