Durango Casino Begins $385 Million Third Phase Expansion in Southwest Las Vegas
Durango Casino & Resort has started a $385 million buildout that will add major gaming and entertainment space to its southwest Las Vegas campus.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:The project, launched in early January 2026, occupies the property’s northern parking area and represents the third phase of a multi-stage growth plan at the Durango campus. The north-end development will append roughly 275,000 square feet to the existing podium and introduce a mix of gaming, dining, leisure and entertainment amenities aimed at broadening the resort’s appeal beyond traditional slot and table play.
Key elements include an enlarged casino floor with around 400 additional slot machines, bringing the property’s total to about 2,600 machines; a 36-lane, modern bowling center; multi-screen movie theaters; and a selection of new restaurants and food-hall outlets. The scheme also calls for several new performance and event spaces intended to host mid-size concerts, comedy and family entertainment programming.
Construction is expected to run for approximately 18 months, with resort management saying that all existing amenities will remain open and accessible during the work and that disruptions for guests will be kept to a minimum.
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Market Reaction and Timeline
The Durango’s latest move follows a $120 million expansion unveiled earlier on the property’s south end, which added a high-limit room with 120 machines, an additional 130-slot bank and a new parking garage. Taken together, the projects represent a sizeable reinvestment in the property and a bet on continued demand in the Las Vegas locals and value-seeking tourist market.
Industry observers see the $385 million phase as an effort to diversify revenue streams and provide non-gaming attractions that lengthen guest stays. "The larger $385 million 2.0 expansion should drive growth further," said Barry Jonas, an analyst at Truist Securities. "The 2.0 shouldn’t delay any other pipeline projects, with further details potentially revealed around the fourth quarter of 2026. Construction continues across Green Valley Resort and Sunset Station renovations in Henderson, and while there may be some disruption in the first half of 2026, management continues to target a net return on investment of about 20 percent."
A Durango Casino & Resort spokesperson added: "This phase is designed to create a more complete entertainment destination for southwest Las Vegas. By adding diverse dining and entertainment options alongside expanded gaming, we expect to attract more locals and destination guests while creating hundreds of construction and permanent jobs for the area."
The expansion comes as competing properties in the Las Vegas Valley, including Green Valley Ranch and Sunset Station in nearby Henderson, pursue renovations and amenity upgrades. Analysts note that the broader regional market has been pushing toward mixed-use entertainment offerings to capture incremental spend from meals, tickets and leisure activities rather than relying solely on gaming revenue.
Local planning authorities typically review large-scale resort expansions for traffic, parking and noise impacts. The Durango has indicated it will mitigate parking displacement through staged construction and temporary lot reconfiguration; the south-end garage completed during the recent $120 million work will help offset lost spaces during the north-end buildout.
For investors and operators, the Durango’s twin expansions underline a shift in Las Vegas strategy toward experience-led growth. If the property meets its targeted 20 percent net ROI, it could encourage similar capital projects elsewhere in Nevada’s competitive local-resort segment.
Project watchers will look for additional disclosures later in 2026 about programming for the new entertainment venues, operator partnerships for the food hall and the hiring plan for the expanded resort footprint.
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