The gaming industry gave a collective shrug following the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling last week that President Donald Trump’s far-reaching global tariffs were unconstitutional. Slot machine and casino equipment manufacturers and developers of the Strip’s two largest construction projects said they had alleviated tariff concerns last year.

However, for the other Nevada business leaders, the tariff issue may linger despite the justices’ decision to overturn the double-digit taxes on imports from almost every country — especially after Trump responded to the high court’s decision by ordering new tariffs under a different law.

“Most of the tariff costs were absorbed and not passed on to consumers,” Andy MacKay, executive director of the Nevada Franchised Auto Dealers Association, said Wednesday. “But I think you will see manufacturers start passing those down to the dealers.”

MacKay said it’s not sustainable for car manufacturers to shoulder the added costs. 

Meanwhile, the Retail Association of Nevada said in a statement that the tariffs cost U.S. importers and businesses an estimated $160 billion. Association President Bryan Wachter said the group was joining other trade organizations in asking that the funds be returned to the businesses that paid them.

“In Nevada, these refunds will serve as an economic boost, allowing our local companies to reinvest in their operations, their employees, and, most importantly, provide relief to their customers,” Wachter said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Southern Nevada Homebuilders Association CEO Tina Frias said tariffs have not directly driven up the price of housing. However, the organization will closely watch the discussions surrounding the Supreme Court’s ruling. She said the long-term implications are difficult to predict.

“Homebuilding relies on dependable supply chains and stable material pricing,” Frias said in an emailed statement. “Our builders work diligently to manage costs and identify efficiencies wherever possible, but sustained increases in material expenses can place additional pressure on housing attainability.”

She said she hopes federal leaders “can reach agreements that promote stability and help ease material costs.”

A focus on gaming equipment

Nevada’s gaming equipment sector was among the first casualties in the president’s trade war when sales of slot machines and casino management systems declined a year ago after Canada imposed retaliatory tariffs on U.S.-made products.

Canadian Gaming Association CEO Paul Burns said when the U.S backed off some of its tariffs imposed on Canada, the government lifted its added costs on equipment providers.

“The recent decision may give relief to manufacturers on costs related to imports of parts to the U.S.,” Burns said. “I don’t believe it will have a significant impact on Canadian prices.”

Daron Dorsey, CEO of the Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers, said the Supreme Court ruling wouldn’t have much effect on the slot machine providers.

“Things are likely to keep moving around based on trade agreements and other potential changes in the global frameworks,” Dorsey said. “So everyone will continue to navigate and manage as best they can.”

Matt Wilson, CEO of Las Vegas-based gaming equipment provider Light & Wonder, said on the company’s fourth-quarter earnings conference call Tuesday that a year ago the company didn’t know what the tariffs would mean for slot machine demand.

“We saw that rebound really quickly in the third and fourth quarters,” Wilson said. “I think the 2025 demand was really solid. I think the industry is holding up nicely.”

Last May, Wynn Resorts delayed a remodeling project at the Encore Las Vegas to assess how tariffs would affect the cost. The company said in August that costs for the $300 million renovation had increased by 10 percent and work would begin this spring.

Meanwhile, construction never slowed on the Strip’s two major developments set to open in the next two years — a $2 billion, 33,000-capacity Major League Baseball stadium and the multibillion-dollar renovation of The Mirage into the Hard Rock Las Vegas. 

Both developers, the Athletics and the Seminole Indian Tribe-owned Hard Rock International, locked in costs for many of their building materials, such as steel, well ahead of 2025. 

The A’s initially had placed a $1.75 billion price tag on the stadium until last July, when team owner John Fisher told The Nevada Independent that “costs have gone up as more detail comes in.” He never blamed tariffs as the reason.  

An Athletics source said the team’s steel purchases were largely from U.S. providers. The enclosed-roof stadium began construction last June and is expected to be completed in April 2028 for the start of the Major League Baseball season.

Hard Rock International spokesperson Gina Araya said in an email that the privately controlled company “has been planning carefully with partners to manage costs and keep the project moving forward as scheduled.”

Hard Rock paid more than $1 billion for The Mirage but has not provided a price for the remodel, which includes a 42-story, 675-room, guitar-shaped hotel tower along the Strip. The former Mirage structure is also being renovated.

The redesigned resort is expected to open in late 2027.