by Richard N. Velotta, Las Vegas Review-Journal, October 31, 2022
The slot machines at Harry Reid International Airport have hit a new landmark, generating more than $1 billion in revenue over the 36 years the concession has been in place, representatives of Michael Gaughan’s Airport Slot Concession Inc. announced Monday.
Reid International and Reno-Tahoe International Airport are the only airports to operate a slot machine concession, although new legislation will enable slots to be placed in Chicago airports next year.
In recent years, the Reid slots have generated an average $39.8 million in gross revenue per year, with the airport receiving around $34.4 million of that annually.
The company operates 1,430 slot machines at the local airport and it has 245 employees.
“We are happy that the slot machines located inside Harry Reid International Airport not only provide Las Vegas visitors the opportunity to spend a few minutes at one of our slot machines while they wait for their flight, but that the revenue generated also helps lower the operating costs for airlines at the airport and those lower rates trickle down to tourists who plan on visiting Las Vegas,” Patricia Ross, general manager of Michael Gaughan’s Airport Slot Concession Inc., said in a news release.
“Non-aviation revenue is beneficial in that it helps to lessen our costs for air carriers,” added Scott Kichline, the airport’s assistant director for business. “Having slots in the airport is an amenity travelers largely enjoy and have come to expect. Seeing and hearing slots the moment they arrive sets the tone for an ‘Only Vegas’ experience, and on their way out, many also enjoy the opportunity to pursue one last jackpot.”
Contact Richard N. Velotta at [email protected] or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on Twitter.