The Tropicana itself catered to middle-class diners for much of its life. One of the first luxury properties on the Strip, the casino’s ties to organized crime and a changing competitive landscape ended that flashy era. It was sold to Ramada in 1979 and, despite ownership changes, was operated as a budget-friendly resort until its closure.

As visitors to Las Vegas demand more high-end experiences, the city is competing less directly with longtime gambling hubs such as Atlantic City, New Jersey, or Laughlin, Nevada, about 90 miles south of Sin City, Belarmino said. Instead, “our guests are telling us they are considering us, while also considering San Francisco and New York, which makes us an added value compared to these types of destinations,” she said.

The bargains may not be as close as they used to be.

“Those $20 nights and no resort fees are probably a thing of the past on the Strip,” said Nicholas Irwin, a colleague of Belarmino’s at UNLV who is research director for the Lied Center for Real Estate. “People are concerned that we are prioritizing that (business) growth as opposed to the growth of our children and our workforce.”

UNLV researchers expect Las Vegas’ Clark County to grow 1.6% this year and 1.4% next year, driven in part by Californians like Alicia Muscs moving to the area. The 26-year-old, who works for a travel booking agency at the MGM casino in New York-New York, said she moved to the city in April because of the lower cost of living.

According to Irwin, recent transplants in California are on average 15% to 19% wealthier than their new neighbors in Nevada, and the influx has put pressure on demand – and prices – for goods and services in the metro area. That could cause political unrest in Nevada, a closely contested swing state where both presidential campaigns are battling for voters’ confidence on economic issues.