Top casino executives in Las Vegas said they expect tourism to rebound in 2026 and return to record levels, arguing that a recent downturn in visitation reflects a cyclical slowdown rather than a lasting shift in demand.
Bill Hornbuckle, chief executive of MGM Resorts International, and Keith Smith, chief executive of Boyd Gaming Corp., made the comments at Preview Las Vegas 2026, the Vegas Chamber’s largest annual networking event, held at Wynn Las Vegas, as reported by Las Vegas Review-Journal.
The optimism comes after a softer year for the tourism-dependent city. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) said visitation fell 7.5% in 2025 to 38.5 million people, compared with the previous year, with monthly visitor numbers declining for 12 straight months. Hotel occupancy also slipped, falling 3.3 percentage points to 80.3% for the year.
Despite the slowdown, Smith said he remained confident in Las Vegas’s long-term prospects, pointing to the city’s ability to reinvent itself and support the broader community.
“I have tremendous confidence in the future of Las Vegas, this community, the Strip, the local community,” Smith said. “It’s about finding ways to support the community and make sure this community remains successful.”
Hornbuckle said major operators have a responsibility to reinvest in the city to sustain growth and keep Las Vegas competitive as a global destination.
“It is our responsibility to continue to drive the city and contribute to that,” Hornbuckle said.
Hornbuckle added that MGM spends about $800 million a year reinvesting in Las Vegas, a level of spending he said the company plans to maintain or increase. “We’ve got the greatest destination in the world, and I truly believe that,” he said.
“Nobody does it better in scale, full stop. And so for us to invest in it, for us to understand the responsibility for it, motivates us every day, and motivates our teams every day, and so I’m excited for that,” he added.
Industry leaders and tourism officials stressed the sector’s economic importance, noting that gaming and hospitality support roughly 300,000 jobs and generate about 50% of Nevada’s tax revenue, according to the LVCVA.
LVCVA President and CEO Steve Hill said the commitment shown by major operators should help reassure residents and investors during periods of weaker demand.
“When we go through a little bit of a slowdown, we know that hurts everybody. And so we are doubly committed to overcoming that and making sure that the city remains vibrant,” Hill said.
Both executives pointed to past downturns as evidence of resilience. Smith cited Boyd Gaming’s decision to abandon its Echelon project on the Strip during the financial crisis – land later sold to Genting Group, which developed Resorts World Las Vegas – as a painful but ultimately stabilising move. Hornbuckle recalled steering MGM through the CityCenter downturn, drawing on leadership lessons from Steve Wynn and Kirk Kerkorian.
Looking ahead, both executives said they expect a strong pipeline of conventions, meetings and major events in 2026 to help lift visitation and restore momentum to the Las Vegas tourism economy.
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2026/02/02/117407-las-vegas-casino-chiefs-bet-on-tourism-rebound-in-2026-after-2025-slowdown
