The shift is partly driven by the changing dynamics of the gaming industry. While poker still enjoys a loyal fan base, it is no longer a major revenue driver for casinos. According to data from the UNLV Center for Gaming Research, poker accounted for less than 2% of annual revenue at “average” Strip casinos in 2024. This lack of profitability has led to the closure of several poker rooms, even as other gaming segments, like slots and table games, continue to thrive.

Despite its popularity, poker is not a major revenue generator for casinos. According to the most recent available data from the UNLV Center for Gaming Research, poker generated less than 2 percent of annual revenue for the “average” Strip casino in 2024.

March is Women's History Month, so we’re putting your Vegas knowledge to the test: How well do you know the women who shaped our city? We bring back a conversation between Vogue Robinson and Dr. Su Kim Chung, Head of Public Services in Special Collections and Archives at UNLV Libraries. She shares the stories of five iconic women who helped shape the city — and whose impact every Las Vegan should know.

This shift away from a reliance on gaming is highlighted in a recent University of Nevada, Las Vegas study on departmental revenue for the big LV strip properties.

Las Vegas sold glamour long before it sold equality. In the mid-20th century, the Strip proudly booked Black entertainers to headline its most famous showrooms — while quietly denying many of them the right to fully exist in the same spaces they helped make profitable, according to historical accounts from the Nevada State Museum and local historians documenting segregation-era Las Vegas.

The earliest settlers and their direct descendants became notable leaders throughout Las Vegas in the 20th century, helped build up the Historic Westside, and now make up the African American community across the Las Vegas Valley.