NEWS
29 July 2021
Viva Nevada: Casinos take over $1bn in winnings for four months straight
By Isabella Aslam

Since mid-May, the global pandemic has seen some ease in restrictions and as life goes back to ‘normal’ it has seen a spike in coronavirus cases. The restoration of indoor mask mandates for vaccinated and unvaccinated people begins this Friday 30 July. This could cause a sully outlook for tourism and gambling.

In an attempt to keep casinos up and running without any disruption and financial depreciation, MGM Resorts CEO, Bill Hornbuckle, has asked the operator's workers to get vaccinated as soon as possible. He said:
“Please, get the vaccine as soon as possible. It is safe, and it is effective.

"If you’re still unsure, ask your doctor, the person you trust most to provide informed, professional medical advice regarding the health of you and your family. But please, do it as soon as possible.”

June house winnings of $1.19bn have been reported by The Nevada Gaming Control Board. The amount is more than double the $567m reported last June 2020, and tops the monthly casino winnings amount of $1.04 billion back in June 2019.

Board Analyst, Michael Lawton, reported that the last time casinos accrued billion-dollar winnings for four months straight was in 2008 between the months of January - April.

For the financial year ending 30 June casino winnings totalled $10.7bn with a 14% increase, after a 22% decrease during the pandemic in 2020.

In comparison to 2019, casino winnings were 11% less, with the Las Vegas Strip accounting for the majority of the decrease, Lawton said.