Tipping In Vegas
Tipping Just as in other U.S. Destinations, workers in Las Vegas are paid a minimal wage and rely on tips to make up the primary part of their income. A $1 tip per drink is appropriate for cocktail. Tipping the maid is the one category (other than nightclubs) where our staff is the most divided. Seventeen percent don't tip the maid at all. For many, the tip relates to the number of nights at the hotel. If they stay for a week, they tip. Short stays, they don't tip. The average stay in Vegas is 3.6 nights. Tipping isn't a reward for good service, it's the normal way that poorly-paid workers are supposed to be able to make a decent wage. Think of tipping as part of the cost of your entertainment while you're in Vegas. And proper tipping isn't expensive, either. When you’re tipping a blackjack dealer, or any other casino game dealer, it’s customary to tip using casino chips rather than cash. You can tip a blackjack dealer in one of two ways. One easy way to tip the dealer is just to push a chip toward the dealer and say, “This is for you.” But it’s more fun to place a bet for the dealer. Las Vegas etiquette says you tip the valet. No one on our surveyed staff advocated stiffing the valet. Eighty percent of our staff suggested tipping $5 or less. But everyone split on how to award that. Some tip $2 at drop off and $2 on pick-up. Others tip $5 only when they pick up. Nineteen percent suggested tipping between $5 and $10, while just 1 percent tipped between $10 and $20. Everyone emphasized th.
One of my favorite movie scenes is the scene where Mr. Pink talks about how he’s not going to tip the waitress. It’s in the movie Reservoir Dogs. The moral of that part of the story is that even thugs and criminals usually have enough class to tip a waitress.
A blackjack dealer isn’t a waitress, but Las Vegas is a place where most employees—including the blackjack dealer—make their living from the tips they get from gamblers. And this is true of both the dealers in the low rent places who are dealing $5/hand blackjack and the dealers in the high dollar casinos dealing the $100/hand blackjack games.
In fact, almost everyone in Vegas makes their living off tips, not just the blackjack dealers. Be a class act. Tip your blackjack dealer. This post explains how to tip a blackjack dealer, but I also have some tips about how to tip other casino personnel, too. And if you want to learn more about casino etiquette check our guide.
Why Would You Tip Anyone for Anything?
Tipping is (theoretically) optional, but I recommend everyone to tip no matter what. Even if you get bad service, tip. If it’s really bad service, complain to the management, but tip. After all, two wrongs don’t make a right.
Think about the economics behind tipping for a minute, too. Federal minimum wage is already a criminally low $7.25 per hour, but employees who make tips often only make $2.13 per hour plus tips. In other words, if a minimum wage employee worked 40 hours and didn’t get tips, he’d only make $85.20 for an entire week’s worth of full-time work.
Immanuel Kant, the great philosopher, once explained that when you’re deciding what you should do, consider whether it would be the right thing to do if everyone did it. I’m paraphrasing terribly, here, I know. But if everyone skipped tipping these employees, they’d all be poverty-stricken.
What’s the point of a tip? Michael Bluejay, a writer I admire, explains that you’re not tipping to ensure good service. You’re tipping to avoid bad service.
And if you’re planning on patronizing a place for any length of time, preventing bad service is something that should be on your mind. Imagine playing slots and not getting any free drinks from the cocktail waitress because you didn’t tip her. What a drag that would be.
How Much Should You Tip Your Blackjack Dealer?
It doesn’t matter how low the stakes are, if you’re gambling in a casino, you should tip your dealer about $5/hour minimum. You can do this in any number of ways, but $5 is the floor, not the ceiling. In fact, if you’re playing for higher stakes, you can (and should) tip more.
And tipping isn’t something you should do only if you’re winning. I’ve seen gamblers who do that, but that’s a low-class approach to tipping. At the same time, just because you’re getting lucky and winning a lot, it doesn’t mean that you need to give the dealer outrageous tips.
Why You Should Tip Dealers Even if They’re Doing a Bad Job
Most casinos require their employees to pool their tips during their shift. If you’re not tipping a dealer because he’s rude, you’re punishing all the casino employees working that shift. Instead of declining to tip, complain to casino management about the dealer’s rudeness.
How to Tip a Blackjack Dealer in Real Life
When you’re tipping a blackjack dealer, or any other casino game dealer, it’s customary to tip using casino chips rather than cash. You can tip a blackjack dealer in one of two ways.
One easy way to tip the dealer is just to push a chip toward the dealer and say, “This is for you.” But it’s more fun to place a bet for the dealer. That way they’re rooting for you to win, too.
You can explain to the dealer that you want to place a bet for them, and they’ll tell you where to put the chip. I’ll tell you now, but if you forget, just ask. You place the bet for the dealer next to your bet. If you win, the dealer wins, too.
You can also tip dealers at other table games, too, especially at the craps and roulette tables. Tell the employees what you want to do, and they’ll explain the correct etiquette for you.
What About Other Casino Employees? How Much and How Do I Tip Them?
I’m a big believer in generously tipping the cocktail waitresses, and I have two reasons for this:
- The first is that I like to keep the drinks coming while I’m playing. If you’re not tipping well, the cocktail waitresses will ignore you.
