NEW<\/span>You can now listen to Fox News articles!\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n The drop in Las Vegas tourism has been well-documented, with total visitor numbers down 7.5%. At the same time, poker rooms along the Vegas Strip are closing \u2014 raising questions about the appeal of in-person gambling.\u00a0<\/p>\n Rick Harrison of “Pawn Stars” fame \u2014 as well as owner of the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop in Las Vegas \u2014 told Fox News Digital in an interview that gambling in person is not dying.<\/p>\n “We know what the oldest profession is \u2014 gambling was probably the second,” Harrison said, laughing. “People always gambled \u2014 and plus, you know, in Vegas, it’s just not [about] the gambling.”<\/p>\n LAS VEGAS POKER ROOMS FOLD AS CASINO TOURISM PLUMMETS TO RECORD LOWS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Harrison said Las Vegas hosts certain conventions unlike anywhere else in the world, and people are coming to Sin City for more than just gambling.<\/p>\n “Keep changing it around, see what sticks to the wall, give your customers what they want \u2014 and they will keep on coming back,” he said.<\/p>\n Travelers use the slot machines at the Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas on Sept. 20, 2025.<\/span> (Michael Anthony for Fox News Digital)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The latest poker room to close was\u00a0Resorts World<\/a>\u00a0on March 30, a casino representative confirmed to Fox News Digital.<\/p>\n The closure will leave just eight poker rooms open on the\u00a0Las Vegas Strip<\/a>, according to the blog “Vital Vegas.”<\/p>\n “However, we will be introducing new gaming opportunities to replace the poker room,” the representative said.<\/p>\n CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n The representative did not elaborate on what new gaming offerings would take the room\u2019s place. It currently features No Limit Texas Hold\u2019em, Pot Limit Omaha and mixed games.<\/p>\n “You don’t have just the whole old style [where you] have blackjack tables, [it\u2019s] dark and everything else like that,” said Harrison.<\/p>\n Fontainebleau Resort & Casino, featuring a 150,000-square-foot casino and 3,600 rooms, can be seen here.<\/span> (George Rose\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n He credited Circa Resort & Casino for changing it up. “You go down to Circa [and] there’s go-go dancers dancing behind the blackjack tables. It makes it more fun,” he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Las Vegas Strip\u00a0gaming revenue<\/a>\u00a0fell 11% year over year, from $840,093,428 in January 2025 to $747,655,527 in January 2026, according to the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB).<\/p>\n CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIES<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Nevada\u2019s nonrestricted gaming licensees reported a total gaming win of roughly $1.35 billion in January of this year, dropping 6.55% compared to the same month last year, according to the NGCB.<\/p>\n The online gambling market is expected to reach a projected revenue of $22.2 million by 2030, according to Grand View Research.<\/p>\n Nevada\u2019s nonrestricted gaming licensees reported a total gaming win of roughly $1.35 billion in January of this year, dropping 6.55% compared to the same month last year. “You have to think about the customer experience,” said Harrison.<\/span> (iStock; Fox News Digital)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Harrison said there’s been a shift in Vegas since back in the day.<\/p>\n “The rooms weren’t expensive. You had great entertainment. [It] wasn’t crazy money. The food wasn’t expensive; they made most of their money off the gambling,” he said. “Nowadays, younger people don’t gamble as much, so you have to change your business model, how you’re going to make money,” said Harrison.\u00a0<\/p>\n “In the end, you have to think about the customer experience.”<\/p>\n In 2025, there were about 38.5 million visitors, a 7.5% drop from 2024 according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCA).<\/p>\n CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Robby Starbuck, a conservative activist and the host of “The Robby Starbuck Show,” previously told Fox News Digital that in-person gambling<\/a> is becoming less popular.\u00a0<\/p>\n “Now nearly everyone under 40 who bets seems to do\u00a0it online,”<\/a>\u00a0Starbuck said.<\/p>\n![\"Travelers](\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1200\/675\/las-vegas-tourism-059.jpg?ve=1&tl=1\")
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