Casino News Roundup: Las Vegas Tourism Slump & CFTC Backs Prediction Markets
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.
Las Vegas Tourism Hits Five-Year Low As "Trump Slump" Takes Hold
Las Vegas is facing one of its most difficult periods in recent memory as visitor numbers fell 7.5% in 2025 to around 38.5 million - the lowest since 2021 - and the pain shows no signs of easing.
Strip gaming revenue dropped 11% year-on-year in January 2026, from $840million to just under $748m. Nevada's total gaming win fell 6.55% in the same month.
The Culinary Workers Union has coined the term "Trump slump" to describe the slide, blaming the administration's tariff policies and aggressive immigration enforcement for deterring international visitors.
Canadian tourism - Nevada's single largest international market - is down anywhere between 20% and 50% depending on the month, according to casino owner Derek Stevens.
Mexican high-roller visits have also dropped sharply, and international arrivals fell 13% in June alone.
Small businesses are feeling it too. Juanny Romero, founder of Las Vegas coffee destination Mothership, said foot traffic at her downtown location has dropped around 40% over the past 18 months, a decline she attributes directly to the current administration's economic policies.
The backdrop made for an uncomfortable visit for President Trump, who arrived in the city on April 16 to promote the no-tax-on-tips provisions of his One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
He was greeted by protesters outside the Clark County Government Center and a Culinary Workers Union press conference detailing the economic damage his policies have caused.
Democratic Senator Jacky Rosen was blunt: "Here's a tip - you might want to spend this time explaining to Nevadans how you plan to reverse your disastrous economic policies."
Trump told the roundtable that "our economy is booming," attributing any negativity to media coverage of the Iran conflict.
Rising gas prices - with oil hovering near $100 a barrel - are now adding a further cloud over the summer outlook, with economists warning that gains from the no-tax-on-tips policy risk being swallowed by higher costs at the pump.
Those who prefer to enjoy the real money online slots from home rather than navigate the pricing pressures of the Strip will find the digital alternative increasingly hard to resist.
Caesars Takeover: Fertitta Exclusivity Window Expires With No Deal Signed
The 45-day exclusive negotiating window between Caesars Entertainment and Tilman Fertitta's Fertitta Entertainment has now expired - and no formal deal has been announced.
Talks began in mid-March, with Fertitta's bid reported at $32 per share, implying an equity value of $6.5billion and an enterprise value of $31.5bn once Caesars' substantial debt is included.
Carl Icahn's rival $33-per-share offer remains on the table as a fallback, subject to due diligence.
The silence is being watched closely. Caesars reports its Q1 earnings on April 29 - a date that could prove pivotal in determining whether the deal is still live, has been restructured, or has quietly collapsed.
Jefferies analysts have previously flagged the complexity of unwinding Caesars' more than $25bn in total debt and lease obligations as a key obstacle.
Any transaction, if eventually agreed, is not expected to close until 2027 given the number of regulatory approvals required across multiple state gaming jurisdictions.
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Bally's Closes In on Rescue Takeover Of William Hill Owner Evoke (UK)
US casino operator Bally's is reported to be in advanced talks to acquire Evoke - the financially stricken owner of William Hill, 888 and Mr Green - in what is being described as a rescue deal.
According to The Times, Bally's has been informally granted preferred bidder status by Evoke's board, with an announcement potentially days away.
Evoke owes lenders around £1.8bn, against a market valuation that has collapsed to just £175m - down 91% over five years.
The company has been under severe pressure since the UK's Remote Gaming Duty doubled from 21% to 40% on April 1, which Evoke warned will cost it an estimated £135m a year.
It has already confirmed the closure of 200 William Hill shops from May - around 15% of its retail estate. Bally's is understood to be the most credible bidder because it is willing to acquire the entire Evoke group outright, which aligns with the board's preference for a clean, single-buyer sale.
If the deal completes, it would hand Bally's one of Europe's most recognisable betting brands at a stroke, along with a sprawling UK high street retail network and established online platforms under the Gamesys umbrella.
Evoke has postponed its full-year 2025 financial results until April 29 - widely interpreted as a sign that a transaction announcement may be imminent.
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CFTC Chairman Testifies On Prediction Markets As Key Comment Deadline Approaches
The legal and regulatory battle over prediction markets in the US intensified this week.
CFTC Chairman Michael Selig spent several hours before the House Committee on Agriculture on April 16, fielding questions on the future of platforms like Kalshi and Robinhood. Selig confirmed that the CFTC has filed offensive lawsuits against Arizona,
Connecticut, and Illinois seeking court declarations that the agency holds exclusive jurisdiction over event contracts - putting the federal regulator in direct conflict with state gambling authorities across the country.
He also confirmed the CFTC has filed as an amicus brief in the Ninth Circuit, arguing that federal law preempts state gambling regulations as applied to prediction markets.
The 2024 proposed rule that would have explicitly banned sports and politics-related event contracts was withdrawn in February 2026.
The agency's Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking - a formal public consultation on how event contracts should eventually be regulated - closes for comment on April 30.
Selig made clear the CFTC intends to build a comprehensive framework for event contracts, not restrict them, signalling that prediction markets are likely here to stay at a federal level regardless of how hard individual states push back.
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