Record 3.7 million people visited Las Vegas in March

LAS VEGAS » Las Vegas saw more visitors in March than in any other month in its history, thanks to college basketball tournaments, car races and conventions.

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority reported last week that 3.7 million people visited the city in March, up 4.3 percent from the year-ago month. Tourism officials say convention attendance was up 21 percent, mainly because of the large ConExpo-Con/Agg construction convention. The event happens every three years and drew nearly 130,000 people.

Room rates shot up for the month of March. The average daily rate hit $134, up 21 percent from the same time a year ago.

Gambling revenues in Clark County were up almost 10 percent because of strong revenue from high-limit table games.

Las Vegas also attracted gamblers placing bets on March Madness games.