“As more of the older end of the customer spectrum receives vaccines and becomes more comfortable with leaving their houses … that for sure means they’ll start to step out and go back to their favorite casinos again,” said gaming consultant Josh Swissman of The Strategy Organization.

‘Starting to trickle back in’
Bob Bransdon, a 68-year-old Las Vegas local, said he used to visit casinos with his wife about once a week. Then the shutdowns came.

The two spent months away from casinos while they were closed and continued to avoid the properties after their June reopenings out of caution. They weren’t alone: The pandemic had led to a sharp decline in casino visitation from the 65-plus age group, which is more susceptible to severe illness tied to COVID-19.

That could be turning around. Bransdon, who started visiting casinos again in August, said he has noticed an uptick in the 65-and-older crowd, especially in the afternoons. He said the numbers aren’t what they were before the pandemic, but there is “no shortage of people there.”

Some casino operators have noticed the uptick too. Several executives discussed the trend in recent weeks during the latest round of casino companies’ earnings calls.

“We’re beginning to see that part of the database, that 65 and older, if you will, database starting to trickle back in,” Golden Entertainment Chairman and CEO Blake Sartini said during a March 11 call. “We see that as a great catalyst going forward.”

The heads of other Las Vegas casino operators — including Red Rock Resorts Inc., Boyd Gaming Corp. and Penn National Gaming Inc. — also have said they have started to notice that this age group is rebounding.

One of the major driving forces behind this demographic’s return has been the rollout of vaccinations.