Casino Foot Traffic Slows 10 Percent in July, Second-Worst Month of 2025

When compared to July 2024, the number of persons who visited casinos last month was significantly lower.

In jurisdictions with commercial gambling, gaming analysts keep a close eye on the amount of patrons who visit casinos.  Their reports are created using floor checks that use technology intended to track visitor inflows and regulatory filings from casinos.

According to David Katz, managing director of Jefferies Equity Research, foot traffic is slowing down in July.  According to Katz, the number of casino entries in July 2025 was 10% lower than that in July 2024.  February was the worst.

The biggest slowdown was seen in Illinois casinos, where foot traffic fell by more than 13% year over year.  The three casinos in Detroit saw almost 8% fewer visitors, while the nine casinos in Atlantic City saw an 8.5% decline in attendance.  The casinos in Nevada were comparable to the national average.

The overall number of visits to casinos nationwide for the commercial, land-based gaming sector was 19.9% lower than in 2019.

Casino Warnings 

Lately, social media has been flooded with images and videos of a sometimes-dead downtown and Strip in Las Vegas.  Although a four-month decline in gross gaming revenue (GGR) was stopped in June, July—which has not yet been reported—is predicted to be negative as well.

Clark County's GGR decreased by 1% during the previous 12 months.  The casino win was 3% less on the Las Vegas Strip.

Regional gaming markets, according to Katz, are more suitable for a short-term recovery than S. Las Vegas Blvd.

"We continue to believe regional gaming is better positioned for growth in the near term compared to Las Vegas, where expectations for the Strip are confirmed to be low,” Katz wrote.

August and the rest of 2025 have a mixed outlook.  Real gross domestic product (GDP) rose by 3% in the second quarter of 2025, following a 0.5% contraction in the first quarter, according to the US Bureau of Economic Analysis.

“The increase in real GDP in the second quarter primarily reflected a decrease in imports, which are a subtraction in the calculation of GDP, and an increase in consumer spending. These movements were partly offset by decreases in investment and exports,” the BEA’s Q2 Perspective read.

According to the BEA, the price index for gross domestic purchases, which gauges inflation in consumer prices for goods and services, increased 1.9% during the second quarter.  Consumer spending on recreational pursuits like gaming may decline as a result of the nearly 2% increase.

 

Is Business Being Hurt by Online Casinos?

A portion of the decline in in-person casino traffic may be attributable to unregulated online gaming websites.

According to a research released Wednesday by the American Gaming Association (AGA), illicit gambling accounts for approximately one-third of the US gaming sector and costs states over $15 billion annually in lost tax revenue.

"Illegal gambling operators are thriving at the expense of American consumers, siphoning billions in tax revenue from state governments, and undercutting the efforts of the legal market,” said AGA President and CEO Bill Miller. “It’s time for a national crackdown on the pervasive illegal market that is draining state coffers and putting people at risk.”

According to the AGA, illicit online sportsbooks and casinos bring in $23.6 billion a year.