Summary
- Major gambling hub airports attract millions, serve leisure airlines, and are less focused on business travel.
- Las Vegas’ Harry Reid Airport sees heavy demand from leisure carriers and international legacy airlines alike.
- Reno-Tahoe Airport serves Lake Tahoe and offers flights across the US, including popular destinations for ski resorts.
Among all leisure destinations worldwide, few are as unique in their scope as gambling hubs, to which millions flock annually in search of luck at some of the world’s largest casinos. As a result, passenger demand for these major centers for the gaming industry is extremely strong, and airlines are quick to compete on some of these lucrative routes.
The airlines serving gambling hubs often include a mix of low-cost leisure-focused carriers in addition to the long-haul legacy carriers one would expect. Equivalently, the large airports that serve as major gateways for these gaming areas are similarly massive and often service traffic from multiple continents.
Photo: Philip Pilosian | Shutterstock
Across the board, however, gambling hub airports have a uniquely large number of flights from leisure-oriented airlines and are less oriented toward business travelers. In this article, we will examine five of the world’s largest gambling hub airports and what makes these facilities so special.
1
Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas
2023 passenger traffic: 57.6 million
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Unarguably the world’s largest gambling hub, Las Vegas attracts tens of millions of passengers annually from all corners of the world. The city is not only notable for the many casinos located across its famous strip, but is also host to a number of events and professional sporting teams. In 2024, the Super Bowl was held at the city’s Allegiant Stadium, named for the popular hometown leisure airline.
Photo: ZikG | Shutterstock
The airport is among the busiest that serve any of the world’s major gambling hubs and is, as one might expect, heavily bolstered by leisure-focused low-cost carriers. Nonetheless, there are a number of major international legacy carriers that also serve Las Vegas, such as KLM from Amsterdam Schiphol International Airport (AMS) and Virgin Atlantic from London Heathrow Airport (LHR).
In fact, passenger demand has been so overwhelming for Las Vegas that the city has begun the process of developing another airport. Nonetheless, this facility will not be operational until at least the mid-2030s.
2
Atlantic City International Airport (ACY)
2023 passenger traffic: 630,000
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Atlantic City International Airport is a unique, small airport located in Southern New Jersey that serves not just the nearby gambling center of Atlantic City, but also the greater South Jersey region as a whole. The facility, which is also a joint operating base for the New Jersey Air National Guard, is also home to the 177th Fighter Wing’s F-16 fighter jets.
Photo: Robin Guess | Shutterstock
The only commercial operator at the airport is, unsurprisingly, leisure-focused Spirit Airlines. Interestingly, however, is that the carrier serves a number of leisure destinations in the American Southeast from the facility, demonstrating a lack of interest in Atlantic City from major population centers.
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3
Macau International Airport (MFM)
2023 passenger traffic: 5.15 million
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Located in Eastern Macau, this facility serves as the primary gateway to the largest gambling hub in Asia. The relatively small facility sees traffic from across the continent and serves as the primary hub for flag carrier Air Macau.
While a mid-size airline by Asian flag carrier standards, Air Macau does operate flights from the facility to over a dozen destinations across China and Southeast Asia. Most major Asian airlines operate nonstop flights from their hubs to this popular gambling destination, but the airport does lack service from major European, American, or Middle Eastern airlines.
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4
Nice Côte d’Azur Airport (NCE)
2023 passenger traffic: 14 million
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Arguably, the largest gambling hub in Europe is in the city-state of Monaco, where the legendary casino of Monte Carlo is located. The small nation, however, lacks a proper airport due to its small size and, as a result, relies heavily on nearby Nice Airport to serve as its primary gateway.
Photo: Etihad Airways
Due to its nearby proximity, a number of airlines operate nonstop services to Nice and market the nearby gambling destination. Many carriers also offer helicopter transfers to Monaco, notably including Emirates, which recently announced new connections via helicopter operator Blade.
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5
Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO)
2023 passenger traffic: 4.5 million
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The second-largest airport in Nevada, RNO serves the greater Lake Tahoe area, and offers flights to dozens of destinations across the United States from all major airlines. The city, which is home to casinos, is a popular gambling destination nestled amid a picturesque alpine lake.
Photo: EQRoy | Shutterstock
The airport offers services to most major destinations in the Western United States, with a few nonstop flights to East Coast transportation gateways. For example, JetBlue operates seasonal service to the airport from its primary hub at John F Kennedy International Airport.
It is also important to note that not all traffic to RNO is driven by the gambling industry. The airport, like many others in the alpine west of the United States, serves a number of world-class ski resorts in the area.