- Casinos in Nevada have seen their lowest hold rate in craps games since 2021 through the first ten months of the year.
- The casinos are on pace to break the record for highest handle in a single year and the second highest total revenue in the past five years.
LAS VEGAS – Craps players in Nevada have had a tremendous year in 2025, winning games at the highest rate since 2021.
Through the first ten months of the year, casinos in Nevada have recorded a 15.78% hold rate.
Second Consecutive Year Of Falling Hold Rate
The hold rate has been above 16% in each of the last three years and finished at 16.34% in 2024. Additionally, the hold rate through the first ten months of 2024 was even higher at 16.62%, almost a whole percentage point higher than the first ten months of 2025.
However, the hold rate peaked at 16.71% in 2023 and has dropped each of the last two years after climbing the two years prior.
Still, Nevada casinos are on pace to break the record for the highest handle for legal craps in a single year, as they are currently projected to total over $2.89 billion, surpassing the previous record of $2.81 billion.
In turn, despite the modest hold rate, Nevada casinos are also on track to record their second highest revenue total in the past five years with a projected total of $456 million, just shy of the $467 million recorded in 2023 when they had a 16.71% hold rate.
Why Are Hold Rates Falling?
There is no definitive answer as to why hold rates at Nevada casinos may be falling, but there are a few theories that make sense.
First and foremost, it is possible that players have become smarter and better at the game, learning how to “game the system” over the years of playing.
Of course, legal craps in Nevada have been around for quite some time, but in the age of the internet and continued leniency in casino games, knowledge circulates much faster and the games are easier to understand.
Otherwise, it is difficult to speculate as to the factors that may be making hold rates continuously drop. As with all other table games, there is a significant amount of luck involved, so pinpointing a single cause is unlikely.