Las Vegas is one of the nation’s busiest hospitality markets, attracting millions of visitors annually. In 2023 alone, the city welcomed more than 40.8 million visitors, bringing unprecedented volume to resorts, casinos, and hospitality systems. Against this backdrop of large-scale traffic, ensuring safety and risk management has become a strategic priority for hospitality operators.

While traditional security methods such as surveillance cameras, security personnel, and incident response remain vital, many industry professionals now recognize that the earliest point of interaction — reservations and payment transactions — is a critical moment to identify and mitigate risk before a guest arrives on property.

Below are five key reasons why real-time screening and risk awareness at the moment of transaction is increasingly important for Las Vegas resorts and casinos.

1. Reservations and Payments Are the First Point of Insight

When guests make reservations or process payments, they provide identifying information that can serve as the earliest opportunity to understand potential risk factors.

At check-in or on the property, guests already have physical access — which limits the ability to screen or intervene effectively. Identifying risk indicators at the point of transaction enables teams to flag concerns or patterns earlier, shifting risk management from reactive to preventive.

2. Human Trafficking Incidents Are on the Rise in Las Vegas

Human trafficking is a documented concern in Nevada and in Las Vegas specifically:

• Las Vegas has been historically identified as a major hub for human trafficking due to its tourism volume, entertainment industry, and 24/7 hospitality environment

• In recent crime data, human trafficking offenses increased by more than 19% year-over-year, even as other crime categories declined in the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s jurisdiction 

Hotels, casinos, and other venues with high guest traffic provide environments where traffickers may exploit anonymity and high transaction volumes. Understanding risk indicators tied to guest identities and transaction patterns before on-site arrival can help protect victims and reduce exploitation opportunities.

3. The Broader Crime Landscape in Las Vegas Remains Complex

While Las Vegas has made progress in reducing some categories of crime, the broader risk environment remains nuanced:

• Overall crime trends reported by local law enforcement show decreases in many categories, but specific offenses — such as human trafficking — are rising 

• Citywide crime data indicates that Las Vegas has crime rates, including violent and property crimes, that historically stand above state and national averages

In a city that sees millions of transient visitors, public safety dynamics differ greatly from typical residential contexts. High rates of visitation create dense populations in hospitality corridors, making static crime statistics less predictive of situational risk, and underscoring the importance of context-specific screening and awareness.

4. Historical Legal and Safety Challenges Reinforce the Need for Proactive Measures

Las Vegas has faced legal and social challenges related to crime and exploitation that inform ongoing industry risk management:

• Historical lawsuits have drawn attention to trafficking and exploitation incidents within casinos and hospitality venues

• Nevada’s history with illegal prostitution and sex trafficking — with estimates suggesting that 90% of prostitution in the state occurred in Las Vegas — underscores the complexity of addressing exploitation within tourism hotspots

These facts highlight that safety risk is not merely hypothetical — it has manifested in significant legal and societal contexts, shaping how hospitality operators consider preventive measures.

5. Early Identification of Risk Supports Better Guest and Employee Safety

Incident prevention begins with identification and situational awareness. For resorts and casinos, safety considerations extend beyond criminal behavior to include:

• Protecting guests from exploitation or harm

• Reducing exposure to organized criminal networks

• Safeguarding employee and guest well-being

• Mitigating reputational and regulatory impact

By incorporating risk awareness into reservation and payment systems, front-line indicators of potential concern — whether unusual booking patterns, atypical payment behaviors, or links to known exploitation indicators — can be surfaced earlier, enabling more effective decision-making and security planning.

Las Vegas’s hospitality ecosystem is dynamic, complex, and uniquely exposed to a wide range of risk factors — from rising human trafficking offenses to broader public safety trends.

While no single measure eliminates risk entirely, addressing safety at the earliest point of guest interaction — during reservations and payment processing — represents a meaningful enhancement to traditional security approaches.

As resorts and casinos continue to evolve in response to industry demands and public safety concerns, early risk awareness and transactional screening are becoming integral elements of a comprehensive safety culture.