Nevada Casino Win Surges in March, Driving a Notable Increase in Tax Collections for April

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Nevada casino win and tax collections jumped in March, providing a fresh lift to state gaming revenues after a modest fiscal-year gain through March.

Las Vegas Nevada
Key Takeaways:
  • Casino win in Nevada jumps 11.8% in March 2026
  • Tax collections from gaming up 17.2% in April
  • Las Vegas Strip and downtown lead regional growth

Statewide gaming win, the amount wagered minus payouts reported by nonrestricted licensees, totalled $1.427 billion in March 2026. This was up 11.8% from $1.277 billion in March 2025, according to figures released by the Nevada Gaming Control Board. 

For the current fiscal year to date (July 1, 2025–March 31, 2026), gaming win is up 1.98% versus the same period a year earlier, at $12.015 billion compared with $11.782 billion.

This follows a relatively subdued February performance, when statewide gaming revenue reached approximately $1.34 billion. This reflected only marginal year-on-year growth and underscored the uneven trajectory of the market prior to March’s rebound. 

Region-by-Region

Clark County, which houses the Las Vegas market and accounts for the bulk of Nevada’s gaming dollars, reported $1.253 billion in March win. This was a 12.7% increase year‑over‑year and $10.387 billion for the fiscal year to date (up 1.47%). 

The Las Vegas Strip remained the dominant driver, posting $780.0 million in March (a 14.4% increase versus March 2025) and $6.701 billion fiscal‑to‑date (up 0.69%).

Downtown Las Vegas continued to outpace many regions, with a 20.8% month‑over‑month increase to $103.1 million in March and a 4.0% fiscal‑year gain. 

Other Clark County submarkets showed mixed performance: the Boulder Strip rose 14.7% in March to $98.9 million, while North Las Vegas was essentially flat (+0.12%).

Destinations outside metropolitan Las Vegas posted varied results: Laughlin edged up 1.1% to $50.5 million, Mesquite rose 1.4% to $19.6 million, and the county “balance” segment increased 7.3% to $174.8 million.

Northern Nevada’s Washoe County, home to Reno and Sparks, logged $87.8 million in March win, a 7.3% year‑over‑year gain, bringing its fiscal‑year total to $835.0 million (up 4.99%). Reno proper was up 7.5% in March to $62.0 million. By contrast, North Lake Tahoe recorded a 9.7% decline in March to $1.45 million and remains down year‑to‑date.

South Lake Tahoe jumped 19.7% in March to $17.6 million; Elko County fell 4.8% to $35.3 million, with Wendover down 8.8% to $22.8 million; the Carson Valley area rose 5.3% to $12.2 million.

Tax Collections Rising in April

Tax collections tied to those results rose sharply in April. The state collected $93.0 million in percentage fees during April (covering taxable revenues generated in March), an increase of 17.2% , or $13.7 million , from the $79.3 million collected in the prior year’s comparable collection month. 

Fiscal‑year‑to‑date percentage fee collections through April 22 total about $868.8 million, up roughly 3.0% from $843.2 million in the prior fiscal year period. The statewide collection totals reported do not include $7.5 million in transferable tax credits claimed so far this fiscal year.

Despite the March surge, the fiscal‑year growth rate remains modest (roughly 2% statewide), indicating that gains earlier in the fiscal year were uneven across regions and game types.

Nevada’s gaming market has faced a mix of headwinds and tailwinds in recent years. Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority reported a 7.5% drop in total visitors for 2025 compared to 2024. Despite this, Caesars Entertainment said their hotel occupancy hit a new high of 93% in Q1.

The March numbers underscore that Las Vegas still drives the state’s gaming economy, while regional markets such as Reno, Laughlin and South Lake Tahoe can contribute pockets of stronger growth.