Fewer people coming to Las Vegas just to gamble

Las Vegas, known worldwide as a gambling mecca, has continued to become less attractive to gamblers.

According to the annual visitor profile commissioned by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, the number of people who came primarily to hit the casinos dropped to 9 percent last year from 13 percent in 2009. At the same time, the average wagering budget of $466.20 marked a 3 percent decline from 2009 and 28 percent from 2006.

The survey is based on 3,700 responses.

Most other categories of spending showed improvments from 2009, when the economy seems to have hit bottom. Spending for items such as food, shows and shopping were similar to the better times, but hotel spending continued to be depressed.

The 35 percent of the people who said they would be "more likely" to visit Las Vegas despite gambling outlets elsewhere was the lowest number in the five years covered by the survey.

Contact reporter Tim O'Reiley at
toreiley@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5290.