Agreed. Very interesting. Also thanks for updating us here too, helpful.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ryback_feed_me_more
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Agreed. Very interesting. Also thanks for updating us here too, helpful.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ryback_feed_me_more
Passenger traffic was down more than 160,000 people passing through Harry Reid International Airport in April compared to last year, according to the airport.
Read more here: https://tinyurl.com/3zmwz568
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"Which country visits the USA the most?
In 2024, the highest number of inbound international visitors to the United States, 20.24 million, came from Canada."
Your fearless leader has taken the shine off all things south of the 49th.
Canadians are not buying this American grift literally and figuratively.
Vacation spending is just the tip
Again, make Vegas cheap again as the California Indian casinos are flourishing and all of the extra fess in Vegas is hurting them. The California Indian casinos are NOT charging resort, parking or extra fees.
Las Vegas’ casino-heavy economy is fueled by tourism, but annual visitor totals still haven’t returned to what was seen in the years leading up to the pandemic.
DETAILS: https://www.reviewjournal.com/busine...unges-3378438/
https://scontent-lax3-2.xx.fbcdn.net...OQ&oe=6844C7C3
I am actually rooting for Vegas to keep failing. They need to feel some pain if they're going to change their ways.
Resorts World, the failest of major failproperties (though Fontainebleau is a close second), has removed their parking charge, at least for now.
That's a small start, but we need far more. The companies need to get the message that tourists aren't interested in coming if they're going to be charged high room prices, ridiculous food prices (even for fast and casual food), all kinds of bullshit fees, and shitty degraded games.
Once Vegas becomes a value destination again, a lot of people will start to return.
As long as they're successful and reap record profits, they have no incentive to change anything.
I did notice Kenny Chesney tickets at the Sphere prices have crashed on the resale market with many that paid full price complaining. Ticketmaster isn’t allowing resale on their site since they still have them at original prices but StubHub is full of them at huge discounts.
Maybe he booked too many shows or it’s just indicative of the overall high prices in Vegas. I do feel the next 12 months will show if anything will change or if they will just continue to grab every possible dollar regardless of the results.
They’re hammering me with ads for this on my Facebook.Quote:
Originally Posted by The Boz
That’s a sign it’s not doing well.
I agree, all good points and let Vegas fail because of its own internal mismanagement. I am rooting for the down fall as well and will keep updating here as I think some Vegas reps and key people come here and read the board.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dan Druff
That mid-class working couple with the weekend off rather drive to the less expensive local indian casino in California with no resort fees then drive an extra 4 hours to Vegas for more expensive food, more feed and a crowded I-15 freeway.
This is why I want Druff to do a radio segment on this, raise awareness.
I was just talking to a friend who is a Vegas local on the topic and he seems to think the decline is Hotels/Casinos are or were leaning more on the international whales coming in and forgetting about the mid-class families visiting. I told him he has to be right in some degree and pointed out he just repeated a scene from the movie CASINO. Where a asain whale comes in and the hotel/casino caters to him excusably. But are the whales drying up, maybe. Like Druff, I hate the resort fees and we all know those have been going on since he started reporting them on radio atleast 3/4 years ago.
So here is the scene from CASINO, its funny how a movie from 1995 depicting Vegas life 10+ year prior is still relevant today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltURKC_V8Hg
My Vegas friend (who wants to get out) made a great point- Look at the international travel and gaming market, places like Dubai. Its super clean there and crime is at a low.
Now look at the Democratic ran city of Las Vegas and Clark County- Crime is UP there and the image is not favorable. You have two black teens run over a white senior citizen riding his bicycle and they video tape the whole thing, all while laughing about it. These negative headlines and talk of high crime in Las Vegas and Clark County are a serious factor.
Quote:
Yes, recent data indicates that crime has increased in Las Vegas. Year-over-year crime has risen by 14%, and the city's violent crime rate is now 40% higher than the national average. Specifically, drug and narcotic offenses have increased by about 10% according to FOX5 Vegas.
Factors Contributing to the Increase:
Gang Activity: Gangs are seen as a significant factor, with gang-related activity being a factor in at least 50% of homicides.
Relocation from California: Gangs have been relocating to Las Vegas from California.
Prison Release Policies: California's prison overcrowding, including the impact of Proposition 47, has led to the release of some prisoners, some of whom have then joined gangs in Las Vegas.
Domestic Violence: Domestic violence remains a leading cause of homicides in Las Vegas.
Drug and Narcotic Offenses: Increased drug and narcotic offenses, particularly related to drug-related violence, have been noted.
