Oyo Las Vegas halts alcohol sales for second time in a year, reason unconfirmed

Oyo Hotel & Casino, an off-Strip property in Las Vegas, has suspended alcohol sales for the second time in under a year. Notices posted at the resort said the latest halt began at 9 a.m. on October 23.

The casino has not given an official reason. According to The Las Vegas Review-Journal, an employee cited an insurance issue, while other reports have suggested possible problems with the liquor license or with taxes. None of these explanations has been confirmed. The Clark County Department of Business License, which issues liquor licenses, was closed on Friday and so could not immediately clarify whether Oyo is authorized to sell alcohol. Staff at the property also declined to explain the situation to reporters.

The suspension follows a comparable episode in October 2025, when Oyo ended its management agreement with Highgate Hotels and was unable to sell or serve alcohol for about 10 days. The liquor license had been held by Highgate, so the split left the property without the licensing arrangements needed to serve drinks until the matter was resolved. That dispute came after a January 2025 cyberattack that exposed personal information of about 4,700 hotel guests, casino customers and employees, which reportedly added to tension over Highgate's handling of the breach.

Oyo has also drawn criticism over its online hotel listings. In August, travel sites such as Expedia and Booking.com carried listings tied to the property under the names Palette Las Vegas and Collection O Las Vegas. Critics said the alternative names could make it harder for customers to find the hotel and read its existing reviews. Oyo's parent company, Prism, said the pages were part of a planned rebranding and were published before renovations were completed, when they should not have been public. No rebranding has taken place since.

Reports in August also indicated that Fifth Street Gaming would take over as casino operator from Paragon Gaming, subject to regulatory approval. The building, the former Hooters Casino Hotel, opened as Oyo in September 2019 and sits near the former Tropicana site, where a stadium for the Athletics baseball team is under construction.

The resort has issued no public statement, leaving unanswered when alcohol sales might resume and whether licensing or other operational problems are involved.