Nevada Poker Report For Jan. 2018: Revenue Holds Steady In Down Month

March 6, 2018
Nevada Poker Report For Jan. 2018: Revenue Holds Steady In Down Month

The top line takeaway from the Nevada Gaming Control Board’s first revenue report of 2018 was a disappointing two percent decline in total casino revenue.

Zooming in to individual games, January was more of a mixed bag. Slot revenue was up over three percent, but table games were down over 10 percent.

Poker revenue managed to avoid the table game downturn, as revenue was more or less flat year-over-year. In January 2018, Nevada’s poker rooms generated $8,996,000, compared to the $9,001,000 they collectively generated in January 2017.

That said, a deeper dive into the numbers shows the 2018 tally is stronger than it looks. The NGCB counted 65 poker rooms and 596 poker tables in January 2017. This year’s numbers are 63 poker rooms and 568 poker tables, according to the NGCB.

Taking this into account, on a per table basis, January 2018 outperformed January 2017:

  • January 2017 table average: $15,102
  • January 2018 table average: $15,838

This is a continuation of the trends that emerged in 2017. Despite a dwindling number of poker rooms and tables, the remaining rooms and tables became more efficient revenue generators.

2017 in review

Poker rooms and tables trends 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
  • May 2017: 62 poker rooms and 724 poker tables
  • June 2017: 62 poker rooms and 731 poker tables
  • July 2017: 63 poker rooms and 724 poker tables
  • August 2017: 63 poker rooms and 603 poker tables
  • September 2017: 62 poker rooms and 598 poker tables
  • October 2017: 61 poker rooms and 572 poker tables
  • November 2017: 62 poker rooms and 580 poker tables
  • December 2017: 61 poker rooms and 562 poker tables

Poker in Clark County

In January 2018, Gaming counted 38 poker rooms in Clark County, which includes the heavily trafficked and larger poker rooms from Las Vegas. In January, those rooms possessed a total of 453 poker tables. Even though it’s a significant decline from a year ago, those numbers are largely unchanged from December’s totals: 38 poker rooms and 455 poker tables.

Clark County has over 90 percent of the total poker market share in Nevada. In January, Clark County poker rooms accounted for $8,129,000 of the $8,996,000 poker dollars collected by the state’s card rooms.

Poker on the Las Vegas Strip

Zooming in even closer, The Las Vegas Strip is the real money-maker. Poker revenue from the Strip’s 18 poker rooms was $5,631,000 in January, even though the Strip only accounts for a fraction of the poker rooms and tables in the state, 18 and 259 respectively.

Nevada poker rooms by the numbers

The largest poker rooms in Las Vegas are mainly found on the Las Vegas Strip:

  • 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
2017 71 615 118,455,000 0.60
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