Nevada casinos on the rebound as gaming win returns back to more than $1bn in March

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Nevada’s gaming operations have rebounded with a 72.66% year-on-year increase in revenue during March to achieve a total gaming win of $1,066,979,987 according to figures released this week by the state’s Gaming Control Board.

The news will offer a welcome boost to the business one year on from the statewide shutdown that was imposed to tackle the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nudging north of $1bn, the gaming win is also a significant improvement on February’s $772m total.

Casinos in Carson City, Minden, Gardnerville and other areas of Douglas County, not including south shore Lake Tahoe, generated a year-on-year increase of 130.31% during March thanks to gaming win of $11,977,460 versus $5,200,659 in March 2020.

A return to form was notable at casinos in Washoe County, which was up by 152.55%, with Reno ahead 163.72% and Sparks improving by 137.29%.

The increase in action for South Shore Lake Tahoe venues was greater still at 166% year-on-year courtesy of a $24,087,861 gaming win as opposed to $9,053,459 in March 2020. 

The largest growth, however, was seen at North shore casinos which achieved a year-on-year hike of 176.18%. Gaming win came in at $2,032,210 versus $735,827 in March 2020.

The recovery is likely to continue according to KVVU-TV’s Elaine Emerson. Quoted by analysts Seeking Alpha, she stated: “Gaming win could see another big increase in the summer after the Nevada Gaming Control Board announced casinos will be allowed to open based on capacity limits set by counties on May 1. 

“For more rural counties, that would allow casinos to reopen at 100% capacity. In Clark County, casinos would be allowed to operate at 80% capacity starting May 1, and would be allowed to reopen fully once the county hits a 60% vaccination rate.”