‘$1 CAD = $1 USD’: Las Vegas casino owner lures Canadians; urges tourists to return

Las Vegas, a city that rarely needs to advertise itself, is feeling the effects of a slowdown in tourism as Canadian travel to the United States declines and visitor spending drops. While the Strip may still look busy, casinos, hotels, and nightclubs are seeing reduced revenues, pushing some operators to take a more proactive approach to attracting visitors.

One Las Vegas casino owner Derek Stevens has launched a targeted campaign to bring Canadian tourists back to the city as it continues to recover from last year’s tourism downturn. Stevens, who owns three major downtown properties, Circa Resort & Casino, The D Las Vegas and the Golden Gate Hotel & Casino, announced a new promotion designed specifically for Canadian visitors.

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“I want to invite Canada back to Las Vegas,” Stevens said in a video promoting the initiative. “We're a smaller company compared to others, but we want to make an offer,” he added. The initiative, called the “At Par Promotion,” allows Canadian visitors to use their money at face value, treating Canadian dollars the same as US dollars across all three properties.


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Under the offer, Canadian guests can redeem up to 500 Canadian dollars in slot play and receive “at par” hotel rates at check-in. The promotion also applies to select bars throughout the properties. “I miss Canada, Las Vegas misses Canada, our team misses Canada. Hope to see you here,” Stevens said.

According to details posted on the casinos’ website, the promotion eliminates exchange-rate concerns for Canadian residents. “NO EXCHANGE RATE. ALL THE FUN.” the site reads, adding that Canadian visitors are welcomed with at-par value across gaming, hotel stays and select bars at the three Fremont Street properties in downtown Las Vegas.

“We want to invite you to Las Vegas and let you know your dollar goes further in downtown,” the website states and flaunts that under the promotion, “$1 CAD = $1 USD.”