Why is business confidence down? I guess people don’t buy your great fascist leader’s economic prophecies.Quote:
Originally Posted by desertrunner
A megaresort on the Las Vegas Strip is off to a rocky start in 2025 as it continues dealing with the financial and reputational fallout from a high-profile gaming violation, executive changes and operational miscues.
DETAILS: lvrj.com/post/3381269
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All the Vegas tourism numbers keep going down:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kfns3G4Hfes
Most of the user comments for this video feature people complaining about the high prices in Vegas and the obvious corporate greed being displayed.
Druff- Please cover this on radio.
At the state line, Primm and Jean, there are 4 hotels and 3 of them are closed- Primafonna, Whisky Petes and Terrible Hurst (old Gold Strike). And now the last remaining hotel; Buffalo Bills, is closing next year. Las Vegas and Clark County killed itself. Per the article, the Primm Valley Resort Hotel is open and will be the only hotel at the state line. I stayed there on the last night the hotel was open about 2-3 years ago.
June 30, 2025- Buffalo Bill’s Casino in Primm Closing
July 6 is the last day of Buffalo Bill’s hotel availability
The Buffalo Bill’s hotel booking engine on the Primm website shows no available rooms after July 6, 2025. All 2025 dates are blacked out, except for a four-day weekend in November that coincides with a festival in nearby Goodsprings, Nevada. Buffalo Bill’s may be used for overflow if Primm Valley Resort sells out on that and other weekends.
https://scontent-lax3-2.xx.fbcdn.net...fg&oe=6869264B
Just read a piece on Aria charging $26 for a bottle of water from the wet bar. people are getting tired of the price gouging.
https://scontent-lax3-2.xx.fbcdn.net...lQ&oe=68694573
Visitation to Las Vegas fell for the fifth consecutive month in May with occupancy rates, room rates and passenger traffic at Harry Reid airport all below levels in May from a year ago.
READ MORE: https://www.reviewjournal.com/?p=339...92OutGLw11eKjw
Quote:
Originally Posted by desertrunner
John is a good dude and is usually right in his takes. But even mentioning ICE as part of the reason for Primm’s issues is a far reach.
The town has been dying for decades for many reasons, including damage the owners did themselves. But illegals avoiding the place due to fear of ICE isn’t in the Top 500 reasons.
Bottled Blonde opened last week on the strip next to Ol Red, in front of Horseshoe.
Here are the beer prices. Typical Vegas 2025 but I’ll never understand why anyone pays them. It’s also why the ABC, Walgreens and CVS are packed on every corner. You can buy 2 25oz “Bum Cans” of domestics for $6. The same amount of beer is $48 at Bottled Blonde.
Stage Door still has $1 bottles and Casino Royale coming in at $3. And of course drinks are still “free” while playing VP at most bars, granted with bad play tables.
They are definitely hurting themselves with all the gouging.
I just told a friend in Vegas, the only way for Las Vegas to recover- Freebee packages. Buy a Friday night stay, get Saturday night stay for FREE. Add in buy one steak dinner, get the other free.
Hope some Vegas exec's are reading this as its the only way for Vegas to recover, on top of removing the Resort Fees.
summer league next weekend
Stop the gouge. Most people could go two-three + trips a year to Vegas. Now, many go once as it is no longer affordable. Resort fees, parking fees, $30 breakfast, $20 cocktails in a plastic cup, venue fees, concession fees, classic room service vs standard, lounge chair rental, on and on and on...Quote:
Originally Posted by desertrunner
American tourism to Canada is down 30% this year. We are bitchslapping canucks back into reality. You need us more than we need you.Quote:
Originally Posted by limitles
Quote:
Originally Posted by mickeycrimmAmerican tourism to Canada is down 30% this year. We are bitchslapping canucks back into reality. You need us more than we need you.Quote:
Originally Posted by limitles
Where are you getting 30% from?
Tourists Shun Las Vegas Over Ridiculous Prices:
https://www.thetimes.com/us/news-tod...osed-jhf5dx8zr
I have been to Vegas at least once a year, sometimes twice since 9/11. 9/11 trip was practically free, thinknthe whole thing cost me $400 and most of it was for two shows of front row seats to cirque.
I haven't been going on two years.
I think a major key is for the hotels to get together with the airlines and make sure flights are abundant and cheap. Few years back I could do Spirit airlines big seat up front roundtrip nonstop for less than $300 per. Now cant get there for less than $450 in coach. The first thing people look at is mostly hotel. When they find something they like...... they find out it's a Grand to get there and the trip is off.
