A Vacancy in the Desert 

In the spring of 2022, Las Vegas seemed, on the surface, to be roaring back. The lights on the Strip shone brighter than ever. Ballrooms that had been silent during the Covid pandemic again echoed with laughter. Casinos pushed to reopen capacity, conventions booked months ahead—you could almost hear the cash registers tick. Almost. In back-of-house kitchens, in housekeeping, behind the gaming tables, there was a quiet crisis brewing. Jobs were open—thousands of them—but no one would show up for work.  

Unfortunately, tourism driven cities like Las Vegas are facing staffing shortages as the city grows and industry workers are not returning post pandemic. Business leaders and legal counsel alike began to realize that the challenge was not merely rehiring people; it was redefining how to compete in a vastly changed labor marketplace. 

Things have improved but new challenges are still present. The Covid pandemic led hospitality workers to question job security while some hospitality workers are seeking more stable careers. Conversely, the overall demand for skilled event staff is remarkably high, putting pressure on agencies, and some companies are still struggling to find enough workers for critical roles.  

The Hidden Backbone—Undocumented Workers 

No one disputes that undocumented or migrant workers have been part of Las Vegas’ labor force for decades. Hotels, restaurants, construction, landscaping—they rely heavily on workers whose immigration status may be irregular. These workers fill many of the roles that are hardest to fill with native-born workers, especially in hospitality (housekeepers, line cooks, banquet servers), construction, and service industries. Their presence is often informal, under-recognized until a new policy or enforcement action brings them under scrutiny. 

When deportation is on the table—or when policies or rhetoric make undocumented life difficult—these workers stop showing up, they reduce hours, or they simply disappear from the public workforce. For fear of deportation, they might avoid job fairs, avoid applying, and avoid registering on payrolls.  

Las Vegas casinos operate at a scale where even small staffing gaps produce outsized financial exposure. The American Gaming Association reports the Las Vegas Strip generated approximately $8.62 billion in gaming revenue in 2024, making the Strip a high-stakes labor market. Local unions and industry observers note that a large share of frontline hospitality and gaming roles are filled by immigrant workers, and recent enforcement actions, fears of raids, and broader post-pandemic turnover have produced measurable staffing shortages across Strip resorts. While no public study isolates a single-dollar figure attributable only to the loss of immigrant employees, combining the Strip’s multi-billion dollar revenue base with documented labor deficits and rising wage/replacement-costs demonstrates that even a modest operational shortfall can translate into tens to hundreds of millions in lost or deferred revenue and materially higher operating costs.  

Further, FOX 5 Las Vegas recently featured a news report on the impact of migrant workers in Las Vegas casinos and resorts. Culinary Workers Union Local 226 leaders had strong opinion on the topic of migrant workers. In the news report, Ted Pappageorge, secretary treasurer of Culinary Workers Union Local 226, stated, “Immigrant workers are a big part of this, this is the biggest economy in the world and we need workers – they’re a key part of that.” He also added, “This this industry cannot function without immigrant workers.”  

The Culinary Union represents 60,000 workers with 45% of its members are immigrants, with more than half identifying as Latino. 

When Laws Turn the Tap 

Attorneys know that laws are not just words on paper—they move people. In the past few years, enforcement crackdowns, changes in immigration law, and political pressure have rippled through Southern Nevada. The fear of raids or deportation is no longer hypothetical. It is part of life for many undocumented workers. It affects scheduling choices, job retention, staffing reliability. For many businesses, this fear translates into no-shows or understaffing. There have also been warnings from unions and business leaders regarding mass deportations and losing undocumented workers that can lead to litigation risk, operational risk, and reputational risk 

Turnover, Competition, and the New Battleground 

Compounding the shortage is the phenomenon of turnover, especially in low-margin, high-stress roles. In hospitality, staff turnover for frontline roles is nearly double the national average in Las Vegas. What has led to this? Workers cite pandemic burnout, the lure of less demanding or more secure jobs elsewhere and remote work for non-service roles, gig work in non-hospitality industries. Meanwhile, competition for good talent has become fierce. As a result, businesses are offering signing bonuses, recruiting candidates with bilingual ability (Spanish, Mandarin), partnering with staffing agencies to manage surge labor and reducing hours or scaling back services when staff shortages persist. 

There is a legal dimension too–ensuring that hiring practices remain compliant (wage laws, immigration verification, non-discrimination), especially when attempting to tap into migrant or immigrant hiring pipelines, is a minefield. Attorneys often find themselves advising on how to audit I-9s, how to protect workers’ rights under fear of enforcement, how to avoid violating labor or civil rights laws in the pursuit of reducing turnover. 

What Attorneys & Business Leaders Can Do 

Despite the challenges, legal and business leadership can take effective steps to respond to immigration policies and hospitality workers while minimizing risk. To reduce legal and operational risk, businesses must routinely audit hiring, payroll, and I-9 practices—especially in roles with high turnover or reliance on undocumented labor. Understanding where vulnerabilities exist allows companies to assess exposure and prepare for abrupt changes in enforcement. 

Strategic Workforce Planning 

Strategic workforce planning should include investments in training, apprenticeships, and partnerships with educational institutions. Where lawful, immigration-friendly hiring practices and inclusion of legal immigrant workers can help stabilize staffing. 

Retention & Culture Shift 

Retention is equally critical. Improving working conditions, flexibility, and support services (e.g., transportation, childcare) can reduce turnover and improve compliance. Employers must foster trust with immigrant workers by clearly communicating rights and protections, minimizing fear of retaliation and legal claims. 

Policy Advocacy & Legal Alliances 

Leaders should also engage in policy advocacy through industry groups and chambers of commerce, pushing for pragmatic immigration reforms and staying ahead of regulatory changes. Preparedness for enforcement actions—such as audits or raids—should be built into business continuity planning. 

Legal Preparedness 

Finally, legal preparedness is essential. Meticulous documentation of hiring, training, performance, and separation decisions—especially where immigration status may factor into disputes—helps mitigate risks related to wage claims, discrimination, or retaliation allegations. 

The Final Bet 

Las Vegas has always been a city that bets—on the next show, the next hotel, the next influx of tourists. But in this post-pandemic phase, the biggest bet is on hospitality workers. Without reliable, stable labor, even the most glamorous resort or the most lavish event falters. Attorneys and business leaders are uniquely positioned at the intersection of risk and opportunity. They can’t ignore the tremors coming from immigration policy, from workforce shortages, from turnover. 

For those who plan well, who anticipate change, who build trust and flexibility into their operations, Las Vegas’ future can still shine. But for those who cling to old assumptions—about “labor always being there,” about undocumented workers being peripheral, about turnover being a cost you just absorb—the desert may, this time, swallow more than one more casino commission.