Las Vegas’ sports economy has more than doubled its workforce in the past decade, growing from approximately 8,500 to an estimated 18,816 workers between 2015 and 2025. Fitness and recreational sports centers account for the largest share of employment, highlighting the range of sports-related jobs beyond professional teams.
That’s one of several findings from an updated Sports Economy Dashboard developed by UNLV’s Center for Business and Economic Research (CBER) in partnership with the UNLV Sports Innovation Institute, housed in the Harrah College of Hospitality. The dashboard tracks employment, visitor spending, sports venues and participation.
Sports tourism remains a significant part of that picture. In 2025, nearly 2 million visitors attended sporting events in Las Vegas, and visitor spending on sporting events generated an estimated $860 million in direct spending according to CBER’s analysis using data from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.
But tourism is only one part of Las Vegas’ sports economy.
“The sports economy in Las Vegas has been more than just about the economic impact of the professional sport teams playing in Nevada, but also how it creates opportunities for local businesses, develops new industries, spurs more amateur athletes and youth participation in sports,” said Andrew Woods, director of CBER.
“The greatest opportunity is turning Las Vegas’ sports growth into lasting career and business opportunities for the people who call Southern Nevada home,” said Jay Vickers, UNLV associate athletics director for the Rebel Athletic Fund. “For UNLV students, that means paid internships, mentorship, and experiential learning across sports, hospitality, technology, and event operations.”
Vickers pointed to the Super Bowl internship program and UNLV’s partnership with Sports Business Classroom at NBA Summer League as examples of connecting education with industry.
Additional dashboard findings include:
- Employment across industries and average wages. Fitness and recreational sports centers account for the largest share of workers, while professional sports teams and clubs offer the highest average wages, followed by other spectator sports and marketing consulting services.
- Las Vegas ranks seventh in sporting venue capacity. Among the 55 U.S. metropolitan areas with populations exceeding 1 million, Las Vegas ranks seventh in both total venue capacity and capacity per capita.
- Nevada youth hockey participation has grown substantially. Nearly 3,000 players ages 18 and younger were registered with USA Hockey in Nevada in 2024-25, compared with 539 in 2016-17. Girls account for approximately 13% of current participants.
“The growth in youth hockey participation suggests that sports are becoming more than something Southern Nevadans watch—they are becoming something more families participate in,” Vickers said. “That creates opportunities for young people to build confidence, learn teamwork and develop a sense of belonging.”
About the Dashboard
Building off a collaboration between CBER and the UNLV Sports Innovation Institute which culminated with the publication of CBER’s first white paper on sports economy in 2023, the updated Sports Economy Dashboard brings together the latest data on employment, tourism, sporting venues, and participation in one interactive resource.
The research gives businesses, policymakers, and residents a way to better understand the sports economy and track how it is changing over time and how we compare with similar metropolitan areas.
