Tipping
Vegas is known as "Sin City," and that can be interpreted in many ways. Us Las Vegans go above and beyond to try and make your Vegas experience amazing because after all, it would be a "sin" if we didn’t.
Sin City is also known as a big “tipping” town but what to tip, who to tip and when to tip can be difficult to understand, especially if you aren’t from a “tourist town" like Vegas, so we would like to clear the air and give you the benefit of our knowledge and some professional advice on tipping etiquette.
In this Ultimate Guide to Las Vegas Tipping, I walk you through all the people you will encounter on your trip, what they do, and their tip expectation.
Valet
There was a time when all Valet in Las Vegas was free, especially at the hotel casinos. Those days have come and gone. I remember talking to one of my friends who works at MGM Valet. He said his tips fell off a cliff once they started charging for parking and sadly that makes sense. What used to be free now costs $20-$30 bucks, so common sense will tell you people are going to tip less. If you happen to be lucky enough to hold an MGM Platinum Card or a Caesar's Diamond Card, then Valet is free but if you have to pay for parking, at least a $5 bill is a good tip, maybe more if they kept your car in the front so you don’t have to wait to get it back.
On the other hand, if Valet costs $20, then 20% of that would be $4, so a $2 tip is on the lower end and $5 is on the high end. Of course, the amount of the tip depends on the service. For example, if it takes 45 minutes to get your car from Valet, then maybe no tip is warranted but since most casinos in Las Vegas pretty much have it down to a science, it's highly unlikely you will wait more than 10 minutes so that service deserves a tip.
The Bellman
We are surprised we have to bring this one up, but some people do not realize that when Bellman store your luggage, and then bring it up to the front door or up to your room, it is common courtesy to tip. A standard to tip is $1-$3 per bag but these days a $5 bill will suffice. However, if it takes a long time, maybe less. Again, it depends on the service or the lack thereof.
The Front Desk
One thing I always like to try in Las Vegas is the “Andrew Jackson Trick”. Andrew Jackson is also known as a $20 bill. Front desk workers don't get tipped often but they have the ability to check on the hotel’s availability, upgrade you to a better room, and in some cases, provide you with a discount. But before you go dropping an “Andrew Jackson, ask them for help; find out if there are any available upgrades or discounts. You can determine the amount to give them depending on what they give you.
Concierge
If you're working with us, it's a highly unlikely that you will need a Concierge, however, if you do use their services and they offer you sound advice or good hookup, that would warrant a small gratuity. Usually $3-$20 will do the trick based on the services they provide.
Gentleman's Club Ride
This is a big one for us because we work a lot with the Gentlemen's Clubs. All the deals we offer, includes a couple of drinks, entry, some Bottle Service and transportation. These drivers are working hard running all over Vegas hooking people up with rides, so at least a $5-$10 tip, depending on the service, is a fair amount.
The Dancers
The gorgeous strippers of Las Vegas make a living off their tips. Aside from a pay-to-play situation such as lap dances or a trip to the back room, these Vegas Girls are your entertainers for the evening. If they're putting on a good pole show or they are friendly, then a $1 to $20 tip is decent.
Your Casino Host and Dealers
The Casino Host is another big one. He or she can hook you up with rooms, meals, Bottle Service and more. This is all based on the amount you gamble; the more you gamble, the better the services. The gratuity should be based on the size of the hookup. Some perks might include suites, free meals, or some comp Bottle Service, and if that’s the case, then a tip of $100+ would be in order.
As far as the casino dealers go, we've always felt lucky when we tip the dealers. Everybody has their routines and systems for gambling, if you're winning, then being a little liberal with your winnings might keep a lot going. On the flip side, if you’re losing, then a small gratuity to the dealer might change your luck. This depends on the tables you're playing at and what the minimum requirement is to play. We like to use the $5 table minimum. For example, if you're playing for an hour a $5 to $10 tip to the dealer would be appreciated.
Some of the Casino Hosts are not allowed to take cash, but a gift card or a bottle of alcohol might work and some might accept casino chips.
Your VIP Host
Since we are a VIP Hosting Company, we might be a little biased on this one. Our job is to make sure your stay in Las Vegas is fantastic. If everything goes smoothly and you are impressed with our services, then we’d be lying if we didn’t admit that we would appreciate any gratuity you are willing to offer us, however, it is not a requirement. We would never ask or expect one, but we would certainly appreciate one.
Your Cocktail Server
The majority of nightclubs and pools in Las Vegas are doing auto gratuities for the cocktail servers. An auto-grat means no matter what you spend, you are going to be tipping the server their allotted amount of 15 to 20% whether they do a good job or not. You can agree or disagree with this, but that's the way it is. We like to see people work a little harder for their tips, but that's just us.
But if the Club doesn't auto-grat, then at least 15% up to 20% is the norm. Remember, you are already paying a highly inflated price for Bottle Service or beverages so there is no need to over tip but if the server is over-the-top and you enjoyed her company, and the busser was amazing, then by all means feel free to over tip; we've done this from time to time when we found the service to be superior.