Airline miles are your friend. It’s never been easier to earn miles (not counting the Mint sale of SBA dollars years ago) and fly for next to nothing.Quote:
Originally Posted by Daly
Just one shipment from Hello Fresh or the other meal services is good enough for a one way trip on American through their shopping portal. Get the initial shipment, skip next 5 weeks and the miles are yours.
And this is just the tip of the iceberg. Sites are dedicated to this game.
But doesn’t help with the shitty prices in Vegas at most places but again, still deals out there.
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Las Vegas Is Really Feeling the Heat: What Happens When the Magic Melts (Please share, we’d love to hear your voice)
When Magic Was Real
There was a time when Las Vegas felt like a secret shared between strangers. You'd walk into any casino and the cocktail waitress would remember your drink from three nights ago. The buffet man would slip you an extra dinner roll with a wink. The dealers knew your name, your hometown, your lucky numbers. It wasn't just hospitality; it was something warmer, more human. Vegas wrapped you in velvet ropes and made you feel like the most important person in the world, even if you'd only brought fifty dollars and a dream. That Vegas believed in magic. Real magic. The kind that made a school teacher from Ohio feel like Sinatra for a weekend. Where slot machines sang their mechanical lullabies and every spin held the promise of transformation. Where the neon didn't just light up the desert; it lit up possibilities.
The Slow Goodbye
I remember the exact moment I realized Vegas was saying goodbye to itself. It was 2009, standing at the Forum Shops watching tourists pose for Instagram photos in front of the fake Roman statues. The magic wasn't in the statues anymore; it was in the angles for the perfect selfie. The wonder had become a backdrop.
The old Vegas didn't need to explain itself. It was pure theater, unapologetic in its excess and generous with its dreams. Every corner promised an adventure. Every dealer's smile suggested you were in on something special. The city hummed with an energy that said, "Anything can happen here. Anything." But then the accountants arrived.
When Wonder Became Inventory
Somewhere along the way, Vegas stopped believing in its own magic and started believing in spreadsheets. The slot machines that once paid the electric bills became square footage to be maximized. The showrooms that once hosted legends became rental properties. The restaurants that once served comfort food at comfort prices became celebrity chef real estate ventures.
I watched it happen slowly, then all at once. The Forum Shops at Caesars turned the casino into a mall. The Venetian built canals that felt more like theme park rides than romantic escapes. CityCenter rose like a monument to everything Vegas used to mock cold, calculated, corporate. They called it evolution. I called it heartbreak.
The Death of Generosity
Vegas used to give before it took. Free drinks while you played. Free shows to keep you happy. Free parking because you were a guest, not a transaction. The city's generosity wasn't just marketing; it was philosophy. Vegas believed that if you treated people like royalty, they'd feel royal enough to take royal risks.
Then came the fees. Resort fees that appeared like fine print lies. Parking fees that made you pay for the privilege of giving them your money. The free pirate show at Treasure Island sailed away forever, leaving behind a decorative ship and a metaphor too painful to ignore. Each fee was a small betrayal, a crack in the promise that Vegas was a place where ordinary people could feel extraordinary. The city that once made millionaires out of dishwashers now made dishwashers out of millionaires.
The Hollow Crown
The worst part isn’t that Vegas changed. Cities change. The worst part is how Vegas changed while pretending to still be itself. The neon still glows, but it illuminates different dreams now. Rich dreams. Exclusive dreams. Dreams that cost three hundred dollars for dinner and thiry dollars just to park. Gordon Ramsay’s restaurants replaced the places where locals ate. Nobu replaced the corner diners where stories were shared over coffee and pie. The buffets that once fed families for twenty dollars now cost eighty and require reservations. Vegas didn’t just raise its prices it raised its expectations of who deserved to be there. The new Vegas visitors arrive with platinum cards and leave with Instagram memories. They experience the city through restaurant reservations and VIP packages. They’re tourists in the truest sense they observe Vegas without ever really entering it.
When the Lights Went Out
COVID gave Vegas the excuse it had been looking for. When the city reopened, it reopened smaller, colder, more efficient. Fewer workers meant fewer familiar faces. More automation meant fewer human moments. The virus didn’t just close casinos; it closed the last chapter of a Vegas that believed in people over profits.
The bean counters emerged from the shutdown with clipboards and calculators, trimming every expense that didn’t directly correlate to revenue. They didn’t just cut costs they cut the soul. The magic that couldn’t be measured became the magic that couldn’t be justified.
