Las Vegas is hurting because of President Trump’s trade policies, which have caused a big drop in Canadian tourists, who are the city’s most important international visitors. Casino owners say they are doing everything they can to bring back this group of big spenders.
Over the past year, the number of Canadians who visit Las Vegas has dropped by about 40% at major casinos like Circa and The D. They usually come in 1.5 million each year, and they stay longer and spend more on hotels and gambling than Americans do. This downturn led to the biggest drop in tourism to Las Vegas in 50 years, not counting the pandemic.
People are angry about President Trump’s tariffs on Canada and his comments about making it the 51st state. Canadians like Martyn Daly from Winnipeg and Guy Kerbrat from Regina canceled their trips in protest, saying they didn’t like the way Canada was being talked about. Unions call it the “Trump slump,” and by the middle of 2025, the number of people coming from other countries had dropped by 13%.
The drop cost the U.S. billions of dollars, and Canadians made 20.5 billion visits a year. Local casinos used to be busy with high-rollers from the 1950s, but now there are empty seats at places like BarCanada. Nevada’s economy is hurting because Canada is its biggest foreign investor.
