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The latest statistics confirm the social chatter that Las Vegas tourism has hit a dramatic low, with some even calling Vegas an experience of the past.
Only 3.1 million people visited Sin City in June, down 11.3% compared to last year, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA).
Social media users have called out the high prices of everything from dining to parking, citing these and other reasons for staying away.
LAS VEGAS TOURISM DROPS SHARPLY AS SOME VISITORS CLAIM ‘CASINOS ARE EMPTY’ AMID RISING COSTS
Robby Starbuck, conservative activist and host of “The Robby Starbuck Show,” told Fox News Digital it is not just prices that are keeping people out of Vegas.
“Now nearly everyone under 40 who bets seems to do it online,” Starbuck said this week.
“I don’t know one person under 40 who goes to Vegas regularly to bet or play slots,” he added. “This trend will continue with younger people because, honestly, our minds are wired differently.”
The U.S. online gambling market in 2024 was estimated at $12.68 billion, according to Grand View Research.
“Young people have 40 options to gamble on their phones from the comfort of their own home.”
Tom Reeg, Caesars Entertainment CEO, said it would be a “soft summer” on a recent earnings call, according to local reports.
Starbuck said generational differences also could be pushing down the popularity of visiting Las Vegas.
VEGAS VISITORS SHOCKED BY ‘ABSURD’ RESORT PRICES THAT ARE TURNING TOURISTS INTO ‘SPECTATORS’
“Another differentiator is that older generations focused on real-life interaction, while younger generations feel just as content with parasocial online experiences,” he said.
“The Vegas marketing image is one centered on slots and showgirls, two things young people have no interest in,” said Starbuck.
He added, “The typical casino feel and marketing just won’t be as successful with young people who have 40 options to gamble on their phones from the comfort of their own home.”
An additional generational difference, Starbuck pointed out, is that younger generations are ditching the bottle.
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“Younger generations drink alcohol at lower rates than older generations did at their age. That’s going to have a material impact on the Vegas business model if young people drink less,” he said.
Younger generations are also ditching the bottle.
The number of people in their 20s who chose to abstain from alcohol more than doubled between 2001 and 2019, going from 9% to 22%, according to a 2019 National Drug Strategy Household survey. And a recent Gallup survey found that roughly 38% of adults under age 35 now identify as fully abstaining from alcohol.
In addition, more than a quarter of Gen Z respondents felt “very concerned” about the potential health effects of drinking alcohol, according to Civic Science.
Hotel rates down, too
The hotel industry is also feeling the burn of fewer visitors.
Occupancy rates dropped 6.5%, while average daily room rates have lowered to $163.64 – down 6.6%, according to the LVCVA.
Meanwhile, a 43-story hotel and casino has been put on an indefinite pause, SF Gate reported.
The property has a prime location on the Vegas strip and will remain an empty lot for parking for now.
Starbuck said he’s been to Las Vegas a number of times in his life and doesn’t see himself visiting again unless there is a change.
“If it feels like a place where I can see the future and bring my whole family, then you’ll see me in Vegas again,” he said.
“Without that kind of transformation, Vegas is in trouble in the coming decades,” he predicted.
“If Vegas wants to win with young people in the future, it’s going to have to transition to a must-see destination that makes you feel like you have just entered the future.”
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