Your Bartender
In most cities where drinks are around $8 to $10, usually a $1 tip will be fine but in Las Vegas where drinks are $10 to $20, we recommend at least a $2 tip per beverage. If you're at a casino, then cash or a casino chip is perfect. If the service is exceptional, consider a little bit more and vice versa if it takes forever to get service.
Your Waiter or Waitress
A lot of casino restaurants apply an auto gratuity, which would mean the staff is going to get their tip no matter what. It’s always good to ask or check your receipt to see if the gratuity is included, and if not, then a standard tip would be 15% to 20%. Here again, if the service is exceptional then consider a higher percentage.
Your Restroom Attendant
It's crazy, we’ve been in Las Vegas for over seven years and a number of the club restroom attendants are still the same. These guys have made this their life’s work. They keep the restrooms clean, load up the countertop with all kinds of free stuff and make sure you always have a towel to dry your hands. We feel that a $2 to $5 tip per visit is fair and would be very much appreciated.
Your Housekeeping
A suggested tip for housekeeping would be somewhere in the neighborhood of $2 to $5 per night. It's a good idea to leave the cash each day, because day to day they may change workers. If you leave your room a dirty mess, then you might want to consider more but whatever you leave, I’m sure housekeeping will pleased by the gesture.
Your Ride Share Or Taxi Driver
There was a time when we didn't have rideshare or passenger apps in Las Vegas, and trust us, the taxi union fought it long and hard. Because they had a monopoly, they were gouging people. I remember a short ride from the airport to MGM, the closest hotel, was $15. An absolute rip-off, it was even worse if you lived in Las Vegas and had a few drinks and wanted to take a cab home, a reasonable number would be something like $20, but that ride with the taxi monopoly was more like $75. Then came Uber and Lyft, and they changed the game for the better, at least for the people using their services. The taxis had to lower their rates to become more competitive. So as far as tipping goes, the standard here is about 20%. Similar situations for Uber and Lyft, depending on the service, cleanliness of the vehicle, and the attitude of the driver a 10% to 20% tip should work.
Your Airport Shuttle Ride
If you choose to save a little money by taking a shuttle to the airport, you're likely going to be sharing the ride with a few other people. There also might be a bit of a wait involved if you have to stop at other hotels or wait for the shuttle to arrive. Most of the time, these shuttles are prepaid. Before handing out a tip, make sure that they didn't already charge you in your original payment otherwise a $2 to $5 is a fair amount.
Your Tour Guide
The professionals that put on the tours really know their game. They're working hard, often with multiple groups in one day and sometimes in extreme heat conditions, so if you find them entertaining and you enjoy the tour, plan on adding a 15% to 20% tip to the overall cost of the tour.
The Street Hustlers
We have to laugh at this one as we spent a full year of our life working the Las Vegas Strip. After seeing the same people over and over again, you start to become friends with some of the entrepreneur hustlers. That being said, these hustlers are out there hustling every day, sometimes dressed up in costumes in 120-degree heat. They work hard to make your stroll down The Strip more entertaining. One could argue that these folks are homeless bums; but most of them do pretty well and treat the street hustle like a job. So, if you find them entertaining and want to get a picture with them, a good tip is anywhere from $2 to $5.
Your Airport Skycaps
If you don't know, the people who do the curbside check-in for the airport is a paid service. Although they don't publicly say "pay" for their service, you should tip per bag if you're skipping the check-in line inside. Usually, $5 a bag is the standard tip.
The Bottle Service Handshake
XS was the inventor of the Las Vegas Bottle Service “Handshake.” They were the 1st club to have such high demand at an amazing laid out venue they you had to “shake” the hosts in order to even get a table.
The "shake" to the podium for location, express entry, specific table, etc. FYI, a "shake" can also help with a lower minimum spend.
When someone refers to the "shake," that means they tip on top of your table minimum and the tip, tax, and venue fee that you will be paying. (The "shake" or “handshake” to the podium goes into the host's tip pool).
In many instances, there is an opportunity to get lower-than-posted-pricing or upgraded location with what's called a "handshake" in Las Vegas.
Sometimes a podium tip is required for a particular table or even to get a location on certain nights. There are some higher tiers when big DJs are in town, and it's a holiday, or fight weekend.
Just ask us about the opportunity to handshake, we will know the deal!
The Final Word
I think we covered everyone you might encounter in Las Vegas. Nobody wants a reputation for being cheap, and if you add up all the tips combined, you aren't talking that much money. Everything in Las Vegas is going to be higher priced than most cities due to tourist inflation, so be sure to include tip money in your budget. Believe me, all of the above will certainly appreciate you.
Hopefully, you enjoyed this guide on tipping in Las Vegas and thanks for staying until the end.
If you'd like to learn more about me, our get a quote for our Las Vegas services, please fill out a form.
I am Brian Pfeiffer a.k.a "The Marketing Meathead" a well known online marketer and creator of multiple 7-figure businesses. My passion is marketing online and creating money-making systems. I am here to serve you and if you would like me to post a blog or shoot a video on something then please let me know.
I am Brian Pfeiffer a.k.a "The Marketing Meathead" a well known online marketer and creator of multiple 7-figure businesses. My passion is marketing online and creating money-making systems. I am here to serve you and if you would like me to post a blog or shoot a video on something then please let me know.