Using data collected from AGA’s State of the States reports between 2020 and 2025, BonusFinder reveals which states are emerging as contenders to become ‘the next Vegas’.
Using regulatory, market and growth insight from the annual reports, our researchers have created the Vegas Potential Index, a scoring system ranking every US state (except Nevada) from 0-100. The rating will be based on how close the state resembles Vegas’ iconic and unique blend of entertainment, gaming breadth, regulatory freedom and economic expansion.
Does the US need a new Las Vegas?
Las Vegas is no doubt one of the country’s most iconic cities; however, it has been hard to ignore that its grip on the US (and global) gaming landscape and tourism has started to weaken.
The ability to gamble was a unique product that the city offered for much of the 20th century. Still, as more and more states legalize activities such as casino gaming, sports betting, and iGaming, and the prices of hospitality rise, some people are deciding to stay closer to home when it comes to gaming.
Las Vegas was once a tourist destination known for affordable stays, all-you-can-eat buffets, and complimentary alcohol; however, visitors now face high fees that can be off-putting.
The state has also shifted its focus towards entertainment and sport. Whilst Vegas has always had ties to some of the most prominent musical artists around, its recent opening of Sphere and the introduction of the Las Vegas Grand Prix have given tourists a different motivation to visit the city.
Which top five US States are set to become the next Las Vegas?
1. Pennsylvania (69.5/100)
With a score of 69.5, Pennsylvania tops the rankings. The Keystone State is one of the few US states to have legalized commercial casinos, online casinos, sports betting, online lottery and electronic gaming terminals as of 2025.
With just 17 land-based casinos, it isn’t one of the largest casino markets in the US. However, that’s an increase from 12 casinos in 2020, showing rapid growth, even after the economic turmoil of the COVID-19 pandemic. Like Vegas, the states’ casinos offer complimentary alcohol and have no restrictions on opening hours.
The state also saw commercial spend revenue and gaming tax revenues exceed $6bn, with increases of 10.3% and 9%, respectively, between 2023 and 2024.
2. Michigan (68.6/100)
Michigan placed second in the rankings, with an overall score of 68.6. Similar to Pennsylvania, the state currently has only three land-based casinos. However, it scored highly due to its legal openness, including the legalisation of tribal casinos, commercial casinos, online sports betting, online casinos and online lotteries.
Despite its low number of casinos compared to other legalized states, it had impressive revenue growth between 2023 and 2024, with its commercial consumer spend increasing by 17.10% and its commercial gaming tax revenue rising by 17.3%
3. West Virginia (66.4/100)
In third place, West Virginia is one of the handful of states where almost everything is legal, including iGaming, sports betting, commercial casinos, electronic gaming devices and iLottery. This legal openness is what led to it’s high score.
That wasn’t the only contributing factor, however; its lack of opening hour restrictions, and the allowance of complimentary alcohol in its casinos also significantly boosted their score.
4. Virginia (65.4/100)
Despite not legalizing land-based casinos until recently, Virginia’s rise has been quick and significant. After their first casinos began construction in 2021, as of the 2025 AGA ‘State of States’ report, three more have since opened.
Due to this, they’ve had one of the most significant jumps in commercial and tax revenue in recent years. The 2021-2022 period saw a 97% increase in commercial revenue, followed by a 98% increase in the following year.
5.Louisiana (62.3/100)
Placing fifth is Louisiana, a state with one of the highest casino footprints in the country, boasting 19 land-based casinos as of 2025. The state also offers one of the widest ranges of legal gaming options, including electronic gaming devices, commercial casinos, lottery, and both retail and online sports betting.
The state also scores exceptionally well for regulatory “Vegas-likeness”: complimentary alcohol service is standard, opening-hour restrictions are minimal, and smoking rules remain far more permissive than in most US gaming jurisdictions, creating an entertainment atmosphere that feels closer to Nevada than anywhere else in the Southeast. Despite being number five on our rankings, Louisiana could well be on its way to becoming the new Las Vegas for US gamblers.
Methodology
This data was collected in November 2025, using the AGA 'State of States' reports from 2020–2019.
Each state was scored across four weighted categories:
- Market Openness (25%): Measures the number of legal gaming verticals.
- Market Size (25%): Based on the number of operational casinos.
- Market Growth (30%): Uses year-on-year percentage changes in consumer gaming spend and state gaming tax revenue (2023–2024).
- Regulatory 'Vegas-likeness' (20%): Assesses complementary alcohol rules, opening-hour restrictions, and smoking policies.
All metrics were normalised for comparability, combined into a weighted composite score, and scaled from 0 to 100 to create each state's final VPI ranking.
