Las Vegas hotels are raking it in as six rodeo venues keep the dust flying non-stop, riding the wave of the National Finals Rodeo’s (NFR) massive success.

The Plaza hotel-casino made a gutsy call in 2018, throwing its hat in the ring with the construction of the CORE Arena – a 5,000-seat venue perfect for hosting multiple rodeo events, like ranch sorting and barrel racing action, according to the city of Las Vegas’ webstie.

Plaza CEO Jonathan Jossel dished to the Review-Journal about hitting the jackpot with its rodeo lineup and guest services, noting that guests feel like it’s home away from home. “We wear the hats, we wear the jackets, we get to know the customers, and that’s what they want,” said Jossel, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

The Plaza’s success turned heads; even the fancy new Resorts World jumped on the bandwagon, bringing in the heart-pounding Bullfighters Only World Championships to attract more tourists.

Las Vegas Events’ Bo Gardner said to the Review-Journal that not scoring NFR tickets isn’t the end of the road. With events sprouting everywhere, visitors have plenty of shots to catch some rodeo action.

Youth events draw large crowds in droves. At the Cowboy Christmas, the junior events are another huge attraction and also take up an entire section of the convention. The Junior World Finals pulled in 740 young riders, turning what used to be a slow period for the hotel-casino into a packed ten-day party.

Western sports aren’t just about December’s NFR anymore – it’s now an endless show keeping Vegas hopping all year long. South Point hotel-casino knocked it out of the park last season, putting up $18 million in prize money when it hosted the Miss Rodeo America Pageant.

When asked why they created so many events outside of NFR, South Point manager Ryan Growney told the Review-Journal that guests “want to be cowboys, and this is where the cowboys are.”