As Sin City grapples with a tourism decline, one Las Vegas icon is pointing fingers at overpriced casinos and hotels and the damage the COVID-19 virus left behind.
Rick Harrison of "Pawn Stars" told Fox News Digital in an interview he's noticed fewer people on the Las Vegas Strip than in times past. (See the video at the top of this article.)
"I think it's the COVID hangover," he said. "For a couple of years, everybody was just making crazy COVID money. The government was giving everybody money left and right. Everybody had tons of money to spend."
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The influx of money, said Harrison, caused inflation in the area while also making it more likely tourists would visit Vegas.
"I also blame the casinos on the Strip a little bit," he said. "I mean, they've gotten a little insane with their prices."
Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) statistics show that only 3.1 million people visited the city in June, which was down 11.3% compared to last year.
"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."
The hotel industry is feeling the burn of fewer visitors, with occupancy dropping 6.5% while average daily room rates have lowered to $163.64 - down 6.6%, according to the LVCVA.
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Harrison said it is "financial Darwinism," sharing that casinos need to evolve and make their customers happy to stay afloat.
While most tourist numbers are down citywide, Harrison said his business is doing better than last year with lots of traffic in his shop.
He credited his long business tenure of 37 years and an attentive team that focuses on 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."
Harry Reid International Airport revealed that there were nearly 300,000 fewer passengers this July compared to last year - marking a 5.7% drop.
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Last month, 4,773,905 passengers went to Sin City, while in 2024 there were over five million who visited in the same period.
Harrison noted that he sees casinos that cater to their customers surviving the decline by keeping a "loyal following."
"I think trying to scrape every single penny you can out of a customer, eventually, is going to turn your customer off. I just think that the casinos on the Strip have to straighten out a little bit."
Harrison said Las Vegas is still the epicenter of entertainment around the world - highlighting sporting events such as National Hockey League games, F1 racing, baseball and NASCAR. They're all expected to draw scores of tourists.
"I've lived here almost my entire life. It's the greatest city in the world," said Harrison.
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"You just have amazing shows with $100-million-dollar sets. I mean, no one can replicate that. There is still tons of value in Las Vegas."
People worrying about Vegas is nothing new, he said, as the city always comes out on top.
"Everyone said this town was going to fall when [the state of] New Jersey got gambling. And then when Mississippi got gambling, they said it was going to fall."
He noted other such projections that didn't come to pass.
People said "it was going to be bad for Vegas," he said.
Yet "we will just keep on going."
