‘March Madness’ atmosphere lifts Vegas economy from pandemic

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Nevada casinos reported near-record March house winnings, while the airport in Las Vegas reported passenger traffic almost as heavy as pre-pandemic levels and tourism officials marked another big jump in visitors. The Gaming Control Board said Thursday the $1.35 billion that casinos statewide reaped was just shy of the best-ever monthly mark of $1.36 billion set last July. A board analyst dubbed it a return to a March Madness atmosphere. The number of Las Vegas visitors increased to over 3.3 million in March, up almost 50% from March 2021, and a return of international travelers helped Harry Reid International Airport tally nearly 4.3 million passengers in March, down only slightly from its pre-pandemic total in March 2019.