February marked the 12th straight month of Nevada’s gaming industry bringing in more than $1 billion in gaming revenue, hitting a new milestone even amid lower-than-anticipated Strip resort gaming totals.

With the Omicron variant quieting the normally busy Chinese New Year’s celebration on the Strip, casinos statewide still produced more than $1.1 billion in gaming revenue during February, eclipsing the month’s previous record of $1.07 billion set in 2013.

The slower-than-normal Chinese New Year’s celebration led to a softness in baccarat play, and its contribution of $62.1 million to the Strip’s revenue total of $599.1 million was just 10.3 percent. In February 2013, baccarat revenues were 38 percent of the Strip’s revenue.

Still, the Strip’s February revenue total was the region’s third-highest ever for the month and was up 1.2 percent from the pre-pandemic figure in February 2019.

“For the state to set an all-time win total for the month and the Strip to record its third-highest win total all-time in February without a strong Chinese New Year illustrates the strength we are seeing from locals, domestic customers and leisure travelers,” Gaming Control Board Senior Economic Analyst Michael Lawton said.

The state’s February figure was 44 percent higher than the total recorded a year ago, when casinos were still operating under COVID-19 capacity limitations that had been in place since casinos reopened on June 4, 2020, following a 78-day shutdown.

In 2021, the Nevada Legislature passed a bill allowing tribes to request a polling site or ballot drop box on their reservation that would automatically return each election cycle. Prior to 2019, tribal governments in Nevada did not have the option to request a polling place. The regulated process also makes it more difficult for election officials to deny tribes requests for voter services.

The legislation to safeguard tribal voting in Nevada came after a successful lawsuit by citizens of the Pyramid Lake Paiute and Walker River Paiute tribes in 2016 against Nevada and two counties for routinely denying the tribes early voting polling locations.The location of polling places matters, say tribal leaders. After the litigation by the Walker River Paiute Tribe spurred polling sites on their reservation, Mineral County recorded its highest voter turnout at 80.74% in 2020.

Emergency pandemic voting accommodations in 2020, like universal mail in ballots and extensive drop boxes, were made available to Nevada tribes and further expanded voting access.

Native voters in Nevada had the highest turnout of all demographic groups in 2020 and turnout was up 25% from 2016, according to Megan Gall, a consultant specializing in voting rights.

“That is the largest increase of any sub-population in the state of Nevada,” said Stacey Montooth, executive director of the Nevada Indian Commission and citizen of the Walker River Paiute Tribe “I think it is likely due to voter choice or the ability for our people to vote by whatever method they wanted: in person, early, by mail, or via drop boxes. This momentum will carry us into the next election.”