Casino News Roundup: Rick Harrison Slams Vegas Prices & DC Eyes iGaming Bill
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.
Pawn Stars' Rick Harrison Says Vegas Pricing Problem Is Chasing Tourists Out Of Town
Rick Harrison - the owner of the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop and the face of long-running TV show Pawn Stars - has issued a blunt warning to Las Vegas casino operators: lower your prices or lose your customers.
Speaking to Fox News Digital, Harrison said excessive fees are a key driver of the city's deepening tourism slump.
"I've heard so many people complain," he said.
"They go to a hotel, they go to check out, and there's $500 in stupid fees on their bills - resort fees and parking fees and this fee and that fee."
He called it "financial Darwinism" - adapt to what customers want, or face the consequences.
The numbers back his concerns up. Las Vegas recorded around 38.5 million visitors in 2025 - a 7.5% decline from 2024, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.
Strip gaming revenue fell 11% year-on-year in January 2026, dropping from $840m to $747m.
Nevada's nonrestricted gaming licensees reported a total win of roughly $1.35billion in January, down 6.55% on the same month last year.
Harrison also flagged drops in Canadian and Asian tourism, the latter driven by currency and economic pressures.
With oil close to $100 a barrel amid the Iran conflict, rising gas prices are now adding further uncertainty to the summer outlook.
Harrison - whose own shop had record-breaking months in January and February - credits customer experience for his success.
"You give customers what they want, and they return," he said.
He highlighted Circa Resort as a casino doing it right. "You go down to Circa and there's go-go dancers behind the blackjack tables. It makes it more fun."
He also praised the wave of all-inclusive packages now being launched by MGM and Caesars as a step in the right direction.
His broader point was direct: rooms used to be cheap, food was affordable, and casinos made their money from gambling.
That model made Las Vegas accessible to everyone. Recovering it, he suggested, is how the city gets its mojo back.
For those looking to enjoy table games and high-quality entertainment, rather than play at the best online casinos, Vegas still has plenty to offer - but only if the price is right.
US Online Betting Delivered Mixed Signals In March
Stifel's latest US Online Gambling Tracker has painted a mixed picture of the market through the first quarter of 2026.
Sports betting handle fell around 3% year-on-year in March as operators faced tougher comparatives and softening volume.
However, gross gaming revenue moved in the opposite direction, rising sharply thanks to improved hold rates approaching 9.6% - meaning sportsbooks won more despite bettors wagering less.
The iGaming segment held up better.
February online casino GGR rose around 20% year-on-year across the US, tracking in line with recent rolling averages.
FanDuel and BetMGM gained market share in Michigan, while New Jersey showed largely unchanged competitive positioning.
Promotional reinvestment in iCasino also declined, with Pennsylvania reporting a reduction of around 140 basis points year-on-year.
Across both verticals, analysts say operators are increasingly focused on margin discipline as handle growth remains inconsistent and dependent on the outcomes of individual sporting events.
Washington DC Moves to Legalize Online Casinos And Ban Sweepstakes
Washington DC is the latest jurisdiction to introduce legislation that would legalize online casinos and real money slots for US players, while simultaneously banning sweepstakes gaming platforms.
Council member Wendell Felder introduced the Internet Gaming and Consumer Protection Act of 2026 on April 9.
It would allow licensed operators to offer slots, poker, blackjack and table games to District residents, subject to a 25% tax on adjusted gross gaming revenue and a $2m licensing fee.
The bill takes direct aim at the dual-currency sweepstakes model, defining it explicitly as unlicensed gambling and imposing fines of up to $100,000 per violation - rising to $500,000 for repeat offenders.
A public hearing is scheduled for May 4. If passed, DC would join Indiana and Maine as the only US jurisdictions to ban sweepstakes casinos while opening a regulated iGaming market in 2026.
Felder framed the case simply: D.C. residents are already gambling online through unregulated platforms.
The bill would redirect that activity to licensed, taxed, and consumer-protected operators.
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Kentucky Raises Sports Betting Age To 21 After Lawmakers Override Governor's Veto
Kentucky has become one of the most significant gambling law reforms of 2026 after state lawmakers voted overwhelmingly to override Governor Andy Beshear's veto of House Bill 904.
The House voted 67-7 and the Senate 26-5 to push the bill into law. It takes effect in 90 days.
The legislation raises the minimum sports betting age from 18 to 21, legalizes fixed-odds wagering on horse racing, creates a formal licensing framework for daily fantasy sports operators, and restricts licensed sportsbooks from entering into contracts with prediction market app platforms operating within the state.
It also bans "under" prop bets on individual college athletes - targeting the specific wager type most often linked to recent integrity concerns.
Beshear's veto was not about any of the gambling provisions themselves.
He objected to a clause allowing two state agencies to file regulatory changes without his sign-off - framing it as a constitutional separation-of-powers issue.
Lawmakers dismissed that concern and overrode him decisively.
The bill is one of the broadest overhauls of a state gambling framework seen anywhere in the US this year.
