INTERVIEW: Livestreamer Steven Campbell on Why Vegas is Down
Every Friday and Saturday night, over a dozen livestreamers stroll the Las Vegas Strip, sharing their observations with their audience as they enter casinos and wait for something intriguing to happen. Those who have been doing it consistently for years are in a unique position because they can identify and openly discuss trends in Las Vegas tourism.
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) reports that 16.45 million people visited the city in the first five months of 2025. In comparison to the same time period in 2024, that is a 6.5% decrease (1.1 million fewer visitors).
However, according to Steven Campbell, the slump is worse than those figures indicate. Since 2019, he has been livestreaming the Strip three or four times a week as the host of the YouTube channel "Not Leaving Las Vegas," which has 85,700 subscribers.
With names like "Vegas is Scary Slow," "Vegas Tourism Just Collapsed," and "The Never Ending Decline of Vegas"—with the content to support those assertions—Campbell's livestreams have been taking a rather ominous turn for a number of months.
Casino.org I asked the 44-year-old former timeshare salesman what he thought.
Q: According to some critics, you and other vloggers are only declaring Vegas dead for the doom-scrolling clicks at four in the morning. How do you react?
A: Clicks are what everyone wants, but travel is drastically declining. I've conducted a few experiments during the past three weeks. At five, seven, ten, and eleven o'clock in the evening, I went out and streamed. I can't locate the same crowds anyplace except in front of nightclubs, where there are enormous lines. Where did everyone go, I wonder?
It's not entirely extinct. The casinos are still profitable, after all. Although there are fewer visitors, they are earning more money each visitor.
Q: What do you believe to be the main causes of the downturn?
A: With $60 early room check-in fees at the Flamingo and $26 bottles of water at the Aria, casinos are pricing their patrons out of the market. When people believe that Vegas offers poor value, they will not spend their money there.
Q: However, you see that casinos are giving a lot of discounts of 30% to 40%, particularly this summer, which is the customary sluggish season. You don't think that will entice anyone who gave up on Vegas to return?
A: I agree, but I don't think casinos can cut the average price of a trip to Vegas any more. The majority of the buffets were shut down, and the area was converted into food halls. Ten separate restaurants pay $100K a month each, so they must demand high prices to cover the rent.
Q: However, prices aren't the main factor deterring travelers, are they?
A lot of individuals are also scared to travel at the moment. People from Canada are sensitive. They've always been sensitive; I'm Canadian. Many of them took offense at Donald Trump's remarks regarding the 51st state, and they aren't coming here. Additionally, there are other reasons why individuals are not visiting abroad as frequently.
Additionally, Vegas has lost some of its former glory. Large casinos are currently being constructed in numerous different locations. Caesars Entertainment and other casino firms view Vegas as a component of a larger total. At the moment, MGM and Wynn are both making all of their money in Asia. When Miriam Adelson sells her share of Las Vegas Sands to purchase a basketball franchise, it speaks volumes.
New York City is the major factor that I believe will cause us problems as the UAE opens casinos. Right now, many are unaware of the amount of money involved. Vegas is now transforming as a result.
Q: What do you believe Vegas is moving toward?
A: It's essentially turning into Orlando, in my opinion. The typical traveler may visit Orlando once every five or ten years. This is due to the fact that the typical family trip there now costs $10,000. Therefore, if a family of four visits Orlando twice or three times during a 15-year period, you might receive $30K. In Vegas, that is now beginning to occur.
The days of taking quick weekend getaways, like getting in the vehicle and heading to Vegas to get a cheap room from SoCal, are coming to an end.
Q: What inspired you to broadcast live from the Strip?
A: From 2007 to 2019, I worked on the Strip doing timeshare-related tasks. I found inspiration in the "Jacob's Life in Vegas" YouTube channel. "You know, you research things like crazy, you know so much history about the city," my wife added as she began to observe him. You ought to create videos for YouTube.
I assumed it would only be a creative outlet for me because there were just a couple of other people doing it at the time. And it just sort of went off.
Q: Is it always fascinating?
A: Sometimes you see things that are a little out of control, and other times you don't. It simply depends on who wants to join your stream and how the crowd appears. It can be too chaotic at times. Because of stuff like the mascots' nearly full frontal nudity (the costumed characters who pose for pictures for tips), I have to remove some streams. If not, YouTube will use AI to inform me that I violated their content policies.
Q: I don't think the casinos will throw a lavish party for you.
A: Under no circumstances is there a casino policy that permits you to shoot there. There isn't a strict social media policy, but some streamers are permitted to broadcast from certain tables or slot machines. These guards will therefore approach you. They can be pleasant at times. You may occasionally be asked to show identification, and you will need to leave before being included to a list.
The guards will focus on you in the casinos when it's not too busy. However, the guards will never even glance at you if you're streaming at 10 p.m. on a Friday since they are unable to concentrate on you.
