When people think of Nevada and gambling, Las Vegas is the first, and sometimes the only city that comes to mind.
However, there are hundreds of casinos in Nevada, and they are scattered throughout the entire state.
The largest number of casinos is found in Clark County and Washoe County, though you will easily find a casino anywhere in the Silver State.
The major gambling cities in Nevada stretch past the famed strip of Las Vegas and include Laughlin, Paradise, Henderson, and Reno just to name a few of the cities home to 433 Nevada casinos.
It is estimated that Nevada made approximately $13 billion in revenue from casinos in the year 2021, an increase of 70 percent from the previous year.
The state of Nevada is certainly growing when it comes to casino count.
Table of Contents
What is a casino in Nevada?
The regulations of the Gaming Control Board define casinos as a business with a table game or over 15 slot machines.
A gas station with a couple of slot machines, for example, does not count as a casino unless it has over 15 slot machines.
There are over 400 casinos in the state, and this does not include those places like gas stations with a few slot machines.
There are four main casino cities in Nevada, and those are Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, and Reno.
Some smaller cities such as Carson City, Wendover, and Mesquite, however, are home to some of the highest revenue-generating casinos in Nevada.
In Nevada, casinos are not sorted by county or city, but rather by how they report to the Gaming Control Board.
What cities are in Clark County in Nevada?
Clark County is among the largest gaming counties in the state. Las Vegas is in Clark County, and this county covers over 8,000 square miles.
The county generated approximately $11 billion of the state’s $13 billion in revenue in 2021. Along with Las Vegas, also in Clark County are Mesquite, Primm, and Laughlin.
There are approximately 228 of Nevada’s 400 casinos in Clark County.
Among them are 23 casinos in Las Vegas, 60 in the Las Vegas Strip, 17 in North Las Vegas, 17 in Laughlin, 43 in the Boulder Strip, 9 in Mesquite, and 59 in Other. The other cities in Clark County that are home to casinos include Paradise, Henderson, Winchester, and Sunrise Manor.
The county is home to over 2 million residents in total.
Does Washoe County have casinos?
Washoe County is another booming casino county and home to a population of over 450,000 Nevada residents.
It is considered the second-largest gaming mecca in Nevada and has over 64 different casinos. There are 23 casinos in the city of Reno alone, another nationally famed casino center in the United States.
In addition to Reno, there are approximately 14 casinos in Sparks, eight in the North Shore of Lake Tahoe, and 14 casinos in the rest of the county.
It is estimated that Washoe County brings in over one billion dollars in gaming revenue for the state. Washoe County also saw an increase by 50 percent in 2021 after the Covid-19 pandemic’s first year in 2020.
Washoe County comprises approximately 7.5 percent of the gaming in the state.
What other counties in Nevada generate gaming revenue?
The other counties in Nevada that generate gaming revenue are Churchill County, Douglas, Humboldt County, Carson Valley, White Pine, and Elko County.
Churchill County is a small county that hosts 13 casinos, with the most famous casinos here being the Fallon Nugget and Bonanza Casino.
Douglas County is home to over seven casinos, with the South Shore of Lake Tahoe being home to many more. This area is called the Tahoe South, and there is also the Tahoe North in Clark County.
The Lake Tahoe area is located in two different counties in Nevada with two different reporting areas.
The most famous casinos and hotels in this county are the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Harvey’s, MontBleu, and the Lakeside Inn and Casino.
In its entirety, this county generates approximately $250 in gambling revenue in the area of Lake Tahoe alone.
That is an increase of 37 percent over the pandemic year of 2020, and up slightly from the $225 million the county generated in the year 2019.
Is Elko County considered a large revenue generator?
Elko County is a large county in Nevada that generates approximately $371 million in revenue annually. Wendover, Nevada is likely the largest income generator in this county and is located near the Utah border.
Key gambling cities in Elko County include Jackpot and Elko.
Where are the other casinos in Nevada?
The other casinos in Nevada are in Carson Valley, White Pine County, Humboldt County, Lyon County, and Nye County.
Carson Valley is located in Douglas County near the south shore of Lake Tahoe. However, the casinos in Carson Valley are not Lake Tahoe Casinos.
In Carson Valley, there are 29 casinos, with the most popular casinos being Casino Fandango, Gold Dust West Carson City, Carson Valley Inn Casino, Carson Nugget, and Bodines Casino.
Most of these are in Carson City. The market here is approximately $134 million strong as of 2021.
White Pine County is also home to approximately 10,000 and isn’t one of the biggest counties in the state, but still generates approximately $11.8 million in gaming income for the state.
There are two casinos in the city of Ely which are the Hotel Nevada and Gaming House and the Jail House Motel & Casino.
In Humboldt County, there are 17 casinos that house 1,000 slot machines and bring the state revenue of approximately $26 million.
Why is Nevada famous for gambling?
The state of Nevada is famous for its gambling opportunities, both in the job market and the jackpot market, because it has had legalized gambling since just after the Great Depression.
Nevada is also near the gold panning center of America, which is why you will see many locations in Nevada having some version of the word “nugget” in their names.
After settlers moved to Nevada after the Mexican War in 1848, gold and silver began to be discovered.
However, the mines that supported the industry began to decline during the Great Depression.
By March 1931, the state of Nevada legalized gambling and a booming statewide industry was born.
Interestingly enough, Nevada would legalize gambling before they would legalize divorce, a move that occurred later in the same year. Shortly after gambling was legalized, organized crime in Nevada began to rise.
As a result, agencies such as the Gaming Control Board came into effect and the state can now legally operate the industry with a significant amount of transparency and accountability.
Have you ever gambled in Nevada?
The state of Nevada is famous for its legalized gambling and operates over 300 poker tables, almost two thousand blackjack tables, more than 100 thousand slot machines, and over 300 craps tables.
There are over 400 casinos in Nevada, and over 300 of them generate revenue that tops $1 million.
The casino industry in Nevada has led rise to a booming tourist industry, with the hotel industry in Nevada employing a large portion of the population.
Year-round, hotels in Nevada enjoy an occupancy rate of approximately 85 percent, which peaks closer to 90 percent in July.
The slowest time of the year to visit is in December. Would you like to visit Nevada and some of its casinos?