The Sports Mirage
Now Vegas sells itself as a sports city. The Golden Knights, the Raiders, the endless parade of visiting teams and traveling fans. It’s smart business, bringing in crowds that spend fast and leave faster. But sports fans aren’t Vegas fans. They come for the game, not the dream. They want efficiency, not mystery. The new Vegas gives them exactly what they want quick transactions, predictable experiences, Instagram moments. But it’s given up what made Vegas irreplaceable: the sense that anything could happen, that you could be anyone, that the city itself was rooting for you to win.
The Restaurant That Forgot Its Recipe
I think about Vegas like a restaurant I used to love. For decades, you could count on it. The food wasn’t just good; it was exactly what you needed. The atmosphere felt like home, if home were a little more magical and a lot more generous. Then new management took over. They kept the name, kept the location, even kept a few of the old dishes. But everything else changed. The prices doubled. The portions shrank. The waitstaff smiled but didn’t remember your order. The warmth became professional courtesy. You still go sometimes, hoping to recapture what you once felt. But you leave disappointed not just because it’s different, but because it’s forgotten what made it special in the first place.
What We Lost
We lost the Vegas that believed in second chances and long shots. We lost the Vegas that treated a grocery store clerk like a high roller if they played with heart. We lost the Vegas that understood that magic isn’t about how much you spend it’s about how much you believe. The old Vegas was built on a beautiful lie: that everyone deserves to feel special, that everyone deserves a chance to win, that everyone deserves to be treated like they matter. It was a lie worth believing because it made it true, if only for a weekend.
The new Vegas tells a different story. It’s honest about its priorities profit margins, efficiency ratings, demographic targeting. It’s successful in ways the old Vegas never was. But success and magic aren’t the same thing.
The Gamble We Lost
Vegas is still magnificent in its way. The architecture still astounds. The energy still pulses. The lights still pierce the desert darkness. But it’s the magnificence of a museum now, not a living dream.
The real gamble isn’t at the tables anymore. It’s whether Vegas can remember what it was while becoming what it thinks it needs to be. Whether it can serve both the tourists with platinum cards and the dreamers with twenty-dollar bills. Whether it can be profitable without forgetting to be magical. I still love Vegas. I always will. But I love it the way you love someone who’s forgotten how to love you back. The lights are still on, but the warmth has gone out of them. The show still goes on, but the heart has left the building.
And sometimes, late at night when the crowds thin and the neon reflects off empty streets, I swear I can still hear the ghost of the old Vegas whispering
Remember when anything was possible here
Remember when everyone was welcome
Remember when we believed in magic
I remember. I just wish Vegas did too.
Clint C. Carvalho
Las Vegas Entertainer & Attraction Creator
Over 3 Decades in Entertainment
[emoji624] www.topbird.com
[emoji336] 702-379-3057
[emoji2398] 2025 Clint C. Carvalho. All rights reserved
Gordon Ramsay’s restaurants replaced the places where locals ate. When they took out the Oyster Bar at Harrah’s (the 3rd best in town) for another one of his mediocre steak houses, I was not happy.
Im in the middle on this. I hate the food and beverage pricing but I also see this constant crying by a few writers over and over as overkill.
They are jumping on the “down 4.1% in tourists” type stuff constantly. The numbers may be real but I still don’t believe the casino owners are concerned.
Any business owner would gladly accept a 4% decrease in customers when retails are up 10-15%. Room rates are higher than a year ago and by offering less services they are making more money. Which in the end is all that matters.
I’ve heard this stuff for decades now, the 80’s guys bitching about the 00’s, etc. Deals are still there if you look and care about them but the reality is most grin and bear it with the pricing.
My guess is Vegas will adjust and still be fine. As for those that expect everything for free, the town will do just fine without them.
The cost for a Vegas trip is up 26% since pre-pandemic. Also, food prices are up 49% since pre-pandemic. This guy goes over all the stats here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQ2PadOPpW8
Another grifting goofball trying to make a living not working. He’s a bandwagon jumper looking for clicks and the suckers fall for it. At least be original, this false narrative has been on for a while now.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dive_Bar_Dave
Weeknights at most Caesars hotels are under $100 even WITH the resort fees. What major city can you find anything close to that?
Spirit, Frontier and Allegiant offer cheap flights daily if you know how to avoid the extra fees and can comparison shop. Unfortunately many are either too stupid or lazy to do it.
Food and drink is way overpriced BUT deals and offers are still out there. Ellis Island is offering 50% of all food 4-7 daily and the Front Yard has a diverse menu for everyone. Their cafe and BBQ are also good options. Yes steakhouses are overpriced, along with the celebrity joints but that’s your choice if you want it. From some of the lines at them, obviously many do.
