Casino News Roundup: Vegas Tourism Turns Corner & Tennessee Bans Sweepstakes
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 Shows First Signs Of Recovery As Q1 Numbers Set To Rise
After nine difficult months, Las Vegas is showing its first genuine signs of a tourism recovery.
Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority President and CEO Steve Hill revealed this week that February 2026 saw the first year-on-year increase in Southern Nevada visitation in 13 months - up 2.1% - with room occupancy rising 1.2% and revenue per available room climbing 5.3%.
The LVCVA is due to release its full Q1 statistics imminently, and Hill said the numbers will be "up meaningfully" from the first quarter of 2025.
A significant driver of the improvement was CONEXPO-Con/Agg - North America's largest construction trade show - which rolled into the Las Vegas Convention Center in early March and drew more than 140,000 attendees.
Strip that out, Hill acknowledged, and January and February were "basically flat."
But the direction of travel is changing. Hill pointed to a K-shaped recovery playing out across the city, with luxury and high-end properties holding up well while mid-tier venues continue to feel the pressure.
"We're seeing real strength at the top end of the market," he said.
"The proportion of higher-income earners visiting is changing pretty dramatically."
Room revenue, he noted, will also be boosted by the all-inclusive packages now offered by MGM, Caesars and Circa - a direct response to the affordability criticism that has dogged the Strip throughout 2025.
Those who prefer to enjoy the play casino games for real money online rather than navigate the Strip's pricing maze will find no shortage of options in the meantime.
Hill did flag one significant risk to the recovery momentum - rising jet fuel costs driven by the ongoing Iran conflict.
Delta Air Lines has already announced the suspension of its Las Vegas-to-Raleigh service from June 2, citing soaring fuel costs.
California gas prices are currently averaging $5.84 a gallon, a direct concern for the drive market that accounts for around 30% of all Las Vegas visitors.
"The fuel price issue is the concern that we have right now that would interrupt this momentum that we've developed," Hill said.
"That's probably temporary - but there could be some ups and downs and bumps along the way, in addition to consumer sentiment being at an all-time low right now."
New Jersey Senators Warn NYC Casino Competition Could Kill Atlantic City
New Jersey state senators have raised the alarm over the existential threat posed by New York City's newly opened Resorts World casino and the two further NYC casinos expected to open around 2030.
A Senate hearing this week focused on whether Atlantic City - which generates around $3billion annually and directly supports approximately 26,000 jobs in the state - can survive the combined competitive impact of legal sports betting, the ongoing growth of iGaming and the proximity of full-scale Las Vegas-style casinos in Queens and the Bronx.
The concern is straightforward. Atlantic City has long served as the primary destination casino market for the New York metropolitan area.
Resorts World's opening removes that monopoly at a stroke and gives New York City gamblers a local alternative for the first time in the city's history.
When Bally's Bronx and the Hard Rock/Steve Cohen Metropolitan Park open around 2030, the competitive pressure will intensify further.
Several senators called for accelerated investment in Atlantic City's non-gaming amenities - dining, entertainment, beach infrastructure, and hotel quality - to reposition the city as a broader leisure destination rather than a pure gaming market.
The concern is not just theoretical. When Pennsylvania legalised casinos in the mid-2000s, Atlantic City lost roughly a third of its gaming revenue within a decade.
Tennessee Becomes Third State In 2026 To Ban Sweepstakes Casinos
Tennessee has become the third US state this year to ban online sweepstakes casinos after Governor Bill Lee signed Senate Bill 2136 into law.
The legislation - which passed the House 69-17 and the Senate 32-0 - prohibits any online game using virtual, dual, or multi-currency systems that mimic casino-style gambling.
Violations are classified under the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act of 1977, with immediate effect upon the governor's signature.
There is no wind-down period for operators still active in the state.
Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti - who issued cease-and-desist letters to nearly 40 sweepstakes casino operators in December 2025 - said the new law gives Tennessee "stronger tools to investigate bad actors, hold them accountable, and shut down unlawful operations that exploit consumers."
Tennessee joins Indiana and Maine as 2026 bans, following earlier action from California, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Montana.
The sweepstakes sector - which generated around $4bn in US gross gaming revenue last year - is losing legal ground state by state at an accelerating pace.
Minnesota is still considering a comparable ban before its session ends in mid-May.
What sets Tennessee's legislation apart is its deliberately broad language. Rather than targeting only dual-currency models, the bill uses the term "virtual-currency system" - a framing designed to block operators attempting to evade bans by pivoting to single-currency alternatives like Card Crush and ClubWPT Gold.
For players seeking fully regulated online slots available in the USA, the tightening legal landscape is a reminder that licensed platforms continue to offer the safest and most consumer-protected gaming experience.
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Evoke Full-Year Results Delayed As Bally's Takeover Deadline Approaches
In a notable last-minute development, Evoke - owner of William Hill and 888 - announced a one-day delay to its long-awaited full-year 2025 financial results.
The company confirmed that trading remains in line with expectations and there are no material changes to January guidance - full-year 2025 revenue of around £1.79 billion and adjusted EBITDA of £355m to £360m.
The delay, announced just hours before the scheduled release, will fuel further speculation that a formal announcement on Bally's Intralot's 50p-per-share takeover proposal is imminent.
Bally's Intralot already carries over $1bn in debt from its own previous merger. Taking on Evoke - which owes lenders around £1.8bn - would push the combined debt toward $3bn.
The formal offer deadline under UK Takeover Panel rules is May 18, now less than three weeks away. Bally's Intralot must by that date either confirm a firm intention to make an offer or walk away entirely.
