Winning $1.31bn from its 434 licensed casinos, this amount represents a 14% increase year-on-year.
Most notably, it was a record month for the Las Vegas Strip, which generated $814.2m in December.
It comes as no surprise, then, that revenue from the Las Vegas Strip for December was up 25% year-on-year, although – what is significant – is that this is the highest yearly percent increase (14%) recorded by any state when compared to December 2021.
With December’s figures now accounted for, Nevada’s revenue total for the year stands at $14.8bn, up $1.4bn on last year’s final figure.
A statement from the Nevada Gaming Control Board read: “Nevada has continued to benefit from the surging demand for leisure travel domestically and internationally and a healthy local economy experiencing record employment levels.”
Although this yearly high for Nevada has been no shock since October 2022, when the outcome of the state’s record-breaking year started to take shape, it is significant given the headwinds faced by the US gaming capital.
2022 has seen an economic downturn and cost-of-living crisis grip most of the US, pinching the pockets of millions with the war in Ukraine leading to adverse effects in nearly every corner of the globe.
This came after the beginning of the year, when the last vestiges of the Covid-19 pandemic were still having a localised effect on certain areas of the country.
However, it's worth noting that gambling is a unique sector and often, when times are tough, gamblers may play more in the hope of a big jackpot win.