- The second is that the cocktail waitresses work really hard and deal with a lot of nonsense. And they usually have to deal with boorish customers. So, I recommend tipping cocktail waitresses generally.
This means I always give them at least $5 the first time they bring me a drink, and I give them $2 for every subsequent drink. Every couple of hours, I try to give another $5 tip. This has the added benefit of improving the service I’m getting.
Waiters, waitresses, and bartenders should get the standard 15% to 25% tip at most restaurants and bars. I’ve never tipped anyone 15% in my life, always opting to go for 20% or more. I suggest you do the same, especially if you’re going to be a regular at any of these places. Besides, good karma won’t hurt.
20% is also a good rule of thumb for a cab driver, but I always offer a minimum tip of $5, no matter how short the trip is.
I make an exception for buffets. Since all the waitstaff does there is refill your drinks, you don’t need to leave even 15%. I tend to leave $2 for each person in my party. In other words, if five of us are dining, I would tip $10, regardless of the price of the meal.
If you’re tipping a valet for parking your car, you should tip $5. I’ve been known to tip $20 if I’m in a good mood. I’ve seen people suggest that a dollar or two is sufficient, but I’d never tip less than $5 to someone whom I’ve entrusted my car to.
$2 per is the standard rule for most everything, too. If you have a bellman help you with your luggage, you should tip him $2 per bag. If you’re staying in a hotel, you should leave $2 in tip money for housekeeping. That applies to the guy at the airport handling your luggage, too.
If someone is busking, performing on the street for tips, you should probably be willing to tip them $5, too. You can get away with tipping less, like $2, but it depends on how long you watch them perform.
Getting an Upgrade When You Check Into Your Hotel Room
I’ve seen multiple reports that said you could get a room upgrade by tipping the front desk person $20 when you check in. Don’t just hand the front desk person a $20 and say, hey, can I get a room upgrade for that $20.
Be a little cool about it. When you hand the front desk person your credit card, fold the $20 and include it. Ask if they have any availability in a nicer room at all. You’ll be surprised at how often this works.
Conclusion
Learning how to tip a blackjack dealer is one of the first things you should do in Vegas. For one thing, it means you’re playing the right game. It also means you’ve got a little bit of class.
In fact, you should know how to tip just about anyone in the service industry in Las Vegas. If you can remember to tip 20% for some things and $2 (or $5) for others, you should be fine.
A little common sense goes a long way here. What kind of tipping do you do while you’re in Las Vegas playing blackjack?
Let me know in the comments.
Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.After all these years, I finally get around to making a general guide to tipping in Las Vegas!
Tipping. The art of giving a gratuity for great service or for the hope of getting better service is an American custom. Not shared by some in other countries and as such, some people have a difficult time understand it. Getting a grip on who and how much.
A General Overview of Who to Tip and How Much
Las Vegas Tips And Secrets
Shuttle drivers
Probably the first place you will be tipping is at the airport. The shuttle to your hotel or to the car rental facility. if the driver helped you with your luggage, arranged a better seat for you or did something specific, other then drive you to the location: $1 per bag.
Uber/Lyft Drivers
We are used to using cabs in Las Vegas. Ride Share vehicles are now taking over. The same tradition follows. If the car was clean and the driver friendly, knew where to go and got you there safe and sound? 10% of the fare
Valet
The people who will park your car then return it to you when you are ready to leave: $2/$5 at pickup
If you tip nicely when you first enter, they tend to park it closer. Larger the tip, the closer to the front they will park it!
Bellman:
Standard pick up at check-in or at drop off in room:$2 a bag
If they go above and beyond, be sure to increase the tip
Must Eat Places In Las Vegas
Casino Cocktail Waitress
If standard well drinks: $2 a drink. Call drink $5
The better you tip, the faster she will return!
Housekeeping
You do not always get the same housekeeper every day, tip every day. Tip: $2/$5
Put it someplace by itself and leave a note so they know its for them and not loose change you may have left behind when you left the room for the day.
Tour Guides
Multi-day tours: $5/$10 per day. Day trips: $5/$10 per person. If the guide was wonderful, maybe even extraordinary: 10% of the price of the tour
Cheat Sheet!
- Shuttle Driver – $1 per bag
- Valet – $2/$5 at Pickup
- Uber/Lyft Drivers – 10% of fare
- Bellman – $2 per bag
- Casino Cocktail waitress – $2 per well drink/$5 for call drink
- Housekeeping – $2/$5 per day
- Tour Guide – $5/$10 per day
I’m sure I missed a few people. But these are the common ones. Rule of thumb is that if its a personal service being performed, there probably is a tip expected at the end. If not sure, don’t be afraid to ask.
General Rule of Thumb. Not In Stone!
Nothing is ever set in stone. Tipping is a very personal decision and has to do more with emotions than anything else. Had a great person do something more than what you expected them to do? Tip a little more than suggested. Had crappy service? tip lower. Want better service from the same person next time? Be memorable by tipping heavy and being friendly when you tip. oftentimes a “thank you” with a nice tip can go a long way. Service people in hotels talk. Especially the maids. The word is passed on who is and who isn’t a great tipper.