Money talks.
And in Las Vegas, it's screaming "We're back!"
Sin City, left nearly abandoned a year ago by the COVID-19 pandemic, just recorded its fifth consecutive month of at least $1 billion in gambling wins capped off by an all-time monthly record of $1.36 billion in July.
And that's money won for the house, not the total amount gambled, which should tell you right there how many people have flocked back to Las Vegas.
"We weren't anticipating these type of numbers," Michael Lawton, senior analyst for Nevada Gaming Control Board, told Yahoo News. "In Nevada, a billion dollars in gaming win is kind of a bellwether number. And we've recorded a billion dollars in gaming win in five consecutive months."
In large part, Vegas has slowly been able to draw crowds back as its hotel-casinos return to normal, especially with big events that the city is known for. July alone featured a championship with mixed martial arts star Conor McGregor, a concert at Allegiant Stadium by country music legend Garth Brooks and the return of musical residencies such as Usher and Bruno Mars.
And it's only going to get better in the fall and winter.
With the new Resorts World Las Vegas now open - the first new hotel-casino on the Strip in a decade - headline acts Carrie Underwood, Celine Dion, Lionel Richie and Katy Perry will have residencies later this year.
Also in the fall, Lady Gaga will perform as well.
"It's definitely back to pre-pandemic levels," said Shawn Jones, a promoter at Resorts World who said the previous weekend's pool parties had fully sold out. "Maybe it's the pent up energy... if you ain't able to do something for a while, then there's a big rush when they are able to get out."
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