LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — The sports economy in Las Vegas has more than doubled its workforce over the past decade, expanding from approximately 8,500 workers to an estimated 18,816 between 2015 and 2025, according to newly updated university research.
Data released by the Center for Business and Economic Research (CBER) at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, in partnership with the UNLV Sports Innovation Institute, shows that fitness and recreational sports centers represent the largest share of employment, demonstrating job opportunities that extend beyond professional sports franchises.
The findings come from an update to CBER’s Sports Economy Dashboard, which tracks local employment, visitor spending, sports facilities, and community participation.
Sports tourism generated an estimated $860 million in direct visitor spending in 2025, based on CBER’s analysis of Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority data. Nearly 2 million visitors traveled to Las Vegas to attend sporting events that year.
Local researchers noted that the regional impact reaches well past tourism figures.
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“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.
UNLV officials highlighted how the industry’s expansion is feeding into local education and workforce pipelines.
“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 cited UNLV partnerships including the Super Bowl internship program and the Sports Business Classroom at the NBA Summer League as avenues linking higher education with commercial operations.
Additional findings from the updated dashboard include:
- Wages and sector employment: While fitness and recreation centers employ the highest number of workers, professional sports teams and clubs pay the highest average wages, followed by spectator sports and marketing consulting services.
- National venue ranking: Las Vegas ranks seventh among the 55 U.S. metropolitan areas with populations exceeding 1 million in both total sporting venue capacity and venue capacity per capita.
- Amateur hockey growth: Nevada youth hockey participation experienced a fivefold surge. USA Hockey registered nearly 3,000 players ages 18 and younger in Nevada during the 2024-25 season, up from 539 registered in 2016-17. Girls make up roughly 13% of registered youth 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.”
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