Trump Hosts Casino Executives at White House to Push U.S. Past France in International Tourism
TL;DR — President Trump met casino and tourism leaders at the White House to pursue 100 million international visitors by 2030, aiming to surpass France. The U.S. saw 68.3 million arrivals last year amid declines in Las Vegas and from Canada. Gaming executives requested leadership on travel policy and highlighted job gains.
SCCG Take — Operators in Las Vegas and other casino hubs gain a direct policy channel on visas and taxes but face measurable inbound weakness that federal steps must reverse to meet the stated targets.
President Donald Trump met with tourism leaders in the Oval Office on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026. Geoff Freeman of the US Travel Association and executives from MGM Resorts, Caesars Entertainment, and Hard Rock attended. The session centered on expanding international visitation after the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Freeman set a target of 100 million international visitors by 2030. The U.S. recorded 68.3 million foreign visitors last year, a 5.5% decline from 2024. Federal officials attributed the drop in part to a 20% reduction in Canadian travel. France welcomed 103 million visitors in 2025.
Trump, who once owned casinos in Atlantic City and on Lake Michigan, voiced support for using casino destinations to drive growth. He described the tourism and gaming leaders as “tremendously talented people.”
Casino Leaders Request Policy Leadership
Bill Hornbuckle, MGM Resorts President and CEO, spoke on behalf of the gaming industry. He told Trump that travel remains difficult and requires direct presidential involvement on visas and customs to hit the 100 million target. Hornbuckle stated that success would generate 400,000 additional jobs, with particular impact in Las Vegas.
Hornbuckle thanked the administration for the “No Tax on Tips” provision in the Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill. The measure lets tipped workers deduct up to $25,000 of tipped income from federal taxes. Freeman, a former American Gaming Association head, credited Trump’s prior visa and customs policies for the World Cup’s success in drawing millions of travelers.
Las Vegas Lags Key U.S. Inbound Markets
Las Vegas ranked sixth among U.S. cities for overseas visitors last year with 2.2 million arrivals. That total reflected a 14.7% year-over-year decline, or a loss of approximately 380,000 travelers. New York led with 8.9 million, followed by Miami at 5.1 million, Orlando at 4.3 million, Los Angeles at 3.7 million, and San Francisco at 2.4 million.
As reported by Casino.org News, the gathering underscores the administration’s view that casino markets can anchor broader tourism recovery. Exact policy steps to ease travel barriers were not detailed in the session.
Reporting: Casino.org News
Generated by SCCG’s automated editorial system from published source reporting. SCCG Management holds editorial responsibility.
A policy channel beats silence, but 100 million visitors by 2030 demands visa reform faster than operators are seeing today.
We've connected casinos to policy levers for three decades. When the White House invites gaming to the table on tourism goals, it signals tax, visa, and customs friction could ease — but only if executives translate access into actual visa processing speed and Chinese travel thaw. Right now, Las Vegas is down 380,000 overseas visitors. Talk is cheap; delivery wins.
- U.S. drew 68.3M international visitors in 2025, down 5.5%; France hit 103M
- Vegas overseas arrivals dropped 14.7% to 2.2M, ranking sixth among U.S. cities
- Hornbuckle pressed Trump on visas and customs; 100M target needs 400K new jobs
SCCG angle: SCCG ties operators to visa consultants, international marketing agencies, and payment providers who move the needle on inbound Asian and Latin travel. We've placed teams inside resorts rebuilding overseas guest acquisition — this White House session matters only if you mobilize the right partners to capture the policy window before 2030.
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