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The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) released its annual Visitor Profile this week. The report uses 300 monthly interviews with tourists in Las Vegas throughout the year to paint a picture of the average visitor to Las Vegas.
This report includes everything from planning a trip to Las Vegas and how visitors spend their money and time while in Las Vegas. The study looks to show the demographics and general behaviors of everyone as opposed to each individual.
Most visitors were ‘highly satisfied’ with Las Vegas in 2023
Overall, visitors to Las Vegas last year were highly satisfied with their visits to Las Vegas. This comes even though the report shows that visitors spent more per visit on everything from gaming to food and entertainment.
According to the LVCVA, 87% of visitors were “highly satisfied” with their visit to Las Vegas last year. This is an increase from 2022 when 77% of visitors rated their visit as in this category.
Moreover, 48% said Las Vegas exceeded expectations in 2023. This is also greater than the previous year.
90% of those visiting for vacation are highly likely to recommend Las Vegas for a vacation. Almost that many of those surveyed, 85%, plan on returning to Las Vegas.
How much money did visitors spend in Las Vegas?
Visitors spent more money on just about everything in Las Vegas last year. According to the LVCVA study, visitors spent more on hotel rooms, food and beverage, shopping, and even local transportation in 2023 than the year before.
The average visitor to Las Vegas who paid for their hotel room last year spent an average of $171.98 per night. This was an increase from $154.06 per night in 2023.
This price does not include those who received a complimentary hotel room from a Las Vegas casino. The majority of visitors paid for their Las Vegas hotel rooms last year. The LVCVA says 54% of visitors to Las Vegas paid a “regular room rate” last year.
Only 14% of visitors booked a hotel room using a casino complimentary rate. Believe it or not, only 10% of visitors in 2022 booked hotels using a complimentary rate.
Spending on food and beverage in Las Vegas has increased annually since 2018. Last year, visitors spent $564.73 on average per visit. This is up from $519.23 per trip in 2022.
There’s a reason Circus Circus is offering cheap food and drink to attract visitors to Slots-A-Fun.
The only non-gaming category to see lower spending in Las Vegas is entertainment. While tickets to big shows are expensive more venues are offering “free” entertainment as long as visitors are spending money at the bar.
For example, Fontainebleau has two lounges, Nowhere and Collins, offering free entertainment for guests.
Las Vegas gaming budgets and behaviors in 2023
The heart of all Las Vegas casinos is the gaming floor despite non-gaming spending generating the bulk of revenues at Vegas Strip properties.
Almost 80% of visitors gambled in Las Vegas last year. Their average time gambling was just 2.4 hours per day. This is fairly typical as visitors have gambled between 2.2 and 3 hours per day each of the past five years.
Gaming budgets per trip are rising and probably still less than devout gamblers would expect. In 2018, visitors were spending $527.05 per trip to Las Vegas. The average gaming budget per trip has increased yearly since 2028 and was $787.54 in 2023.
Generationally, Gen X and Millennial gaming budgets have increased each of the past five years. Boomers spent the most per visit last year but the $969 budget was less than each of the two previous years.
Last year, visitors gambled in fewer Las Vegas casinos than in recent years. In 2021, visitors gambled in more than three different casinos per visit. Last year, they hit the tables and slots at 1.8 casinos on average.
Visitors also explored fewer casinos. In 2018, visitors went to 6.8 casinos on average. Last year, they visited only 3.7 casinos, according to the 2023 LVCVA Visitor Profile Study.
Sports fans are spending more than the average visitor to Las Vegas. In 2023, those visiting Las Vegas to see a sports event spent $789.09 gambling. Everyone else spent a little less with a budget of $757.47.
