Nevada Gaming Win Holds Flat at $1.28 Billion as Downtown and Laughlin Slide

Nevada's casinos won $1.28 billion in September, within $700,000 of a year earlier, as a small Strip gain built on slots offset falls Downtown, in Laughlin and in Reno. The state's percentage fee collections fell 6.77%, a sharper drop than the headline win suggests.

• Nevada's nonrestricted licensees reported gaming win of $1.28 billion for September 2026, down 0.05% from a year earlier, according to the Nevada Gaming Control Board
• Las Vegas Strip win rose 0.82% to $693.5 million, with slot win up 2.99% and baccarat up 9.89%, while total table win fell 3.02%
• Downtown Las Vegas fell 7.45%, Laughlin 16.8% and Reno 3.52%, while Elko County rose 11.66% and Sparks 20.78%
• Statewide sports win slipped 0.41% to $54.1 million, with football up 7.71% and basketball contributing just $105,000
• Percentage fee collections fell 6.77% to $81.1 million, after MGM Resorts and Caesars both reported weaker Las Vegas quarters

The Strip Grew on Slots While Its Tables Fell

Nevada's 453 reporting nonrestricted licensees won $1,282,542,554 in September, against $1,283,234,042 in September 2025, according to the Nevada Gaming Control Board's release of 28 October. Win for the fiscal year that began on 1 July reached $3.93 billion, up 1.67%, and win for the 12 months to 30 September totalled $16.11 billion, up 2.43%, according to the Board's monthly revenue report.

Las Vegas Strip win rose 0.82% to $693.5 million from $687.8 million, and is up 1.70% to $2.15 billion for the fiscal year. Slot win on the Strip rose 2.99% to $452.6 million, led by multi-denomination machines, up 9.73% to $386.1 million, while penny slots fell 26.89% to $34.9 million. Baccarat win rose 9.89% to $55.4 million at a win percentage of 9.82%, but total Strip table, counter and card game win fell 3.02% to $240.9 million. Statewide, slot win rose 1.26% to $948.9 million and table win fell 3.61% to $333.7 million.

Downtown, Laughlin and Reno Lost Ground

Clark County win fell 0.95% to $1.09 billion. Downtown Las Vegas fell 7.45% to $82.6 million and is down 6.59% for the fiscal year. Laughlin fell 16.80% to $33.8 million, the Boulder Strip was flat at $83.2 million, down 0.13%, and the balance of Clark County fell 3.01% to $154.2 million. North Las Vegas rose 9.18% to $25.1 million.

In the north, Washoe County rose 0.36% to $101.0 million as Reno fell 3.52% to $73.0 million and Sparks rose 20.78% to $17.2 million. Elko County rose 11.66% to $35.2 million, Wendover 8.09% to $22.8 million, and South Lake Tahoe 12.50% to $26.5 million.

Sports Win Was Flat and Fee Collections Fell

Statewide sports pool win fell 0.41% to $54.1 million at a win percentage of 7.59%; the report gives win and win percentage but not handle. Football win rose 7.71% to $35.4 million, baseball 3.61% to $9.6 million, and basketball win fell 94.86% to $105,000. Mobile sports win, reported across all sports, fell 4.89% to $31.0 million at 6.07%.

The state collected $81.1 million in percentage fees in October on September's taxable revenue, down 6.77%, or $5.9 million, from $87.0 million, according to the Board. Collections for the fiscal year stand at $337.9 million against $347.2 million, down 2.67%, excluding $1.8 million of transferable tax credits.

Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) figures reported by CDC Gaming put September visitor volume up 0.2% at nearly 3.1 million, hotel occupancy at 78.1%, and the average daily room rate down 6.3% to $179.

Slots, Not Baccarat, Carried the Strip

On the Board's figures, Strip slot win rose by about $13 million, more than twice the Strip's net gain of about $5.6 million, while table win fell by about $7.5 million despite the stronger baccarat month. That matters because slot win is steadier than baccarat, which can swing on a few large players. It fits the picture from the third-quarter results: MGM Resorts held its Strip occupancy at 89% while its average daily rate fell 8%, and Caesars blamed fewer conventions and lower leisure visitation for a 9.5% fall in Las Vegas adjusted EBITDA. The Strip's weakness has shown up in room rates more than on the gaming floor.

The Losses Are Concentrated Away From the Strip

Downtown and Laughlin are the two Clark County markets down for both the month and the fiscal year, while Washoe and Elko are up for the year by 4.57% and 6.85%. Elko's 11.66% rise in September came shortly before Maverick Gaming filed to close two Elko casinos unless a new operator takes them over. The Board's area totals do not show which properties are absorbing the Downtown and Laughlin declines.

Flat Win Still Means Less Money for the State

Percentage fees are levied on taxable revenue, which the Board reports separately from the gaming win figure, and the two can diverge month to month. Even so, fees are down 2.67% for the fiscal year while win is up 1.67%, so the state is collecting less from a market that is growing slightly. If that gap persists, the flat win figure will overstate what September means for the state budget.

Nevada's September figures show a market treading water rather than falling, with the Strip's slots offsetting weakness elsewhere. The money reaching the state, though, is falling faster than the win suggests.