Shows are available at reasonable prices if you aren’t set on one exact show and can again play the game.
Gambling does suck in most cases with 85% slots, 6/5 BJ and weak VP pay tables but the reality is most of the tourists lose their budget anyways, it’s just faster now.
Bottom line is all things (other than gambling) considered Las Vegas is still a cheaper vacation than other major tourist spots in the US.
You seem very pro-Vegas. Most people think Vegas and its pricing sucks these days. Look at the comments for this guy's videos. People hate Vegas because of all the price-gouging.Quote:
Originally Posted by The BozAnother grifting goofball trying to make a living not working. He’s a bandwagon jumper looking for clicks and the suckers fall for it. At least be original, this false narrative has been on for a while now.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dive_Bar_Dave
Weeknights at most Caesars hotels are under $100 even WITH the resort fees. What major city can you find anything close to that?
Spirit, Frontier and Allegiant offer cheap flights daily if you know how to avoid the extra fees and can comparison shop. Unfortunately many are either too stupid or lazy to do it.
Food and drink is way overpriced BUT deals and offers are still out there. Ellis Island is offering 50% of all food 4-7 daily and the Front Yard has a diverse menu for everyone. Their cafe and BBQ are also good options. Yes steakhouses are overpriced, along with the celebrity joints but that’s your choice if you want it. From some of the lines at them, obviously many do.
Shows are available at reasonable prices if you aren’t set on one exact show and can again play the game.
Gambling does suck in most cases with 85% slots, 6/5 BJ and weak VP pay tables but the reality is most of the tourists lose their budget anyways, it’s just faster now.
Bottom line is all things (other than gambling) considered Las Vegas is still a cheaper vacation than other major tourist spots in the US.
Nah, I’m pro reality. Vegas still serves its purpose and while crowds are down slightly (4-5%), the increased pricing is more than making up for it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dive_Bar_DaveYou seem very pro-Vegas. Most people think Vegas and its pricing sucks these days. Look at the comments for this guy's videos. People hate Vegas because of all the price-gouging.Quote:
Originally Posted by The Boz
The bitching crowd for the most part are people priced out, living in the 90’s and are old, or aren’t the type customers corporate Vegas wants. It’s “The mob cared about their customers” mentality that are the crying group.
I want cheap shit as much as the next guy but I’m willing to do the work and research to find it. People overall are stupid when it comes to money and are too lazy to find the best credit card for their situation and be disciplined to pay it off each month. They fly free, stay free and earn on every dollar spent.
If numbers and profits continue to drop in another year, maybe it’s a story but the reality is its influencers looking for another grift off the saps at this point.
If 95% of the people are saying the prices are too high, and you are in the minority saying everything is fine, then who is really living in reality?
So 97% of that “95%” is still going while crying like bitches?Quote:
Originally Posted by Dive_Bar_Dave
Or is this a different 95%? Again by the worst recent data crowds are down 5% max YTD and the belief is much of that is foreigners boycotting the entire country based on politics.
95% of people think Starbucks and McDonalds is overpriced. Yet they keep going.
Or is the 95% a bunch of online crybabies on some grifters video?
Where is this 95% coming from or did you just pull it out your ass?
No one is going to say they are happy with the increases but the question is will they still go? Only time will tell but I’m sticking with it’s just a lot of fake outrage.
I'm so glad this board is here and we have the freedom to address this issue. I also think some key people in high places read PFA.
The things said here need to be said and posted. My main issue is and always has been- The greedy CEOs at the top that think that its now their turn at the throne and they need to make the entitled 10-25 million and then bounce. So to obtain that, they raise prices and add the extra fees. This is them acting like a king of the their kingdom. Ofcourse they will blame the pandemic, etc, but it comes down to personal greed and them getting their bloated bonuses.
Druff really started the movement by addressing the resort fees on radio long ago, he deserves some credit.
Hopefully soon, this will self correct and we see more realistic prices and value. But I wanted to stress that I am glad we have this platform to vent and address the issue.
Another popular vlogger reporting on the downturn in Vegas:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W62Ie7dKXRY
It seems like (almost) everyone is aware of the downfall of Vegas.
Are they reading PFA? :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Dive_Bar_Dave
Good post bro.
American tourist destinations coast to coast are reporting similar declines in business. Canadians are choosing to spend discretionary incomes in friendlier locations. Canadians are voting with their hard earned money. Much of it is retribution. Why throw a nickle towards an unhinged society?
Retailers from A to Z are waiving the Canadian flag. The choice to buy Canadian has always been there but now it's expected.
Families everywhere who can afford to travel demand stability.