U.S. Casino Visits Experience Slight Dip in June 2025

In June 2025, foot traffic in U.S. casinos witnessed a notable decrease of 4.6% compared to the same month the previous year. Despite this decline, analysts observe that the figures still point to a stabilizing trend in consumer habits at these entertainment venues. David Katz, an analyst at Jefferies Equity Research, highlighted that June was the third most successful month of the current year, stating, "which supports the stabilizing trends we've seen the last few months." This trend underscores a sense of stability in what might otherwise seem like a fleeting downturn.

Factors Influencing Casino Visitation

One significant factor contributing to the decline in casino visitors was the fact that June 2025 had one fewer Saturday than June 2024. This disparity in calendar days played a crucial role, according to Katz, who noted, "That said, we are overall impressed that the strength seen in May didn't completely reverse in June, with many of the larger properties that have reported monthly AGR showing growth." This observation reflects a broader trend in maintaining performance despite calendar challenges. Katz further commented that this pattern aligns with an optimistic outlook for regional gaming markets. He specifically mentioned Boyd Gaming due to its potential growth and capital returns post the sale of its 5% stake in FanDuel.

Regional Performance: Variations Across the U.S.

Despite the overall dip, some regions showed strong performance. For instance, Pennsylvania saw an increase of 2.5% in traffic, significantly up by 22.2% from the levels recorded in 2019, indicating substantial growth. Similarly, Massachusetts reported a 7.5% year-over-year rise in visits. However, not all regions fared well. Atlantic City's foot traffic was down by 8.5% compared to 2024, maintaining a substantial 19.5% deficit relative to 2019 figures. Illinois also saw declines, with a 13.1% drop from 2019 and a 2% decrease compared to June 2024 numbers. Other regions, like Ohio and Kentucky, experienced mixed results, while Colorado's Black Hawk casinos posted a notable 6.1% rise, driven primarily by the Monarch casino's growth in the market. Katz discussed this, noting the limited comparisons due to Monarch's entrance in mid‑2022. Looking forward, Katz suggests that diversified regional operators like Caesars Entertainment and Churchill Downs stand to benefit from these trends. Conversely, Penn Entertainment venues may lag behind in capitalizing on stabilizing trends. The analysis from Jefferies used Placer foot traffic data indexed against January 2020 levels, offering a comparative and smoothed view over time. While traffic has decreased compared to 2024 and pre-pandemic baselines, the June performance reveals a stabilization. Source: “U.S. casino visitation stable in June, report says”, cdcgaming.com, Jul 17, 2025 By GamesAndCasino