Nevada casino revenue: what hold percentages do and don’t show

Nevada’s casinos report their revenue monthly, and the September 2026 figures are due from the Nevada Gaming Control Board in late October. The headline win number is easy to quote; the hold percentages beneath it are harder to read correctly. This guide explains what the dice and card game hold figures actually measure, how they differ from house edge, and where keno and online casino legislation fit.

What the monthly report actually shows

Nevada’s nonrestricted gaming licensees reported a total gaming win of $1,388,340,168 for May 2026, a 7.43% increase from May 2025. Percentage fee collections for June 2026, based on May taxable revenue, were $89,509,125, up 19.07% from the prior year. The Nevada Gaming Control Board publishes these figures as one-month, three-month and twelve-month summaries. For table games, the monthly report shows both a win amount and a hold percentage. The hold is not a measure of theoretical advantage; it is the win divided by the amount of money players bought into the table, called the drop. If you follow these releases month to month, a daily industry source such as casino industry news can help fill in policy and business context.

Hold percentage is not house edge

A common mistake is to treat table-game hold as the percentage of every wager that the casino keeps. The February 2026 report offers a clear illustration. Downtown Las Vegas casinos won $4,528,000 at live blackjack on a hold of 12.84%. That implies a drop of about $35,265,000, but it does not mean players lost 12.84% of their total wagers. The distinction matters because table-game wagers cannot be tracked precisely the way slot, keno or sportsbook bets can be. The hold figure is based on buy-ins and cashouts, and the same chips are wagered many times before a player leaves. The worst Las Vegas blackjack game is said to hold 8.95% in theory with perfect play, while most downtown games hold less than 1%. A monthly hold of 12.84% therefore reflects churn, not a change in the game’s built-in edge. The same caution applies to craps and baccarat.

Dice and card game hold in context

The monthly release does not isolate the underlying drop for craps, blackjack and baccarat in the two-page summary; the full statistical reports contain more detail by game and region. For blackjack, the theoretical edge depends on table rules such as whether the game pays 3 to 2 or 6 to 5 on a natural, whether the dealer hits or stands on soft 17, and what doubling or surrender options are offered. Craps mixes low-edge line bets with high-edge proposition bets, and baccarat’s banker and player bets carry different theoretical advantages. None of those edges are visible in a single month’s hold percentage for the game as a whole.

Where keno fits

Keno is different because each wager can be recorded exactly, so its hold percentage is calculated from total money wagered rather than from drop. That makes keno’s hold figure closer to a true house edge than a table-game hold figure is. The public monthly revenue summary does not break out a standalone keno hold in the material cited, but the game appears within the broader tracked-wager categories. For a clear guide to reading tickets and payout examples, see keno rules and payouts.

Online casino legislation and what to watch

As of October 2026, eight states have legal real-money online casinos: Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Maine and West Virginia. New York has not legalized internet casino play; a bill was reintroduced in 2026 but did not reach a floor vote, and online casinos were left out of the state budget. Virginia passed separate legalization bills in its House and Senate but could not agree on a final version. Nevada is not listed among the legal online casino states in that round-up, and no Nevada-specific online casino bill appears in the material cited. For explanatory reporting on online casino technology and regulation, online casino regulation is a useful companion.

What to watch in the September report

When the September 2026 numbers arrive, compare the statewide win to the May 2026 total of $1,388,340,168 and look at the hold percentages for blackjack, craps and baccarat. Remember that a high monthly hold is usually churn, not a changed house edge. Check the full statistical supplements for drop by game, and keep an eye on any separate regulatory announcements.