Las Vegas in the Fast Lane: Formula 1 Divides Locals While High Rollers Cash In
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By PAGE Editor
It’s hard to remember an event rolling into Las Vegas that has divided opinion as much as the Formula One Grand Prix It’s easy to see why, too, with many people believing the attraction disrupts the lives of the have-nots to pander to the whims of the has-lots. A series of Casinos.com interview all but confirmed this.
Casinos.com spoke to a downtown casino exec who has learned to prosper alongside the F1 as opposed to rooting against, while we also chatted with a Vegas entertainer who says the service industry feels drowned out by the controversial event.
We also spoke to business owner Jorge Garcia, who leans anti-F1. He claims he has “nothing positive to say about F1 Las Vegas” and that it stops people from coming to the city.
That’s always going to make for an emotive discourse. Even a cursory glance on social media shows a discussion on F1 Las Vegas can be quickly hijacked by angry locals and frustrated tourists wielding digital pitchforks.
However, what about the has lots’? They will flock to Vegas in their thousands again this year for the race weekend, and studies show gamblers spent 3.6 times more in Vegas than they normally would during the F1.
“At the end of the day Las Vegas is a tourist attraction and event city, so don't be surprised when a big event comes rolling into town,” Charles, an MGM Noir level VIP player told Casinos.com ahead of his second F1. “Living in Las Vegas and complaining about spectacle is like living at Disneyland and complaining about children.”
“A lot of criticism came from the medium to lower-end casinos and businesses from when it was first announced, and I get it,” Charles continues. “People attending this event were not going to be eating, staying or playing cheap, so it would only really benefit the Wynn, Bellagio, Aria, Caesars, and Cosmopolitan on the strip, but that's life and business.
“It also got a lot of hate from local influencers and people online which I thought was totally unmerited. They complained about reasonable things, like the traffic from the construction (welcome to the real world in every other city), and the ridiculous like the removal of trees on the Las Vegas strip that were going back post-race anyway.
“Negativity gets clicks and views, so local social media accounts were riding that negative wave all the way to the bank for YouTube cheques.”
However, there is an interesting twist to the tale. Charles qualifies for the VIP treatment because his gambling makes him an asset to casino resorts desperate to bring whales to Las Vegas for the F1.
Ironically, though, his gambling for the trip was some way down on normal – because of F1.
“Access to Casinos were absolutely fine,” he explains. “The Las Vegas Strip/Track was open right up until two hours before any F1 activity before the race, so once I knew that it was easy to plan.
“Both sides of LV Boulevard are connected and bridges were open, so it was no problem at all by foot. Gambling wise I am a slot player, so I found it a little easier and less crowded when gambling. A lot of Europeans were in attendance, so the table games were super packed, but it didn't impact my gambling.
“I’d say that in terms of what impacted my gambling most, it wasn’t casino access, as that was fine, but the excitement of the event itself. I was keen to check out all the displays and goings on around F1, so I actually gambled significantly less than I would on a normal trip.”
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