OYO Hotel Troubles Raise Red Flags About the Casino’s Future

^{The OYO Hotel sits next to the now demolished Tropicana in the background and faces several challenges, including reduced table gaming hours and a recent cyberattack. (Photo: Chon Kit Leong / Alamy)}

LAS VEGAS — The OYO Hotel in Las Vegas is undergoing major operational changes that leave locals to wonder what’s next for the budget-friendly property.

Despite the website still listing 24-hour table game service, a hotel cashier confirmed the hours are now limited to 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. Las Vegas Locally reported on October 14 that an inside source claimed all table games would shut down by the end of the month, which comes after all casino employees were made aware of the change.

The claim was quickly challenged by Vital Vegas on X, who called it false. But as the month approaches its end, the rumor is hard to dismiss and adds to growing speculation about the future of table games at the OYO.

For players, the new restricted hours indicate a significant shift on an operational side. Nearly every major casino on the Strip offers 24/7 table play, which caters to both early risers and late-night gamblers. OYO’s changes could indicate an effort either to reduce costs, a move toward an automated gaming experience or a decline in table game profitability during the overnight hours.

After all, if there are no players on the floor, why leave the dealers on shift to stare off at an empty floor?

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Hooters Closure Marks End of an Era

Along with the table games changes, the restaurant Hooters closed abruptly back in August without any public announcement. The hotel, once known as the Hooters Hotel and Casino until the rebrand in 2019, has removed the restaurant from its website entirely.

The closure came as a result of Hooters of America filing for bankruptcy in April 2025, leading to the shutdown of dozens of locations nationwide. These financial troubles likely impacted the Las Vegas location, along with its loss of video poker machines in 2024. The change may have signaled a decline in its offerings long before the official closure.

In an August news release, OYO Hotels described the closure as being part of a “broader modernization initiative to upgrade and reimagine the entire property.” But with the closure of a key dining spot and possible cut of table games entirely, the changes feel like downsizing rather than reimagining.

Cyberattack Goes Unreported for Months

The OYO’s troubles don’t end there. On October 14, Crain’s New York Business reported that the company suffered a cyberattack in January 2025 that compromised the info of 4,700 guests and employees. 

The incident surfaced months later through a legal dispute with Highgate Hotels, the hotel management company overseeing OYO’s property in Las Vegas. Court documents showed that OYO terminated their agreement with Highgate, with the main reasoning being the “seriously deficient” IT practices that led to the data leak.

According to cybersecurity outlet Brinztech.com, 30 GB of data was stolen and exposed on the dark web. This included sensitive personal and financial info about guests, financial records, HR data, and miscellaneous casino operation files, all exposed by the ransomware criminal group LockBit 3.0. The entire incident went unreported for months until legal filings came about.

An Aging Hotel in a Competitive Luxury Market

The OYO Hotel has been around since 2006 (when it was originally the Hooters Casino Hotel) and sits across from MGM Grand and next to the empty lot where the Tropicana used to be. Competing with the megaresorts in Vegas is a challenge of its own, but OYO had its place as a budget-friendly hotel with low table minimums and a casual vibe.

Even when I was in my college days at UNLV, I knew I could afford to go right up the street to OYO to play some blackjack without having to drop double-digit amounts on a minimum bet. Now that some of the defining features of the place are slipping away, the future of the OYO seems uncertain.

If the rumors are true about the table game removal, the OYO will follow the same trend of electronic table games (ETGs) as the Golden Gate Casino, which recently removed their live dealers. Fontainebleau also laid off many of their dealers in May this year, reducing many full-timers to a part-time or on-call status. 

In India, OYO Rooms is the biggest hotel chain on the continent. But OYO Las Vegas could be the next property to scale back on traditional table games in a market where budget friendly hotels already have to fight against the luxury properties that dominate the Strip. 

Tourism to Las Vegas dipped earlier this year, despite positive trends for casino revenue. Hotels attempted to fight this by offering steep discounts to attract guests with the “Fabulous Five-Day Sale.” But a place like OYO offered comparable rates throughout the year and a value-driven experience for casual visitors and locals.

Between the shortened gaming hours, the loss of its signature restaurant, and a previously hidden cyberattack, OYO’s recent months have been rocky. We reached out to OYO Rooms, the Indian parent company of OYO Las Vegas, for more information on the changes but did not hear back on further commentary.