Pawn Stars’ Rick Harrison Blasts ‘Insane’ Las Vegas Prices as Visitor Numbers Drop

As Las Vegas grapples with declining visitor numbers, Rick Harrison, star of the long-running reality series Pawn Stars, warns that the city risks alienating visitors with what he calls “insane” Strip prices.

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Harrison, the owner of the famed Gold & Silver Pawn Shop located north of the Strip, blamed the lingering “COVID hangover” for fueling unchecked inflation in Las Vegas. He says visitors are increasingly shocked at how much their bills increase once resort fees, parking charges, and other add-ons appear:

“I’ve heard so many people complain,” said Harrison. “They go to a hotel, they go to check out. And there’s $500 in stupid fees on their bills — resort fees and parking fees and this fee and that fee.”

A Summer Slowdown

Harrison’s remarks come as Las Vegas grapples with a summer dip in visitation. According to the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority, visitor numbers in June were down 11.3% year-over-year, with just over 3.1 million people visiting Las Vegas.

The hotel industry is feeling the effect, with occupancy dropping 6.5%. Meanwhile, the average daily room rate decreased by 6.6% to $163.64.

Service workers have also been affected. Some say tips have fallen by more than 50%.

Passenger numbers at Harry Reid International Airport also reflect the slump. The airport experienced a 5.7% year-over-year decline in passenger traffic in July.

Still, not all operators are hurting. Some, such as Red Rock Resorts and downtown properties, continue to post solid results, demonstrating that localized strategies can help mitigate wider declines.

Legal Heat, But a Win for Resorts

Frustration with Strip prices has spilled into the courtroom in recent years. Major operators, including Caesars, Wynn, and Treasure Island, faced a lawsuit accusing them of conspiring to inflate hotel room prices by using shared software.

Last month, however, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld dismissal of the case. It ruled that simply using the same vendor doesn’t prove collusion. The panel emphasized that each company had the final say over its rates, even if the software’s recommendations yielded a similar outcome.

The decision relieved pressure on Strip giants. Still, it likely does little to ease consumer perceptions that Vegas pricing has gotten out of hand.

Golden Gate Bets on Change

For Harrison, the issue comes down to “financial Darwinism.” Casinos, he argued, must adapt or risk losing their customer base. The Pawn Stars boss shared that his business is generating higher revenue than last year, albeit having fewer customers:

“You have to evolve or die. You have to give your customers what they want and not p— your customers off,” he said. “Customers need be happy to be with you. And it’s just a general — it’s a good business plan.”

Some operators are already testing new approaches. Last month, Golden Gate Hotel & Casino, the oldest operating casino in downtown Las Vegas, announced that it would remove all live-dealer table games in favor of electronic versions by mid-September.

The property’s owner, Derek Stevens, said the move comes based on the success of Circa Resort & Casino, another of his casinos. He claimed that since Circa removed the games from its second floor last year, the property has “exploded in popularity.”

According to Stevens, “more and more younger people want to play these [electronic games].” He says his team is “trying to get ahead of the curve.”

Electronic games occupy less space and appeal more to younger players, who are more accustomed to digital interfaces. The move reflects an effort to keep customers engaged without simply charging more.

A Crossroads for Sin City

Las Vegas remains a city built on reinvention, but Harrison’s warning resonates: unchecked fees and “insane” prices risk testing visitor loyalty at a moment when overall visitation is already slipping.

Even as Strip visitation slows, Nevada’s gaming revenue rose 3.5% year-over-year in June. That highlights that casinos are still finding ways to draw players. But the balance between maximizing margins and delivering customer value may determine how well Vegas weathers its latest slowdown.