Poker fans in Las Vegas are facing another blow as major resorts decide to eliminate their poker rooms. Resorts World Las Vegas has confirmed that it will shut down its poker room on March 30, 2026 — making it the latest in a growing list of casinos to ditch their poker tables for good.
The poker room opened alongside the resort when it launched back on June 24, 2021, but its days are now numbered. Once it closes, only eight poker rooms will remain on the famous Las Vegas Strip — a far cry from the glory days of the early 2000s poker boom.
How the News Broke
The closure was first reported by poker player Chris Murray, who regularly organized games at the property. After he shared the update on social media, a Resorts World spokesperson confirmed the move, stating that the casino “looks forward to introducing new offerings” — though they weren’t ready to reveal exactly what those would be.
This announcement comes just six weeks after Planet Hollywood closed its own poker room, continuing a trend that’s been building for over a decade.
From Boom to Bust — A Brief History of Vegas Poker
It’s hard to believe now, but Las Vegas once had between 60 and 70 poker rooms scattered across the city. The early 2000s poker boom — fueled largely by Chris Moneymaker’s incredible 2003 World Series of Poker (WSOP) victory and the explosion of televised poker — turned the game into a cultural phenomenon. Everyone wanted to play, and casinos were happy to oblige.
But by around 2012, the bubble started to burst. Since then, roughly 40 poker rooms have closed. The math just doesn’t work in the casinos’ favor: poker rooms require dedicated dealers, floor staff, and real estate that could otherwise be filled with slot machines. And here’s the kicker — in poker, the house doesn’t play against you. Casinos only earn a small percentage of each pot (called a “rake”), typically capped at $4 to $6 per hand. Compare that to slots, which run 24/7 with minimal staffing and generate far more revenue per square foot.
The Surviving Eight
Once Resorts World folds its poker operation, only these eight Strip casinos will still have poker rooms:
- Aria
- Bellagio
- Caesars Palace
- Horseshoe
- Mandalay Bay
- MGM Grand
- Venetian
- Wynn
Across the entire Las Vegas Valley (including off-Strip locations), the total number of poker rooms will stand at just 17. That’s a staggering decline when you consider what the landscape looked like just 15 years ago.
Fun Fact: Why Poker Still Packs a Punch
Despite the shrinking number of permanent poker rooms, big events like the World Series of Poker still draw massive crowds. The 2026 WSOP is scheduled to run from May 26 through July 15, and it remains the single biggest poker event on the planet. Interestingly, some casinos that have recently closed their poker rooms may temporarily reopen them during the tournament to meet demand — Planet Hollywood has even hinted that it’s considering doing exactly that.
Another fun tidbit: The Bellagio’s poker room is considered one of the most iconic in the world, partly because of its prominent role in the 2001 movie Ocean’s Eleven. It’s one of the rooms that poker enthusiasts hope will survive the ongoing shakeout.
What This Means for Poker Lovers
If you’re a poker fan planning a trip to Vegas, the message is clear — don’t wait too long. The options are narrowing, and there’s no guarantee that even the remaining eight rooms will stay open indefinitely. On the bright side, the rooms that do survive tend to be the best of the best, offering a quality experience that casual and serious players alike can enjoy.
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