The project leans into the city’s tradition of bold, themed architecture — joining a landscape that already includes a pyramid, a sphere, an Eiffel Tower, a castle, an 1,100-foot tower and a giant blue Gibson Les Paul guitar built where a volcano once stood.

AI is one of the main iGaming industry trends in 2026, but adoption is uneven. A report published by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) International Gaming Institute and KPMG found that 81.5% of gambling companies use generative AI, 66.7% use conversational AI, and 60.5% use predictive AI (2026).

Mahsa Pashaeimeykola, a Ph.D. student in public health at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, talked about her study, “Exploring factors influencing cessation of gambling behavior using the Theory of Planned Behavior among college students,” on gambling as a public-health issue among young adults. Some 20 million U.S. adults report problematic gambling, while college students are particularly vulnerable, with as many as 14% meeting the criteria for problem gambling. That also correlates with problems with alcohol and drug use, she said. In their survey of students, some 40% could be categorized as moderate risk for problem gambling.

AI is changing all kinds of industries. So what impact is it having on casinos and gambling? A first-of-its-kind UNLV report explores how the gaming industry is tapping into AI.

The proposal comes days after Fertitta Entertainment agreed to acquire Caesars Entertainment, putting two of the largest U.S. casino operators at the center of major takeover deals.

With the Vegas Golden Knights set to open the Stanley Cup Final against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday, the series is already being felt far beyond the ice. Southern Nevada businesses and workers are poised to benefit from a surge in sports-driven spending.

With the Vegas Golden Knights set to open the Stanley Cup Final against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday, the series is already being felt far beyond the ice. Southern Nevada businesses and workers are poised to benefit from a surge in sports-driven spending.

It's the second major casino purchase offer in two months, but it didn't surprise one longtime observer of the Las Vegas gaming business.

In an interview with CDC Gaming at Thursday’s conference, Alan Feldman, director of Strategic Initiatives and distinguished fellow for Responsible Gaming at the UNLV International Gaming Institute, said the deal has the opportunity to be “extraordinarily beneficial” to both companies and all the markets that they serve.

The land-based casino industry has fallen behind when it comes to using artificial intelligence, but the potential is there to transform gaming and the guest experience.
 

Speaking Tuesday at the 19th Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking at Bellagio in Las Vegas, Titus, co-chair of the Congressional Gaming Caucus, said the gaming industry can no longer remain passive as new betting products and technologies expand. The University of Nevada Las Vegas' International Gaming Institute hosts the conference every three years, bringing together more than 500 researchers, regulators, academics, professional gamblers, and industry participants from more than 25 countries.

The ICE Research Institute (IRI) is fulfilling its founding mission - to promote debate, raise industry standards, inform policy and leave a lasting legacy - with two of its funded academic studies presented to international researchers, regulators and industry leaders at the 19th International Conference on Gambling & Risk, held at the Bellagio Resort and Casino, Las Vegas (May 26-28).