Summertime in Las Vegas certainly delivers the fun. Take this year as the perfect example, with the Backstreet Boys in town for their residency at the Sphere, Bruno Mars at the Park MGM, and pool parties galore, there’s something for everyone in Sin City. However, spending a summer vacation in Vegas can come with a hefty price tag. According to Budget Your Trip, the average cost of a week-long stay in Vegas will run about $2,583 for a solo traveler. And that’s without major ticket items.
So, what’s one to do? It’s easy: visit a Las Vegas dupe.
Travel dupes are those lesser-known destinations that are very similar to other, more popular spots, offering entertainment, dining, and fun that’s nearly identical at a lower price point. In July, travel and entertainment experts at CryptoCasinos.online, a platform for casino and gaming insights, unveiled its list of five budget-friendly destinations in the U.S. that deliver the “thrills, entertainment, and casino action Vegas is famous for.”
“These alternatives prove you don’t need to break the bank to experience world-class gaming, vibrant nightlife, and memorable entertainment,” the team added.
No. 2 on that list is also rather close to Las Vegas: Reno, Nevada. “Known as ‘The Biggest Little City in the World,’ Reno delivers authentic Nevada casino culture without the inflated Strip prices,” the team wrote. “You’re still getting that desert casino atmosphere, but hotel rooms often cost half of what you’d pay in Vegas, and restaurant prices are significantly more reasonable.”
It added that Reno’s downtown casino district is very walkable and far more compact than the Strip, “which makes it easy to hop between venues. Reno also offers outdoor activities like Lake Tahoe access, giving you more bang for your vacation buck.”
The only destination to outrank Reno is a bit of a wildcard: Kansas City, Missouri. “The Heart of America delivers surprising casino excitement with multiple gaming destinations and entertainment venues at prices that make Vegas look overpriced,” the team wrote. “Kansas City’s casino resorts offer spacious rooms for less than half of what you’d pay on the Strip, and the city’s famous barbecue scene means you’ll eat like royalty without the premium pricing.”
It noted that, beyond offering all the table games and slots you may be looking for, the city comes with the bonus of plenty of Midwest hospitality and a fantastic live music scene that provides “entertainment options that go well beyond the casino floor.”
Also joining these two on the list is Biloxi, Mississippi, which provides a unique coastal backdrop to your gaming; Laughlin, Nevada, which the team called a “more relaxed, affordable version of the Nevada casino experience; and Tunica, Mississippi, which “has reinvented itself as a major casino destination in the Mississippi Delta.”
Though if you can swing it, nothing beats a true Vegas experience. And if you need a little help on how to do it right, here’s Travel + Leisure‘s guide on how to plan the perfect trip to Las Vegas for the summer of 2025.
