Vegas price shock: visitors say cocktails are the real gamble
Tourists report sky-high costs for coffee, cocktails and meals as June visitation falls and resort executives warn of a soft summer.
Las Vegas visitors say the real gamble now is the price of drinks and meals, not the roulette wheel. Travelers described steep tabs for ordinary items as they toured the Strip this summer, with accounts of coffee, lemonade and basic dining costs rising well above expectations.
Specific examples cited by travelers include a latte priced around 14 dollars, a lemonade near 12 dollars, and a Cosmopolitan at Gordon Ramsay's Hell’s Kitchen in Caesars Palace listed around 30 dollars. A visit to a Caesars Palace food court left a couple with a 34-dollar bill for two slices of pizza and a beer. A U.K. traveler noted paying about 20 dollars for two coffees on a single morning. Social media posts have amplified the sentiment, with videos describing 11-dollar lattes at casino outlets and similar sticker shock at other venues.
Caesars Entertainment CEO Tom Reeg said on an earnings call that the city would experience a soft summer. In June, 3.1 million people visited Las Vegas, an 11.3% decline from the previous year, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. The Post previously reported the June figure and the shadow it casts on the resort industry.
Observers point to younger travelers as part of the shift. Conservative commentator Robby Starbuck told Fox News Digital that online betting has drawn many under 40 away from traditional casino play, and that few in that age group visit Vegas regularly for slots or table games.
Even free rooms can’t fully offset rising costs of eating, drinking and playing. Longtime Vegas regular Wendi Lee, in a TikTok clip, said the Strip has gone from jackpot to wallet drain, noting resort fees, high lunch prices and otherwise dwindling value for families who had previously counted on comped rooms and affordable meals. The sentiment reflects a broader picture of a tourism economy weighing inflation, demand shifts and competition from other destinations.
In the near term, analysts say the numbers suggest a soft summer for the city’s hospitality and entertainment sector, even as some properties report strong branding and demand for experiences that remain expensive for many travelers. The real house edge, several economists say, may be the bill when a visitor orders.
