Nevada Poker Report April 2017: Las Vegas, State Continue To Shed Rooms, Tables
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Top line numbers for Nevada poker
In April 2016, the NGCB counted 66 poker rooms in the state and a total of 647 poker tables. This April, the number of poker rooms dipped to 64 and total tables plunged to 586.
Statewide poker revenue was $8,442,000 in April 2017. That means even with 61 fewer tables statewide, poker revenue was down just 1.5 percent year-over-year.
This marks the third consecutive month where poker revenue has been relatively static.
- February 2017: -1.58 percent
- March 2017: -0.73 percent
- April 2017: -1.54 percent
Another trend we’ve been following in 2017 is the increase in per table revenue. The per table average in April 2016 was $13,252. In 2017, the per table average rose to $14,406.
Consistency continues in 2017
The number of poker rooms and poker tables in Nevada has been pretty consistent in 2017.
- January 2017: 65 poker rooms and 596 poker tables
- February 2017: 67 poker rooms and 600 poker tables
- March 2017: 66 poker rooms and 596 poker tables
- April 2017: 64 poker rooms and 586 poker tables
The consistency could be a sign that the sharp declines in rooms and tables over the last several years is coming to an end.
However, there will be a marked increase in the coming months thanks to the World Series of Poker, which runs from late May to early July. The WSOP bump won’t show up in May’s revenue report, but it will feature prominently in the June and July reports.
Poker in Clark County
Clark County dipped from 40 to 39 card rooms from March to April. Total poker tables in the county (which includes Las Vegas) fell from 478 to 471 during the same period of time.
The losses were caused by the closure of the Monte Carlo poker room.
Clark County vastly outperforms the rest of the state in terms of revenue.
Despite possessing just 80 percent of the state’s poker tables, Clark County poker rooms generated $7,559,000 of the $8,442,000 Nevada collected from poker tables in April — roughly 90 percent.
Per table, Clark County poker rooms generated about $16,000 in April. This is well above the statewide average of $14,000 and double what poker tables outside of Clark County produced, which amounted to approximately $7,700 each in April.
This per table average becomes even more pronounced when we focus solely on the Las Vegas Strip.
Poker on the Las Vegas Strip
With the loss of the Monte Carlo poker room, The Strip is down to just 19 poker rooms and 270 tables.
However, Las Vegas Strip poker tables bring in an average of $19,400 per month. The Strip’s 270 poker tables (less than 50 percent of the statewide total) generated 62 percent of all poker revenue in Nevada in April: $5,238,000.
The largest poker rooms in Las Vegas remain unchanged, and as expected, The Strip dominates:
- Venetian (The Strip) – 37 poker tables
- Bellagio (The Strip) – 37 poker tables
- Orleans (Las Vegas off-strip)- 35 poker tables
- Wynn (The Strip) – 28 poker tables
- Aria (The Strip) – 24 poker tables
- South Point Casino (Henderson) – 22 poker tables
- Green Valley Ranch Casino (Henderson) – 22 poker tables
- Red Rock Casino (Summerlin) – 20 tables
Historical data and trends of poker in Nevada
Here’s a look at several key poker metrics from the UNLV Center for Gaming Research, which has been tracking the number of poker rooms, tables and revenue since 1992:
| Year | # of Rooms | # of Tables | Total Revenue | % Change YoY |
| 1992 | 92 | 564 | 74,701,000 | -2.57 |
| 1993 | 89 | 571 | 70,814,000 | -5.20 |
| 1994 | 93 | 586 | 71,667,000 | 1.20 |
| 1995 | 92 | 574 | 66,520,000 | -7.18 |
| 1996 | 82 | 539 | 64,485,000 | -3.06 |
| 1997 | 77 | 490 | 61,509,000 | -4.61 |
| 1998 | 76 | 526 | 58,873,000 | -4.29 |
| 1999 | 70 | 546 | 63,244,000 | 7.41 |
| 2000 | 68 | 473 | 63,064,000 | -0.28 |
| 2001 | 65 | 475 | 59,673,000 | -5.38 |
| 2002 | 57 | 386 | 57,791,000 | -3.15 |
| 2003 | 58 | 383 | 68,276,000 | 18.15 |
| 2004 | 79 | 484 | 98,862,000 | 44.80 |
| 2005 | 96 | 701 | 140,224,000 | 42.00 |
| 2006 | 106 | 886 | 160,929,000 | 14.77 |
| 2007 | 113 | 907 | 167,975,000 | 4.38 |
| 2008 | 113 | 913 | 155,724,000 | -7.29 |
| 2009 | 114 | 905 | 145,580,000 | -6.54 |
| 2010 | 109 | 920 | 135,200,000 | -7.13 |
| 2011 | 104 | 872 | 131,877,000 | -2.46 |
| 2012 | 99 | 809 | 123,253,000 | -6.54 |
| 2013 | 88 | 774 | 123,891,000 | 0.56 |
| 2014 | 79 | 736 | 119,904,000 | -3.18 |
| 2015 | 76 | 681 | 118,023,000 | -1.57 |
| 2016 | 73 | 661 | 117,753,000 | -0.18 |