Tipping in Las Vegas.
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Tipping. No not the place in China! Is one of those things that I am amazed that some people just can’t figure out. I guess after spending nearly 20 years of my life tending bar, it just make sense to me.
Here is the gist, anyone that provides a service to you that make your stay more pleasurable deserves a tip. It’s a simple thing and rewarding that service is expected. A couple of dollars to anyone who is helping you out normally does the trick. Since some people still have problems I have decided to put together a little list so you don’t look like a complete loser.
At the tables
Ok you have just found a spot at a favorite table and you throw down a ‘Ben Franklin” to get the ball rolling. Obviously at this point you are not going to throw anybody a tip for breaking your hundred. But, let’s say you are just learning the game of Blackjack and you want to split 10’s while the dealer is showing a 6. (Yes, this is a BIG no no) if the dealer says nothing and just lets you screw yourself and the rest of the table. No tip but… if the dealer in a very nice way suggests that this is probably not a wise decision, you should listen, and then you should throw the guy/gal a buck or two. This is because they are being helpful, another occasion for tipping that you will see happen quite often is if you are on a hot streak. A LOT of people will tip because there dealer is hot for them or lucky. I usually tip whether I am winning or not as long as I like the dealer, I mean they actually engage in some sort of conversation.
Poker Table
These are slightly different. If you win a pot send a chip over to the dealer. They deal the cards and they have to put up with abuse from the players, A good dealer can split pots and keep the game going while a bad dealer can let things get out of control. Most Las Vegas dealers are very knowledgeable so drop a few chips in their pocket.
Cocktail Waitress
Ok this one I am a little bit opinionated on. If you are getting a free drink and the girl had to walk across the casino and find and remember you when you move around. Throw her a tip for god’s sake. And no a quarter is not enough. Not if you want another drink. I will tip a buck a drink, no matter what it is. Even a bottle of water.
Taxi
Most people get this one, because there are taxi’s in every town and people know to tip them for a good job. Right?
Bellmen
If they are hoisting you bags around and generally make your stay more enjoyable throw them a buck or two. Another thing is that these guys usually have their ear to the ground so if you are looking to find a special event of party , you want to get on their good side. Just a thought.
Buffet
It is customary to tip one to two dollars per person in your party for drinks and the clearing of dishes. Some buffets have eliminated beverage service and have made that self serve as well, for that you tip $1 for the clearing of plates per person in your party.
Restaurants
Now remember what I said at the beginning tipping is for people that make your trip or stay more enjoyable. For some reason it has become almost expected to give a tip at a restaurant whether you had good service or not. I don’t agree. I worked a long time in the service industry an I get it, tipping is a right not a privilege and if I wanted a buck from the guy at the end of the bar I better make sure that his pint stayed full. So if I go to a restaurant I cannot get my coffee re-filled or order a dessert, I know that someone is just punching the clock and is not interested in making my day any better. In these cases I will tip a nominal amount like 5%, why you say because I know that my whole tip does not go to the server, in fact a lot of it goes to the hostess, bus person and kitchen staff and I think that they deserve their money even if my server does not. On the flip side if you put a little effort in and a smile on your face I don’t care if you even bring me the wrong meal I will give you a GREAT tip.
Anyways for what it is worth there is my guide to tipping. The nice thing is this does not have to be a Las Vegas specific guide. It works everywhere.
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How much money?
Every time I go to Vegas one of the first thing that goes through my mind is how much money does it take to operate one of these monstrous Casinos? I mean seriously, these things are bigger than a lot of towns and probably employ more people. So I did a little research and came up with some interesting facts I thought I would share with you.
First off finding information on this was kind of tricky, I chose the easiest route and grabbed the financial reports off of the Mirages website. Here is how it broke down.
What I found a little shocking is that the majority of the income was not derived from the casino but in what is described as Non-casino revenue. That’s right the Las Vegas hotels make more money from their hotel operations than from the gambling. To make it even a little clearer I added a nice chart.
This definitely confirms what I have been saying for awhile now that the price of a Vegas weekend has gone up a lot. Gone are the days of $1.99 buffets and freebies , if you want something you better be prepared to pay or… follow this blog and we will do our best to unearth specials, deals and general ways to get more bang for your buck.
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