Nevada Gaming Win Holds Flat at $1.28 Billion in September 2026 as Las Vegas Strip Edges Up 0.8%
Nevada casinos won $1.28 billion in September 2026, down 0.05%, while the Las Vegas Strip rose 0.8% to $693.5 million as room rates and air traffic fell.
Nevada gaming win came to $1.28 billion in September 2026, down 0.05% from a year earlier, according to Nevada Gaming Control Board figures released on 28 October, while the Las Vegas Strip edged up 0.82% to $693.5 million. The month kept the state above $1 billion again, but weaker room rates, falling air traffic and declines downtown and in Laughlin show a market that is holding steady rather than recovering.
The Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB), the state's casino regulator, reported statewide gaming win of $1,282,542,554 against $1,283,234,042 in September 2025. Gaming win is what casinos keep after paying out winning bets.
The headline numbers
September was flat statewide and slightly positive on the Strip. Fiscal-year-to-date win, counted from 1 July, is up about 1.6%, according to CDC Gaming Reports; GamblingNews put July to September statewide win at about $3.93 billion.
| Measure | September 2026 | Change vs September 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Nevada statewide win | $1.28 billion | -0.05% |
| Las Vegas Strip win | $693.5 million | +0.82% |
| Clark County win | about $1.08 billion | -0.95% |
| Statewide slot win | $948.9 million | +1.3% |
| Statewide table, counter and card win | $333.7 million | -3.6% |
| Percentage fees collected in October | $81.1 million | -6.8% |
Percentage fees are the tax Nevada charges on casinos' reported revenue, collected a month after the play. The board collected about $5.8 million less than a year earlier, according to CDC Gaming Reports.
Slots carried the Strip
Strip slot machines won $452.6 million, with the hold rate rising to 8.23% from 8.04%, according to GamblingNews' reading of the board's report. Table games, counter games and sports betting on the Strip fell about 3% to $240.9 million.
Baccarat, the high-end table game that swings Strip results most from month to month, won $55.4 million on the Strip, nearly 10% more than a year earlier but below its recent average, iGaming Business reported. Over the past 12 months the Strip has won about $1.5 billion on baccarat, close to the total for all other table games combined. Statewide, craps win fell 25.1% to $32.6 million and blackjack fell 6.3% to $94 million.
Jordan Bender, an analyst at Citizens, called the Strip number "slightly below our expectations," CDC Gaming Reports said, adding that mass-market table revenue fell 5% after a 19% drop in August.
Mixed results across the state
Outside the Strip the picture split. Downtown Las Vegas and Laughlin fell sharply, while North Las Vegas and several northern markets grew.
| Market | Win | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown Las Vegas | $82.5 million | -7.45% |
| Boulder Strip | $83.2 million | -0.13% |
| Balance of Clark County (locals) | $154.2 million | -3.0% |
| North Las Vegas | $25.1 million | +9.18% |
| Laughlin | $33.7 million | -16.8% |
| Reno | $72.9 million | -3.5% |
| Sparks | $17.1 million | +20.8% |
| Elko County | $35.2 million | +11.6% |
Sports betting was flat. Nevada sportsbooks kept about $54 million in September, with about $31 million from mobile, and football win rose 7% to $35.5 million, according to iGaming Business.
Tourism: steady crowds, cheaper rooms
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), the county's tourism agency, counted almost 3.1 million visitors in September, up 0.2%, with 28.8 million so far in 2026, CDC Gaming Reports said. Visitation has alternated between small gains and small losses in each of the last six months, after falling every month of 2025.
Hotels are holding occupancy by cutting prices. Citywide occupancy was 78.1%, the average daily room rate fell 6.3% to $179, and revenue per available room fell 6.9% to $139.51. On the Strip the declines were steeper: iGaming Business put the Strip room rate down 10% and revenue per room down 12%.
Air travel remains the weak link. Harry Reid International Airport handled about 4 million passengers in September, down about 8%, though international traffic rose 6%, per iGaming Business. Traffic for the year is running about 7% lower after a 6% fall in 2025.
What operators are saying
The flat month matches what the big Strip operators reported for the third quarter. MGM Resorts said Las Vegas room rates fell 8% in the quarter, and chief executive Bill Hornbuckle told analysts that fares to Las Vegas have risen more than 40% since last summer, according to iGaming Business. Caesars reported a 9.5% fall in Las Vegas profit even as its regional and digital units grew.
The Strip has come a long way from the post-pandemic surge, when it posted monthly wins above $700 million and double-digit statewide growth. Operators are now counting on a heavy fourth-quarter calendar of sports and events, and on conventions, to lift results.
What to watch next
The NGCB will publish October figures at the end of November. The key questions are whether baccarat hold returns to its average, whether airlines restore Las Vegas capacity, and whether room-rate cuts keep slowing. A fiscal-year gain of about 1.6% so far leaves Nevada growing, but only just.
Status reviewed on 30 October 2026. Gaming win figures are from the Nevada Gaming Control Board's September report as published by News 3 Las Vegas, CDC Gaming Reports, iGaming Business and GamblingNews; the board's PDF report itself was not reviewed. More finance news and North America coverage.
Frequently asked questions
How much did Nevada casinos win in September 2026?
Nevada's casinos won $1,282,542,554 from gamblers in September 2026, according to Nevada Gaming Control Board figures reported on 28 October. That is 0.05% below the $1,283,234,042 won in September 2025, effectively flat. It was another month above the $1 billion mark, and fiscal-year-to-date win since 1 July is running about 1.6% ahead of last year.
How did the Las Vegas Strip perform in September 2026?
The Strip won $693.5 million, up 0.82% from $687.8 million a year earlier. Slot machines did the heavy lifting, winning $452.6 million at an 8.23% hold, while table games and sports betting combined fell about 3% to $240.9 million. A Citizens analyst called the result slightly below expectations, and mass table revenue fell 5%, according to CDC Gaming Reports.
Why is Las Vegas tourism weak in 2026?
Visitor numbers are flat at about 3.1 million a month after every month of 2025 showed a decline, but hotels are cutting prices to fill rooms. Average daily room rates fell 6.3% citywide in September, and airport passenger traffic was down about 8%. MGM Resorts chief executive Bill Hornbuckle has pointed to higher airfares, saying fares to Las Vegas rose more than 40% since last summer.
What is the Nevada Gaming Control Board?
The Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) is the state agency that licenses, audits and enforces rules on Nevada's casinos, working alongside the Nevada Gaming Commission, which makes final licensing decisions. Each month it publishes gaming win, the amount casinos keep after paying winners, by market area and game type, and it collects the percentage fees the state charges on that revenue.
