In The News: Center for Business and Economic Research

It was March 12, 2020, when Governor Steve Sisolak announced a state of emergency in Nevada in response to the growing infections and deaths from COVID-19. Five days later, he announced a statewide business shutdown. And something no one ever thought would happen happened: The Las Vegas Strip shut down for 78 days.

It was March 12, 2020, when Governor Steve Sisolak announced a state of emergency in Nevada in response to the growing infections and deaths from COVID-19. Five days later, he announced a statewide business shutdown. And something no one ever thought would happen happened: The Las Vegas Strip shut down for 78 days.

It was March 12, 2020, when Governor Steve Sisolak announced a state of emergency in Nevada in response to the growing infections and deaths from COVID-19. Five days later, he announced a statewide business shutdown. And something no one ever thought would happen happened: The Las Vegas Strip shut down for 78 days.
Industry forecasts for 2025 suggest a potential decline in gaming revenue and visitor volume. The Center for Business and Economic Research at UNLV anticipates a 5.4% decrease in gaming revenue and a 5.8% drop in visitor numbers, attributing these projections to a softening national economy and the absence of major events like the Super Bowl, which significantly boosted figures in 2024. These projections underscore the challenges Nevada’s casino industry may face in maintaining its growth trajectory amid changing economic conditions.

Gov. Joe Lombardo signed legislation Thursday that will allow Nevada to temporarily drop a ban on all but cage-free eggs in the state, an effort that was fast-tracked through the Nevada Legislature to address rising egg prices.

Casinos on the Las Vegas Strip have posted five consecutive months of year-over-year declines in gaming revenue. Gambling parlors in downtown Las Vegas and along the Boulder Strip have reported decreases in three of the past four months of available data.

President Donald Trump vowed to work with Congress to eliminate taxes on tipped income during a Las Vegas rally Saturday — a campaign promise he made in the same city seven months before.

A new year feels like a change, finishing one chapter and starting the next. Ordinarily there’s a narrative that pulls everyone along, because most situations, events and circumstances don’t change overnight. This time the change feels momentous. Individuals and industries want to predict what’s going to be familiar, and what’s going to be completely changed.
Uncertainty about 2025 hovers over the Las Vegas hospitality and gaming sectors after what in many respects was a robust 2024.

Joseph Dutra remembers the sticker shock he saw for the price of cocoa beans. As the manufacturer of Kimmie Candy in Reno, Dutra’s business purchases chocolate ingredients one year in advance. Cocoa beans from Africa – also feeling the effects of inflation – cost roughly $3,000 per metric ton in 2023. In April, the market was up to $12,000, before more recently settling around $7,000.

When the economy shifts no bells ring, smoke signals rise or, more contemporarily, smartphone alerts sound. You may not even notice, but economists do. So, when the Federal Reserve Open Market Committee, aka the lords of interest rates, cut rates by 50 basis points in September and another 25 basis points in November, economists and market analysts took notice.

When the economy shifts no bells ring, smoke signals rise or, more contemporarily, smartphone alerts sound. You may not even notice, but economists do. So, when the Federal Reserve Open Market Committee, aka the lords of interest rates, cut rates by 50 basis points in September and another 25 basis points in November, economists and market analysts took notice.