David J. Danto
Travel thoughts in my
own, personal opinion
eMail: ddanto@IMCCA.org Follow Industry News: @NJDavidD on 
Las Vegas and the Greed Factor: The Changing Face of the Strip – January 2026
In last week’s column I talked about experiences with United Airlines on my
recent trip to Las Vegas for CES,
and the comedy of errors that is business travel these days. But as I promised
there, let’s shift the lens over to Las Vegas itself, a city that’s long been a
symbol of entertainment but is now wrestling with a different kind of
reputation: one of escalating greed.
A City Pushing the Limits
While CES isn’t a typical example of everyday Vegas –
because, let’s be honest, everything’s inflated during CES – it still gave me a
peek into a broader trend. Recently we’ve seen a lot of chatter about how Vegas
has been gradually pushing prices to the point of alienating the average
visitor. Even the MGM Resorts CEO admitted
on a recent earnings call that they’d ‘lost their way’ when they started
charging something like twenty-six bucks for a bottle of water in a hotel room.
That’s about as close as you’ll get to a major operator admitting they’ve gone
too far – which at this point is no longer debatable.
From High Rollers to Empty Halls
Despite the push to only cater to high rollers and big events
like Formula One, the numbers are starting to show that this strategy isn’t
quite paying off. September
2025’s numbers were problematic and November 2025 was the first month where
there was a net loss year-over-year. This can be explained by a number of
factors:
• Greed. That
twenty-six-dollar bottle of in-room water was only one example. There were the famous
Fontainebleau Nachos (all six of them), and the reality now that you can
drop hundreds at the tables or slots at a casino and still be asked to pay
twenty to sixty dollars to park there. Lost their way indeed.
• Unemployment. For a town
that prides itself as the US’ largest business conference destination, it
should be no surprise that with the millions of white-collar workforce
reductions over the last two years, those looking for work and those afraid of
losing their jobs are not heading to Vegas to attend conferences anytime soon.
• International Stupidity.
Telling Canadians we wanted to take over their country
was pretty stupid, as was starting the trade wars with our Asian partners.
Canada represented ten to twenty percent of Las Vegas tourism, and they’re now
incentivized to stay away. Chinese manufacturers used to fill almost the entire
South Hall Upper at CES, and this year the hall was closed with gates down and
doors locked.
Stack all
these factors on top of one another and you have the formula for a very bad
situation. It is frequently said that
when the economy is sick, Vegas gets the first cold. It has the full-blown flu now and isn’t
getting any better.
Losing the Heart of Vegas
Vegas used to be about being a place where the typical
visitor could have a bit of fun without breaking the bank. But now there are
far fewer affordable options. For example, the dwindling number of
once-ubiquitous buffets, with the ones that remain mostly closing after brunch,
forcing people into expensive dinner restaurants. Vegas had always been a place
where the average person could spend a few bucks, enjoy gambling a little, and
see a show or have a meal for reasonable prices. Now, after paying for parking,
paying resort fees, and paying for an expensive dinner, there is not that much
left to gamble, and with how tight the gambling return is, what little is left
no longer lasts quite as long.
Casinos Everywhere
While Vegas was upping its greed game, casinos have been
popping up locally across the US. People who want to spend their time and money
in a casino can now usually get to one within an hour’s drive – or less. At the
exact time Vegas should have been improving its treatment of visitors it was
diminishing the experience – considerably.
A City at a Crossroads
In response to this situation, the Las Vegas Convention and
Visitors Authority (LVCVA) organized some city-wide “sales” recently, asking
each property to put something up that represented a “savings.” There were
waived resort fees and dollars-off discounts over room rates, but honestly
nothing close to what one would experience even five short years ago. It was
like trying to put out a building fire with one bottle of Perrier.
And while MGM’s CEO claims they recognized that they’d ‘lost
their way’ have they substantially fixed anything? Well, read that answer from the announcement
they just made about launching an invite-only VIP tier called The
Fountain Club by MGM, created specifically for high-value, non-gaming
guests. The Club offers concierge service, priority reservations, exclusive
event access, premium tickets, and other perks meant to reward luxury spenders
who drop serious money on dining, entertainment, and hotel stays. MGM already
has its MGM Rewards for the masses, but this new tier doubles down on courting
the elite while acknowledging that the Strip’s fastest-growing revenue isn’t
coming from gambling anymore. It seems the playbook isn’t to repair the
relationship with the average visitor at all, but rather to chase even
higher-end revenue from those who will barely notice the price increases in the
first place. If the greed trends aren’t reduced soon, Vegas may just blend into
a future where the casino destination can be anywhere, and what stays in Vegas
isn’t you or I.
So the city clearly finds itself at a
crossroads – again. It has removed many of the reasons for the average Joe or
Jane to go there and yet can’t see its nose in front of its face. The
bean-counters running the place haven’t yet figured out how to treat the
average visitor with the dignity they deserve while still making a profit large
enough to satisfy their greed. Until they do, the city’s going to keep feeling
the pinch. And those of us who’ve loved it for its quirks and accessibility are
left wondering – not if the old Vegas we knew is gone for good (because it
clearly is) but if the new Vegas is even worth bothering to visit going
forward.
After decades of candid travel
commentary – from loyalty program “magic tricks” to hotel check-in roulette –
I’ve decided to turn some of that honesty into apparel. These aren’t novelty shirts; they’re the
exact truths every road warrior wishes they could say out loud. Whether you’re quietly muttering “My
loyalty points devalued while you read this shirt” or admitting “If
delays build character then I’m the whole movie’s
cast” you’ll find plenty of familiar sentiments… and more. Everything is
produced by a reputable outfit, with black tees that work under a sport jacket
plus hoodies and wicking travel gear for life on the road. The site also has my
honest and snarky takes on technology trade shows. Take a look at Tinyurl.com/TechAndTravelWear. Even if you’re not buying
they’re fun to read and commiserate – and if you do buy something, maybe I’ll
break even. If you want a style you
don’t see, just email me and I’ll add it.
This article was written by David Danto and contains solely his own, personal
opinions.
All image and links provided above as reference under
prevailing fair use statutes.
Copyright 2026 David Danto
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As always, feel free to write and comment, question or
disagree. Hearing from the traveling
community is always a highlight for me.
Thanks!