Casino News Roundup: Las Vegas Gets New Routes As Primm Casinos Close for Good
Welcome to the Casino Daily News Roundup - your briefing on the latest news from the global casino industry. We bring you the biggest stories from across the sector, covering everything from major business deals and revenue figures to new openings and regulatory developments.
Southwest Airlines Gives Las Vegas Major Boost With 11 New Nonstop Routes
Las Vegas has received a significant shot in the arm for its battered tourism industry.
Southwest Airlines - the number one carrier out of Harry Reid International Airport - has announced it will launch nonstop service to 11 new destinations from Las Vegas and add flights to 15 existing routes over the next 10 months.
The decision represents one of the most expansive route expansions the city has seen in years.
The headline addition is international. Southwest will launch its first-ever international flights from Las Vegas next month, with nonstop service to Cabo San Lucas and Cancun.
Puerto Vallarta follows in October, with San Jose, Costa Rica, added to the schedule at the same time.
The move is particularly significant given that international tourism to Las Vegas has been one of the sharpest areas of decline during the city's recent slump - visitor numbers fell 7.5% in 2025 to around 38.5 million, with Canadian and Mexican tourism down sharply and European arrivals also under pressure.
New direct access to Mexican beach resort destinations gives Southwest a compelling leisure travel offer that could drive incremental two-way traffic - Las Vegas visitors heading to Mexico and Mexican tourists making their first direct hop to the Strip.
Domestic additions are equally broad. Southwest begins service to Anchorage, Alaska, next week, with Reno, Orlando, Nashville, and five other existing city destinations added in the coming weeks.
October brings expanded services to Los Angeles, San Francisco and Oakland.
November adds Denver and Phoenix capacity, with East Coast expansion following in March.
The announcement builds on Air France's recent launch of nonstop Paris-to-Las Vegas service, and comes as the city actively courts new air routes to offset the softness in drive-in traffic driven by California gas prices averaging $5.84 a gallon.
Together, the two expansions are meaningfully widening Las Vegas's international and domestic air catchment at a time when the city needs it most.
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Primm's Last Three Casino-Resorts Are Closing Permanently This Summer
An era is ending on the Nevada-California state line.
Affinity Gaming has confirmed that Primm Valley Resort, Whiskey Pete's and Buffalo Bill's - the three remaining casino-resorts in Primm, Nevada, around 40 miles south of Las Vegas on Interstate 15 - will all permanently close, with a final date of July 4 set for the last operational property.
Employees received termination letters this week and were told they must vacate company-provided housing by July 6.
The closures bring an end to a gambling corridor that once served as a first and last taste of Nevada for millions of road-trippers making the journey between Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
At their peak, the Primm resorts were a reliable desert pitstop - slot machines, cheap buffets, a roller coaster, and a strip of outlets.
Their decline has been gradual but relentless. Whiskey Pete's closed at the end of 2024, described at the time as a temporary measure.
Buffalo Bill's reduced to concerts-only last summer. Primm Valley was the last property still operating 24 hours a day.
The Primadonna Company, which owns the underlying land, said it was given little notice of the closures and that members of the Primm family are working to find alternative operators to keep the properties open.
With hundreds of jobs and a key highway community now at risk, the chances of a last-minute rescue remain unclear.
DraftKings Reports Q1 2026 Results With Prediction Markets In The Spotlight
All eyes in the US sports betting industry are on DraftKings today as the company releases its Q1 2026 financial results after market close.
Analysts are expecting revenue of around $1.63bn to $1.65bn - up 16% to 17% year-on-year - and EPS of between 17 and 22 cents, representing significant improvement from a loss of 7 cents per share in the same quarter last year.
The results will be scrutinised particularly closely for any update on DraftKings' own prediction market product, launched earlier this year for any commentary on whether sports betting handle is being affected in the same way BetMGM flagged last week - when CEO Adam Greenblatt directly named Kalshi and Polymarket as competitive threats driving up customer acquisition costs.
Unlike BetMGM, DraftKings has chosen to launch its own prediction market offering rather than sit out the category.
DraftKings has missed earnings estimates in each of its last four quarters, making today's numbers especially consequential for investor sentiment heading into summer.
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Flutter Posts Strong Q1 As FanDuel iGaming Surges
Flutter Entertainment - owner of FanDuel, Sky Betting and Gaming, Paddy Power, and PokerStars - reported Q1 2026 group revenues of $4.3billion, up 17% year-on-year and ahead of analyst expectations.
US revenue grew 6% to $1.76bn, with iGaming up 19% and sportsbook up just 1% as FanDuel continues to rebuild its player base following NFL hold rate issues in Q4 2025.
FanDuel retained the number one position in both US sportsbook and iGaming, with market shares of 39% and 27% respectively.
One closely watched figure was FanDuel Predicts - the company's prediction market joint venture with CME Group - which generated "immaterial" revenue in Q1.
Flutter confirmed it is pressing ahead with a $300m annual investment in the product regardless, targeting a meaningful launch around the NFL season in Q4.
Flutter also announced key leadership changes: Christian Genetski is appointed to lead the US business, and Dan Taylor becomes President of Flutter Entertainment.
Full-year guidance was maintained at a revenue midpoint of $18.3bn.
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