Chavdar Vasilev is a journalist covering the casino and sports betting market sectors for CasinoBeats. He joined CasinoBeats in May 2025 and reports on industry-shaping stories across the US and beyond, including legislative debates, market...
Read Full BioThe Golden Gate Hotel & Casino, downtown Las Vegas’ oldest operating casino, will remove all live dealer table games over the next several weeks. It will replace them entirely with electronic gaming machines.
Derek Stevens, owner of the 119-year-old property, said the decision to remove live dealer table games is based on the success of Circa Resort & Casino, another of his casinos. Stevens says that since Circa removed the games from its second floor last year, the property has “exploded in popularity.”
Most, if not all, live dealer tables at Golden Gate will be removed by mid-September. Stevens emphasized that around 15 dice dealers at the property will be offered positions at other properties. They include Circa or The D Las Vegas.
Tourism Slump Puts Casino Strategies to the Test
Golden Gate’s decision comes amid a challenging time for Las Vegas tourism. In June 2025, it welcomed 3.1 million visitors, a 11.3% decline from June 2024. Hotel occupancy was 78.7%, down 6.6% year-over-year. Additionally, convention attendance fell by nearly 11%.
High travel costs, declining international arrivals, and visitor pushback against rising resort fees and food prices have contributed to the downturn.
Additionally, Canadian travel, a historically strong source market, has also weakened sharply. Some airlines are reporting double-digit declines in passenger numbers.
These factors have led to a “room rate war” in Las Vegas. Some companies are offering rooms at a deep discount, even if unprofitable. In its recent Q2 earnings call, Boyd Gaming noted that summer room rates are lower than last year. Still, CEO Keith Smith stressed that Boyd won’t offer $19 hotel rooms.
Still, some operators, such as Red Rock Resorts, which target locals, have fared better during the summer downturn.
Circa’s Resilience Offers a Roadmap
While the Strip is experiencing a tourism cooldown, Circa and other downtown properties continue to outperform.
Stevens recently pushed back against the narrative of Vegas’ downfall. He said it is “exaggerated” and that “not everything is terrible” in the June numbers.
Circa’s sports-centric model (including the largest sportsbook in Las Vegas) and high-limit slot play have ensured that revenue remains strong even as foot traffic softens elsewhere. Stevens says the high-limit slot room alone generates about a third of Circa’s monthly gross gaming revenue.
By focusing on high-energy electronic gaming and sports betting, Circa has captured an engaged consumer base, many of whom are less sensitive to visitation trends.
“What we’re seeing is that more and more younger people want to play these [electronic games],” Stevens told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He added that his team is “trying to get ahead of the curve.”
The emphasis on sports helps draw visitors for high-profile events, such as UFC bouts hosted in Las Vegas. It also keeps the property busy ahead of football season.
“UFC has been terrific those particular weekends,” Stevens said. “The fights have been great. Now we’re getting into really a boom time of both groups coming for fantasy football drafts, as well as people coming to sign up for our world’s largest football contest in Circa Survivor and Circa Millions.”
Could This Be the Winning Strategy for Vegas?
Golden Gate’s shift away from live dealer tables mirrors Circa’s strategy. It aims to optimize the casino floor for maximum revenue per square foot by removing resource-intensive, slower-play options with faster, higher-margin electronic options. That could be key in a market where visitors are spending differently than in the past.
If the strategy proves as effective for Golden Gate as it has for Circa, it could set a blueprint for how downtown casinos adapt to changing demographics and spending habits, even amid declining visitor numbers.
While overall visitation is down, Nevada’s gaming revenue was up by 3.5% year-over-year in June. That suggests that adapting to evolving player behavior may be more critical than simply attracting more guests.
