Last month, the 38 casino properties on the Las Vegas Strip reported a spike in gross gaming revenue (GGR), proving the doubters wrong.

October's casino win of over $748.8 million was an 8.2% year-over-year increase, despite the recent unfavorable headlines about the health of the Las Vegas Strip, with numerous stories alleging that the main drag has turned away guests with bothersome, ever-growing levies and expensive charges. The Strip's 12-year revenue also turned a profit in October, with slot and table game winnings rising by the thinnest of margins—0.05% to over $8.87 billion.

Videos of empty casino floors on and around the Las Vegas Strip have been making waves on social media for months. Many people have expressed their frustration with $20 cocktails and $50 resort fees per night. It looked that the "value received" aspect of traveling to Southern Nevada was vanished.

October demonstrated Las Vegas' tenacity, at least in terms of casino earnings.

Gaming Rally's Premium Players 

High rollers residing in opulent residences spearheaded the October rally on the Strip. The Strip spike was primarily caused by Baccarat, the preferred game of many VIPs, notably those from Asia. The banker-player game garnered $116.4 million from players, a 69% increase from the previous year.

There were other table games that performed well besides Baccarat. Craps revenue increased 1.5% to $32.3 million, roulette revenue increased 22% to $21.9 million, and blackjack revenue increased more than 3% to $92.5 million.

Oddsmakers also did well, with $25.6 million in sports betting revenue nearly doubling from the previous year. GGR from the felt and sports increased by 25% to $330.1 million overall. Slot machine winnings, however, decreased by more than 2% to $418.2 million.

The Strip increased the statewide GGR positive to 5% in October. Elko County, up 5% to $33.5 million, and Washoe County, up 4% to $95.3 million, were two more regional market winners.

The Turnaround in Las Vegas 

CEO Bill Hornbuckle of MGM Resorts admitted during the company's third-quarter results call that prices on the Strip had become somewhat out of touch, particularly in light of national economic concerns that had drawn some consumers' leisure spending.

"When we think about pricing and things that got everyone’s attention, whether it was the infamous bottle of water or a Starbucks coffee at Excalibur that cost $12, shame on us,” Hornbuckle said. “We should have been more sensitive to the overall experience at a place like Excalibur. You can’t have a $29 room and a $12 coffee.”

The largest Strip property owner, MGM, is dedicated to lowering the cost of Las Vegas once more.

"We lost control of the narrative over the summer. I think we would all agree in hindsight. We think and hope we have price corrected,” Hornbuckle said.

The October visitor volume report from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, which details the destination's performance in terms of the number of visitors and overnight stays, will be released later this week. Additionally, traffic at Harry Reid International will be revealed.