There are plenty of warning signs for the U.S. economy, but the slowdown in Las Vegas might be the ultimate “canary in the coal mine.”

Las Vegas relies heavily on tourism, gaming, and hospitality, which account for about 40% of the local economy and support over 300,000 jobs. In 2025, the city has experienced a noticeable slowdown, with visitor numbers down approximately 7.3% through the first half of the year compared to 2024. This marks the steepest decline in over 50 years, surpassing drops during the Great Recession of 2008-2009. Hotel occupancy has fallen by nearly 6% and food and beverage sales dropped 1.6% (equating to a $191 million loss). While gaming revenue has held up—rising 5.5% in August 2025 to $1.22 billion—overall consumer spending on non-gaming activities like dining and shopping is down significantly.

Causes of the Slowdown

The dip stems from a mix of domestic and international pressures, many tied to broader U.S. economic and policy dynamics:

Economic Uncertainty and Inflation

Persistent inflation (hovering around 3-4% nationally) and high interest rates have made consumers more cautious with discretionary spending. Surveys show Americans planning smaller vacation budgets, even as more intend to travel. Traffic across the California-Nevada border on Interstate 15 fell 4.3% in June, signaling fewer road trips from key markets like Southern California.

Price Gouging

Prices in Las Vegas are completely out of control, and the problem goes well beyond simple inflation. Hefty “resort fees” are just one example.

Policy Impacts Under Trump

The administration’s escalated trade wars, tariffs on imports from China, Mexico, and Canada, and stricter immigration enforcement have chilled international tourism. Canadians, Las Vegas’s largest international visitor group, are down sharply due to trade tensions and a new $250 “visa integrity fee” that pushes total costs to $442 per visitor—one of the world’s highest. Mexicans and Europeans are also visiting less, with some attributing it to fears of deportations and economic “riled up” rhetoric. This aligns with a projected $12.5 billion national loss in international traveler spending for 2025, per the World Travel & Tourism Council. Locals are lamenting the “Trump Slump.”

Implications for the Broader U.S. Economy

Yes, this slowdown is a concerning signal for the U.S. economy, though not yet a definitive harbinger of recession. Vegas has rebounded before, so anything is possible. But this seems to be a serious problem. Reduced tourism hits suppliers, airlines, and even real estate (with slower investor demand). If this continues we may be on the way to a recession.

Of course, we’ve seen this before so it’s not that new. Remember Broadway Joe Namath? His lifestyle generated a brand and endorsements as well. With Johnny Football everything is just more immediate. Like Namath, he knows how to work the system of his time.

In Cleveland the frenzy has spurred all sorts of business ideas, with t-shirts leading the way. The Browns have always been big business in Cleveland, but years of losing have made it harder for businesses to capitalize on the Browns. All that changes with Johnny Football, especially if he can win football games.

Johnny Manziel is represented by self-proclaimed King James’s agency, so he’s definitely surrounded by like-minded people. Brand and money definitely matter. Endorsements matter. Of course, Lebron James learned to get past his choking in the past to finally win some championships. Johnny Manziel on the other hand is just getting started, so he’s milking what he can now, and setting the stage for even bigger things if he can be a real NFL quarterback. Of course, if he can bring a winner to the long-suffering fans of Cleveland, he’ll be a hero for generations.

So the potential is there for the business of Johnny Football to be quite substantial.

The expansion of legal gambling continues across the United States. The state of Ohio approved four casinos, and there’s already evidence that the new casinos in Cleveland and Toledo are pulling customers away from casinos in Detroit, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Las Vegas has all sorts of problems as they no longer attract as many high rollers, but as more casinos open across the country that has to have an impact as well.

In Illinois, the state will be rolling out the first legal video poker machines to offer payouts to customers. Now, not everyone in the state will be able to play in their immediate neighborhood, as many local areas including Chicago have their own laws restricting the games. But obviously the new poker games will just be a car ride away for most residents, so expect this to find a market as well. Of course for years poker fans could just look up an online poker guide to find the most popular poker sites and play in the comfort of their own home.

In some ways, all of this just keeps making poker more popular as a game, and that’s good for the entire industry. More players means a bigger pie for everyone to share. But the companies and outlets sharing the pie might be growing faster than the number of new players.

it will be fascinating to see how all of this plays out. With the feds saying they have no jurisdiction here, we could be another round of expanding interest in poker, one of the great all-time games of skill, and many companies can benefit from this.

Things are still tough in Las Vegas. Check out this article about the state of business at strip clubs.

Times are rough in Las Vegas, even for Sin City’s second-most lucrative vice.

With the recession still dragging down discretionary spending, just the opportunity to ogle — or fantasize about your chances with — dozens of beautiful naked women isn’t enough to pack in the tourists these days. So a number of Las Vegas strip clubs are offering discounts and freebies to seal the deal, particularly during off-peak hours.

Some, such as Cheetah’s, will give you two-for-one lap dances every afternoon.

Others, like the Can Can Room and Crazy Horse III, halve the price of a lap dance that usually costs $20 for three to 4½ minutes at an all-nude club or two minutes at a topless joint.

These clubs are a huge business in Vegas, and it’s a great barometer of the overall economy.

“For years, Las Vegas has pretended like the adult community doesn’t exist,” says Wayne Bridge, CEO of the Sin City Chamber of Commerce, an alliance of adult-oriented businesses. “It’s a huge part of the economy and it’s really helping to carry a lot of people.”

At last count, there are 32 active strip clubs and between 30,000 and 40,000 registered exotic dancers in the Las Vegas Valley. On weeknights, some 1,500 women bump and grind at clubs here; weekends, that number doubles or triples.

“It’s huge,” Bridge says.

How huge?

An estimated $8 billion per year, second only to gaming as a component of the Las Vegas economy.

The freebies are working, as business has picked up. You couldn’t get a deal anywhere in Las Vegas 4 years ago. Now, the hotels, clubs and other establishments are working hard for business. It might be a good time for a trip!