The mainstream media has been inundated with headlines proclaiming the demise of Las Vegas, with phrases such as "Las Vegas is in Freefall," "Vegas is Dying," and "Vegas is Finished and Will Never Recover.
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However, these dramatic proclamations are grossly exaggerated and do not accurately reflect the reality of the situation.
According to the Gateway Pundit, Las Vegas is still bustling with activity, albeit slightly less than the previous year. The city's revenues have only seen a single-digit decrease from last year, which was one of the most prosperous years in Vegas's history.
In 2024, Nevada casinos recorded an all-time high win total of $15.6 billion, and the Vegas Strip saw record revenues for the fourth consecutive year. Nearly 42 million tourists visited Vegas in 2024, nearing another record.
"Does that sound like Vegas is dying, or dead?" the author, Wayne Allyn Root, asks. "If your business is off single digits from the best year in history, and the four consecutive best years in history, is that collapse, or freefall, or reason to panic? Of course not."
However, it is true that compared to last year, business has declined this year, leading to layoffs in Vegas casinos. The question then arises: what is causing this downturn? Root suggests that this is yet another example of Republican success versus Democrat failure.
The Vegas brand, one of the most famous and valuable in the world, is being mishandled, according to Root. He argues that Democrats have a track record of ruining everything they touch, from big cities in America to the border and illegal immigration, inflation, the national debt, public schools, and even the military with "woke transgender brainwashing."
In contrast, Root points out that with President Trump in office for only a few months, the border is secure, the National Guard is making cities safe again, peace has been achieved in the Middle East, Trump's tariffs have resulted in record-setting monthly budget surpluses, and the U.S. Marines have already met their recruiting goals for 2026.
Root argues that the situation in Las Vegas mirrors this pattern. Not all of Vegas is suffering; only the Vegas Strip is experiencing a downturn. Off-Strip and suburban casinos and hotels in Vegas are thriving.
The reason, Root suggests, is that all the major resorts on the world-famous Vegas Strip are owned and operated by Democrats, particularly Ivy League-educated Democrats from Wall Street who lack knowledge about gambling or tourism.
Root lists several major casinos run by Democrats, including MGM, Caesars, Harrahs, Wynn, and Venetian. He also notes that most of these casinos have sold the land under their casino-resorts to Blackstone, a Democrat-run Wall Street firm that charges them exorbitant annual land lease charges ranging from $100 million to $300 million.
However, off-Strip casinos and resorts are almost all owned and operated by Republicans, and they are booming. Root cites Station Casinos, the downtown Golden Nugget, Boyd Casinos, and South Point Casino as examples of thriving Republican-run establishments.
Root draws a parallel between the situation in Vegas and the broader national landscape, noting that as many as 21 U.S. states plus Washington DC are now either in or near recession, while Texas and Florida are booming. He argues that just like red states versus blue states, the downturn in Vegas breaks down along party lines.
The Vegas Strip resorts run by Democrats from New York are charging exorbitant rates, Root claims. Parking costs $50 at any Strip hotel, two martinis cost $80, a nice meal costs $500, and resort fees can add up to $100 extra a day on top of room charges. Root contrasts this with the off-Strip and suburban resorts owned and run by Republicans, where parking is free, meals are reasonably priced, room rates are inexpensive, and amenities like movie theaters, bowling alleys, food courts, and babysitting are available.
Root concludes by arguing that just as Trump has turned around America in a matter of months, Vegas is not dying or dead. It can recover to new all-time records quickly if Republicans take over the Strip casinos and return to the old Vegas formula of cheap rooms, cheap meals, free parking, and encouraging tourists to gamble with the money they saved.
Root asserts that there are two Americas: low tax, low cost of living, red state America is booming, while high tax, high cost of living, blue state America is dying. Similarly, there are two versions of Vegas.
The problems in Las Vegas, Root argues, all come down to red state versus blue state values. The mainstream media may not understand this, but Root believes that America has figured it out.
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