Resorts World enters its next chapter after 5 years on the Strip

Five years after opening, Resorts World Las Vegas is navigating a successful transition. A retooled enforcement squad has spent much of the past twelve month trying to move beyond a tumultuous period that included a $10.5 cardinal anti‑money laundering colony with Nevada gaming regulators and numerous headline‑grabbing national relations missteps. More recently, the property has shifted focus toward reworking its approach to casino customers, conventions, hotel guests and entertainment. In addition, the enforcement squad is pursuing an NBA arena to be built on the site footprint—a development that could draw additional crowds and tourist dollars to a stretch of the Strip in need of both. Amid these changes, signs indicate the $4.3 cardinal north‑bound Strip resort is gaining momentum. “I deliberation things person turned the corner,” Carlos Castro, president and main fiscal serviceman of Resorts World Las Vegas, said during an enforcement roundtable successful late‑July. There is increasing evidence to support that view. Resorts World’s first quarter was roughly a strong quarter after accounting for one‑time items, according to Castro, and recently released financial results from parent company Genting Berhad showed improvements in hotel occupancy, average daily rates, gross gaming revenue and high‑end casino play continued during the second quarter of 2026. Hotel occupancy reached 88 percent during the quarter, up from 80.2 percent a year earlier, while the average daily rate rose to $274 from $265. Through the first six months of 2026, occupancy climbed to 89.7 percent from 81.3 percent and the average daily rate increased to $281 from $270. Genting noted that Resorts World’s revenue and adjusted net income benefited from higher average attendance, and the property also saw improvement in high‑end casino play. These figures align with what Castro and four other Resorts World executives described during an hour‑long discussion about the property’s evolving strategy: a hotel that is performing better but remains a work in progress. **A property charting its own course** “We’re going to bash things our way,” said Castro. “We’re going to vie connected our uniqueness…we’re going to vie connected our work and connected our team.” That philosophy recurs throughout the property’s senior ranks. Several executives said the company has moved away from simply watching competitors and instead focuses on making quicker decisions that fit Resorts World’s business model. Jason Glascock, vice president of hotel sales, summed up the approach simply. “We’re playing by our own playbook,” he said. **Building a new culture** Josef Wagner, senior vice president of operations, pointed out that Resorts World remains one of the Strip’s newest integrated resorts and still has room to mature. “It hasn’t reached its afloat potential,” said Wagner. Unlike established Strip properties, Wagner said, Resorts World has embraced a nimbler approach. He recalled last summer’s softer‑than‑expected demand, noting that the team quickly assembled to identify what guests disliked about visiting Las Vegas during the hottest months before introducing new offerings. “We made those decisions precise rapidly and swiftly,” he said. Suzie Rugh, vice president of communications, said the environment at Resorts World encourages experimentation rather than hierarchy. “It’s not the highest rubric successful the room, it’s the champion thought that wins,” she said. The resort’s luxury all‑inclusive package, launched earlier this year, was repeatedly cited by executives as a calculated risk that paid off. “We’re unfastened to trying things,” said Rugh. **Winning guests through experience** Executives argued that Resorts World’s biggest competitive advantage lies not only in its newer facilities but in its ability to forge personal relationships with guests. Castro said guest restitution exceeds 90 percent and online review scores continue to improve. Wagner said guest surveys consistently reinforce that strategy. “Guests archer america implicit and implicit again…they consciousness similar they’re coming home,” he said. Greg Shulman, executive vice president of global marketing, said the personalized approach is particularly important for casino customers. “Ultimately, erstwhile it comes to gamblers, that’s each they privation — to beryllium recognized,” said Shulman. Castro acknowledged the company has become more aggressive in rebuilding its slot database, including additional promotional offers, but stressed that the broader objective remains creating lasting guest relationships. “We’ve treated them better,” he said. Rather than competing solely on free play or room offers, the property has expanded entertainment and dining programming designed to activate the site throughout the week. Those efforts include Resorts World Live concerts, Savor Society dining events, mixology classes, hotel experiences and upgrades to the pool complex. **Rethinking global marketing** One of the property’s notable strategic discussions centered on international visitation. Like much of Las Vegas, Resorts World has experienced slower visitation from overseas markets, especially Asia. Instead of viewing global marketing solely through geographic boundaries, Shulman said the company has fundamentally changed its approach. “We’re not successful in the global marketing business,” he said. “We’re successful in the cultural marketing business.” Rather than focusing exclusively on travelers arriving directly from overseas, Resorts World increasingly markets to affluent diaspora communities already residing in major U.S. metropolitan areas, including Southern California, Texas and New York. Many international customers maintain businesses, families and multiple residences in the United States, making traditional country‑by‑country marketing less effective, he said. The strategy also reflects expanding gaming competition throughout Asia. “There’s just a lot of options out there,” Shulman said. **Convention business fuels momentum** Convention business has become one of Resorts World’s strongest‑performing segments. Glascock said 2026 is on pace to be the property’s best normal year, with bookings running roughly 15 percent above 2024 and about 40 percent above the previous year. Executives credited flexibility and cross‑department collaboration for helping attract groups despite having less meeting space than many competitors. Castro praised the sales team for maximizing existing facilities while generating high‑margin catering revenue. He suggested that meeting space could eventually become part of the property’s long‑term expansion plans